Todd Sumamno
Brands are powerful tools that allow companies and businesses to identify themselves and their values. They also provide a sense of belonging and community. Brands are everywhere, whether they’re visible or invisible. But why is setting brand identity important?
What is brand identity?
Brand identity pertains to the set of characteristics that define an organization. A company’s brand is what people think about when they hear its name. The brand should reflect the personality and culture of the company.
A brand is a promise a company has made to deliver a certain quality at a specific price. It offers consumers a reason to buy from one company over another.
In today’s world of instant communication, brands have become more critical than ever before. As a result, companies must learn how to effectively communicate with their customers and potential customers through various channels. The best-known way to achieve this is to develop an effective branding strategy.
The following five steps will guide you on how to create a unique brand identity:
Define your audience
In technology and digital marketing, there are many different types of audiences that you can target. However, your business will come out better if you define who you’re trying to reach first. For example, you can target individuals, families, groups, organizations, etc. Once you’ve determined your audience, you can then decide what type of product or service you want to produce for them.
Take for example small businesses that operate within the field service sector such as commercial cleaning, lawn care, plumbing, or HVAC. You then need to determine what gives you a competitive edge so that customers choose you. Business management apps such as Jobber are very helpful at supporting you in this endevour, enabling you to create a very high level of customer experience which is rewarded by people returning for repeat business.
Knowing your audience helps create a branding strategy that will surely answer the needs of your target market. These solutions might include facilitating quick and easy online bookings, sending quotes and automatic follow-ups, and automating repetitive office admin work.
Identify your values
Once you’ve identified your audience, you must determine what kind of company you want to be. For example, do you want to be known as a fun and friendly place where everyone feels comfortable? Or to be seen as a serious organization that provides quality products and services at fair prices? These two examples represent two very different approaches to branding.
Say you want to focus on delivering quality services to end businesses. You might consider using a free contractor invoice template to make life easier for your clients. And suppose you’re aiming to build a strong reputation as a reliable provider of high-quality services. You’ll need to ensure you hire the right individuals for their expertise to join your team.
Your values will dictate how you present your company to be unique from others. Therefore, it is essential that you clearly understand these values so that you can communicate them to your audience.
A survey revealed that 71 percent of consumers say they prefer to buy from companies with similar values. Therefore, if you want to attract people who believe in your values, you should ensure that your products and services reflect them.
Develop your message and brand promise
Once you’ve determined your audience and values, you must create a message that resonates with those values. Remember to keep your brand message clear, concise, and memorable. You should also ensure that it aligns with your promise. For instance, if your brand promise is ‘We deliver great results,’ your message should convey this.
You can also use your brand promise to explain why you exist. For example, suppose your business focuses on selling home improvement supplies. Your brand promise could be, ‘We help homeowners save money and time through our affordable products and services.’
When developing your message, you must ensure it aligns with your promise. Your promise should be short, simple, and memorable. It should also convey what you stand for. When crafting your brand promise, try to avoid using jargon and technical terms. Instead, stick to plain language that your customers can easily remember.
Create your visual style
Once you’ve developed your message and values, you can create your visual style. It includes everything from fonts and colors to logos and graphics. Make sure that everything you use reflects your brand.
Remember that simplicity works well when communicating your brand when designing your logo. Avoid using too much detail or having multiple elements in your design. Instead, choose something simple like a single word or symbol that represents your brand.
According to Forbes, brands that are consistent across all platforms see an increase in revenue by up to 23%. Therefore, you must develop a uniform look and feel throughout your marketing materials. For example, suppose you market office supplies. In that case, you can use the same font, color scheme, and layout across all of your collateral. You can even incorporate images into your collateral to reinforce your brand identity.
Implement your strategy
Finally, once you’ve completed the previous four steps, you can implement your strategy. It means making sure that all of your materials reflect your brand. It also means ensuring that your website, social media pages, email campaigns, and other forms of advertising are consistent with your brand.
When implementing a strategy, it is essential to keep an open mind. Don’t get stuck on one idea. Instead, try out different ideas until you find one that works best for your business.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, creating a unique brand identity is an ongoing process. As you continue to grow, you may find that certain aspects of your branding need to evolve. If you do decide to update your branding, make sure that you follow these five steps. That way, you can maintain consistency while improving upon your brand and successfully creating a unique brand identity.
References
Course Hero. “Reading: Elements of Brand” in “Principles of Marketing.” https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/vccs-mkt100-17fa/reading-elements-of-brand/.
Pickard–Whitehead, Gabrielle. “71% of Consumers Prefer Buying from Companies Aligned with Their Values.” Small Business Trends, February 19, 2020. https://smallbiztrends.com/2020/02/brand-values-alignment.html.
Shaoolian, Gabriel. “10 Marketing, Web Design & Branding Statistics To Help You Prioritize Business Growth Initiatives.” Forbes, August 10, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabrielshaoolian/2018/08/10/10-marketing-web-design-branding-statistics-to-help-you-prioritize-business-growth-initiatives/?sh=27ac1060d708.
Brittany
