Creating a strong brand is essential if you want to stand out in today’s crowded business world. No matter what sector you’re operating in, you need to create an identifiable brand that is unique enough to be memorable, but that will still inspire trust in customers. If it is too odd and unusual, then people will be put off, but if it is too run of the mill, then it will probably be overlooked. Getting the balance right is important when building your brand.
Who are you?
A successful brand identity doesn’t come from nowhere. It is not created by imitating more successful competitors, or by pulling a wild idea out of the air. Your brand identity should proceed from your core values as a company.
In creating a brand, you should try to find the essence of your business, in terms of what you produce, why you produce it, and who you produce it for. Only if your brand is true to what you do will it resonate with your customers. It’s not only about being honest but also about communicating the underlying truth about why you’re in business.
Who are your audience?
A business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It comes alive in the relationship between the producer and the customer, and just as you are creating a certain type of company, so you will appeal to a certain type of customer. Find out as much as you can about them – what they do, what they live for, what makes them tick. This is crucial if you’re going to convince them that your brand is the one they’ve been waiting for.
How can you reach them?
Once you know what your brand is and who it is for, you need to connect the two via the appropriate channels. This might involve using email outreach tools to link up with key influencers and opinion leaders in your industry. Guest blog posts, targeted advertising and video channels can also help to spread the word. At this stage, you’re not so much trying to make a sale as let people know who you are and what you stand for.
What does it look like?
A strong visual identity is very important when setting up a brand. This should communicate the essence of what you’re about in an instant, almost on an unconscious level. The most noticeable part will be your brand logo, but other elements are more subtle, such as sticking to a particular color palette, using certain fonts, and employing a particular style of layout.
These visual cues should all reflect your core values and brand identity and should be immediately recognizable. For this to work, it’s absolutely important to be consistent at all times. Never deviate from the look and never go off-message. Keep the brand in mind at all times.
The most important point is to be honest about who you are. Finding your core identity as a company is the crucial initial step. Everything else is about finding ways to communicate this. If your brand isn’t true to who you really are, then the public will see through it. Keep it real, and your brand will prosper.
