Branding is how a business creates an emotional connection with its audience. It’s why “In the Arms of an Angel” makes you want a new pet or why Nike commercials inspire you to triumph.
Quantifying a company’s value and authenticity is more than just colors, websites, and... awnings. It’s the perfect combination of marketing and storytelling that communicates why a company makes you feel a certain way. Selling products is challenging, but without a clear identity, it’s even tougher to stand out against competitors and generate organic relationships.
In this article, we’ll discuss who branding is for, where it starts, and why it matters.
Who’s branding for? Why is it important?
Branding is for businesses and customers. Not only is it a way for businesses to create relationships but it’s also how customers differentiate the value of one brand over another.
To establish direction and build trust with consumers, a brand’s message should:
- Fulfill a need
- Solve a problem
- Unite like-minded individuals
- Create an emotional connection
- Maintain consistency with other marketing
Branding starts with an Identity
Branding starts with an established identity around who you are and what you do. Some creative elements that communicate a brand’s identity to consumers would be:
- A product or service
- A brand name
- A logo
- A website
- A mission
Then a brand finds a way to tell its story and differentiate itself from competitors by approaching the audience’s pain points. Before a brand identity can thrive, it’s important to determine your brand’s purpose and objectives, audience, and industry.
Establish your vision with a brand strategy
The blueprint for how a business defines itself to the world is a brand strategy. Through endless forms of digital marketing, brands can stay in touch with their audiences and communicate their value.
Strategies:
- Niche-based: Focus on a small sector within the industry.
- Influencer-based: Utilize individuals who will share your product on their platforms.
- New Audience: Target a market segment that isn’t typical for your buyers.
- Differentiation: Silo your brand from competitors by honing in on your value proposition.
- Private Label: Make your brand exclusive to your target audience.
To build a strong reputation, a business strategy, or a strategy for how money is made, must align with a brand strategy and vice versa.
Uphold consistency by measuring results
Consistency is the key ingredient to building a strong brand reputation. One way to uphold consistency is to maintain synchronicity between the business and brand strategies. Whether it’s fast shipping, one-of-one items, or a gift with purchase, if the brand makes a promise, then the business delivers and vice versa.
Trust and credibility are also determined by transparency. Sharing behind the scenes of a business is a key way to build trust amongst consumers. Transparency can be shown by sharing the stories of your team, detailing steps of the product development process, or even showcasing failures. No matter how you choose to build consistency amongst your customers, they will hold you accountable on the promises you make.
Finding the right formula to captivate your audience takes time, data, and patience. A great way to assess your brand’s impact is to measure results. With website analytics, SEO, click rates, and social media metrics, you can see what your audience is engaging with and how often. That way, you can optimize what’s working and scrap what doesn’t.
Conclusion
Your brand is your most valuable asset. The psychological impact of effective branding is extremely valuable and yields long-term benefits for your business when executed. At Tragic, we are no strangers to creating memorable brands. If you have questions about brand-building solutions, contact us for a great referral.
