By: Jason Levy
What is a Brand?
Ever had a preconceived notion of someone before meeting them? Each one of us can relate to this. It is far too common that we build perceptions about people and things before we ever engage with them.
What is a brand? This is the heart of it all! It's one of those words that every business revolves around, but only some understand.
A product, business, or person's brand is how it is viewed by those that interact with it. A brand is the instantly recognizable feeling that its name and logo conjure.
Consider a brand. Say Apple for example. Of course, nearly everyone in the world now owns an Apple product. However, it's not all about their cool gadgets, computers, and the notorious iPhone. When it comes to the creation process, the brand is more than just the name and logo. That's because brands are more than just physical. They live in our minds. They live in the minds of everyone who has experienced this brand in one way or another, whether that be employees, media, or the most crucial group, customers.
How do you Build a Brand?
The products are never just the products. Apple is more than just the iPhone. Amazon is more than just a one-stop shop with 2-day shipping. Interacting with the business and products provides an experience that remains in the mind of people who you should be looking to influence. Every business should know the exact experience they want you to have when you make a purchase.
The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Brand
1. Identify Your Audience
Your target audience is also contained within your niche. Look to find what specific characteristics your target consumer may have. For example, Apple's products are expensive and are associated with status. Therefore, Apple's target audience would be more focused on middle and upper-class users who have a more disposable income and can pay for high-priced products such as Apple's.
2. Brand Name
Customers learn about your business through your brand name; therefore, if you choose it poorly, you risk alienating them before they even try your goods or services. Instead, select a name that accurately expresses your mission and resonates with your target audience.
A unique and distinctive brand name is a must.
3. The Why
Your why is the reason you are creating this product or service. What is the problem you are creating the solution for? Make sure that you make this problem known to your consumers so that they can relate to it, and then follow up with how your product or service is the solution.
4. The Look
Using a signature color for your brand can increase brand recognition by 80%. People are uniquely capable of being influenced by specific colors. For the same reasons, the choice of color in marketing can significantly affect what customers identify with your brand. You might utilize the appropriate colors to improve the visual representation of your brand if you're considering your brand image and how you want to portray your company.
5. Logo
It takes the brain up to 400 milliseconds to process the visuals of a logo. Our brain catches the flash of a logo visual and processes it to form an opinion in around 400 milliseconds. This underscores the importance of simplicity in logo design. Seventy-six percent of the top logo designs only use one or two colors for their logos. In terms of logo design, simplicity is key, with most leading corporations finding that two colors work best.
6. Slogan
We all know what a slogan is. This is such an essential part of building your brand. This should be a short and simple catchphrase. Choose your words wisely. The goal is to make your slogan brief but memorable. The goal of your slogan should be to aim for 2-3 words that correlate to your brand's identity.
7. Integrate Your Brand Everywhere
Share it everywhere. The key to this is consistency. The more consistent you are, the more awareness you will raise while becoming memorable. This will make your target audience feel more familiar and comfortable with your brand. Ensure your brand's values, perception, and messaging are consistent across all platforms. Customers value businesses that maintain a consistent image across multiple platforms. Maintaining a brand's image has boosted sales by 33%.
Conclusion
In today's competitive business environment, a strong brand is a necessity. You can only emotionally engage with your customers if your brand is strong enough. This implies that any customer will leave your business as soon as they discover an online retailer with whom they can connect. Creating a brand identity gives your clients a genuine connection point. It draws customers back repeatedly, distinguishes you from the competition, and converts casual customers into ardent brand evangelists.
Make sure to value the significance of brand development.