Whether the focus is on creating a brand identity or using existing assets, the aim is to recognise brand components that are distinctive, memorable and consistent. Here are some ideas to help you achieve this.
Most businesses can probably determine which elements of their brand they love and which they dislike pretty quickly, and most can probably also tell you why. These business owners might jump right into a radio ad campaign because it sounds like one they heard from their competitors, or they might dismiss the use of yellow – because who likes yellow?
Yet successful brand components (think: McDonald’s golden arches, Nike’s distinctive tick, Coca-Cola’s dynamic ribbon) aren’t just recognisable; they are assets that the consumer connects with emotionally in just one glance. Marketers must have created these recognisable assets after mountains of consumer research, after even greater stacks of market analysis, and after a process that makes brand elements consumers don’t think about at all but that become built up over time – with increased bottom-line results.
Here’s how you can do that with these principles:
Principle 1: Audit Current Brand Components
It’s essential to collect a list of all the branding elements for your business because it represents what customers already know about you and their relationship with your business. It also needs to be incorporated into the marketing journey towards developing new brand components and your entire brand strategy.
A simple application is to look at it from the eyes of your customers. Consider how they know about your business and analyse their interactions with the various branding elements.
A branding audit is crucial because it provides information about effective and ineffective initiatives, which determines how your brand is viewed at every buying cycle stage.
Which branding elements led to an increase in sales or spikes in visitors to the store? This will prove invaluable in deciding future aspects.
Principle 2: Create Its Persona
Like the customers it serves, brands have character. If you’re a medical supplier, its personality might be confident, efficient, and compassionate; it might be chirpy and energetic if you’re a children’s stationery store. Your brand components must have these themes in the final design stages.
If your business were a human, what would it look like? What would you want people to know about them?
Your brand has a personality like the customers you serve, but remember: it’s not your personality. It’s the personality you want people to associate with your brand.
Principle 3: Learn from Others via Research
If you’re starting a new company and looking to market it, you may not have accurate data. That’s why it’s critical to research. A successful business answers three core questions:
- Who is your customer base?
- What problem do they have, or what do they want to accomplish?
- Why should they choose you to help them?
Principle 4: Profile Your Brand
You want to provide your branding expert with as much information about your business as possible so that they can develop an effective branding plan. They’ll also consider your overall brand positioning to ensure that your marketing strategy supports the growth of your business.
Conclusion
Do not wait until you need to create your brand assets, such as logos and social media photos before you start planning them. Nailing down their core concepts early and consulting with a marketing agency to review and refine them can save you time and money in the future.
Speak with Fruitbowl Studio today and get your brand components in order! We create websites that streamline your business operations and automate inefficient processes! Book your free demo now!
