What is a brand? Why is it so important?
A brand is your identity; it makes your business unique, eye-catching and independent. A brand is your name, your logo, your design, your colour scheme, your language. It ties your business together by telling your story.
It is everything that makes your company, your company; and getting your brand right, is a vital first step in the path to securing success.
So, where do you start when it comes to bringing your brand to life?
What you can expect in this article:
Discover your identity
The essential first step in bringing your brand to life is discovering your identity.
Do you really know who your business is and what it stands for?
What are your missions, visions and values?
Why do you do, what you do?
There are so many different styles, types and concepts out there, you might feel like your brand identity is getting lost.
Do you want some advice?
Decide who your business is and own it. Don’t rush this stage.
Discovering your identity is key and it is vital you give yourself time to understand what is exactly at the core of your organisation.
Perhaps consider, what are your unique selling points?
What are your competitors doing?
What do you want to do differently?
There’s often value in reaching out to an external body, who can come in and offer their advice and knowledge.
Industry experts like Ed Prichard can support your brand strategy and help your business find its voice.
Once you have clearly defined who you want your business or organisation to be, you’re halfway there.
Your identity, your brand, should then run through the veins of your organisation, reflected in tone of voice, language and imagery you use to market yourself.
Identify your audience
In a world where businesses are competing to get the most followers across their social channels, it’s sometimes easy to forget, who are we really looking to engage with?
Remember, it isn’t always about the number of social media followers you have but in fact, who those followers are.
Know your audience and make sure your brand speaks to them.
Define your brand
Once you have discovered or re-discovered your identity, along with pinpointing who you want to engage with, it’s time to define your brand.
Create a logo that helps tell your story.
Add a strapline, decide on a colour theme and establish what language and tone of voice you want to use.
Produce a clear mission, vision and values for your organisation, to highlight to clients and employees what your brand stands for.
Inject your brand identity
To bring your brand to life, not only should your brand identity be reflected throughout every customer touchpoint, but it should also be demonstrated through your workforce.
Whether you are a one-man-band, or a manager of many, it is essential that everybody working under your umbrella speaks your brand.
Afterall, they are your key ambassadors.
