What Can Branding Do For You?

Branding is often seen as a complex and elusive concept, shrouded in marketing jargon and mystique. It's also seen as "just a logo", which is just the tiny, miniscule tip of the proverbial iceberg. At its core, branding is simply the creation of a unique and memorable identity for your organization, but it is so much more than just that.

Once you understand what branding can do for you, you can unlock its power and take your organization to new heights. Here we unpack just what branding really is and what it can do for you.

Your Identity

Branding starts with defining your business identity. Consider your brand’s personality, values, and aspirations. Ask yourself:

• Who are you?
• What are your values?
• What do you do that no one else does?

This will help you get to the heart of who you are. Finding the answers to these questions is essential. Don't move on until you know the answers!

The Visuals

Once you know who you are and why you're even here in the first place, you can start to create visuals that will act as your corporeal identity. The visuals are your entire brand: the colors you use, the fonts you choose, the patterns that compliment your brand personality. It's an overall aesthetic that people will recognize immediately because you've used it consistently over and over again in everything you do. Oh, and, of course, it's your logo. :)

Your Message

Your brand messaging works hand in hand with the brand visuals to communicate your story. This is your brand's personality, your voice and how you talk about yourself and your services. The stories you tell will resonate with clients who share your values and will evoke emotional responses in your ideal audience. By telling your authentic stories, you'll find that you captivate an audience that will be loyal and long lasting.

Be Consistent

None of these things will make any difference, however, if no one sees them--or no one sees them consistently.

Applying your brand consistently across everything you do creates cohesion, familiarity and trust with your clients. They know what to expect from you, therefore, they believe you can do what you say you can. It also makes you memorable and instantly recognizable because everything looks, well, consistent.

It's a good idea to share your brand package with your staff, board members and other stakeholders who are speaking or acting on behalf of your brand. Make sure no one goes rogue! They should all have a consistent message. When a social media post, marketing mailer or advertisement goes out, they should all use your brand's color palette, pay attention to your logo rules and use the same fonts.

It's ok to get creative within these parameters. There's a lot that can be accomplished within the framework of a brand's rules. Once you have an understanding of who your brand is and what it can do for your organization, you won't want to do anything else!

Need help branding your business or organization? Get in touch! Let's see what your brand can do for you!