Nurturing a strong, recognisable brand is integral to the growth and success of any business. Despite that many may try to persuade you, branding is about more than a logo, and failing to establish an identity at the outset can put you at a disadvantage.
What is branding?
Branding encapsulates those elements that make up your venture’s identity.
It involves applying your values and beliefs to the visual components that promote your business.
That includes, but isn’t restricted to, a logo.
However, a wide range of marketing materials – including a website, business cards, packaging and stationery should be considered too.
Working on a professional and consistent brand identity from the offset makes it more likely that your branding strategy will be successful.
It is a process that requires both intensive research and a keen eye for detail.
Why is branding so important?
Starting a business with just a logo may appear the best option in the moment.
However, if you are serious about your company, then branding should be at the top of a list of priorities.
It demonstrates that you have given consideration to why your firm exists, who you are, what you stand for and how your offer is distinct from that of your rivals.
Establish an Identity
Once you establish an identity, you can begin to nurture a relationship with your customers.
People do business with others that they know, like and trust.
For example, when they see the typography and colour scheme of a brand they recognise, they are more likely to engage with it.
In fact, using a signature brand colour can increase brand recognition by 80 per cent!
Coca-Cola is a useful case study of how branding can form a distinctive identity.
We all instinctively know the shade of red paired with their trademarked ‘Spencerian’ typography.
It is iconic and has enabled them to create minimalist advertising campaigns.
In its latest 2020 campaign, Coca-Cola used signage that features the white typography against a red background with the wording deployed to appear as if it is wrapped around an invisible bottle.
The phrase ‘Feel it‘, in a smaller font size, sits where a cap would be.
According to the agency behind it: “Our brain needs very little clue to feel it … only a logo and a title are needed to make the invisible visible.”
Customer loyalty
Over time, your brand will encourage customer loyalty once they recognise your service, or product, and attach it in their mind to branding they like.
Once they get to know you better, they will begin to trust you more.
To develop that faith initially, it is important to be vocal about why they should buy what you offer.
That is where branding comes in; it will determine how your early customers perceive the business.
Brand identity relays an underlying message that your aim is to satisfy a target audience and exceed its expectation.
That will keep its members coming back for more.
A high-quality product, together with a great brand, is the foundation on which to build a loyal customer base.
Consistency is key
According to Lucidpress, consistent presentation of a brand has been seen to increase revenue by 33 per cent. Too many businesses fail to create cohesive branding during crucial early stages, leading to old logos that don’t transfer well to social media or tag lines and mission statements that look and read differently on different marketing materials.
These apparently minor inconsistencies may feel inconsequential but, for the average customer, they can be concerning.
Not only does it risk appearing unprofessional, it may persuade customers to question the legitimacy of your business and the trustworthiness of its products and services.
Once you have branding foundations in place it makes other marketing choices simpler.
Consistency ensures your customers will recognise your brand’s values, image and message no matter where they interact with them.
Attract the right people
It takes 0.05 seconds for a person to form a judgment about your business’ logo.
For that reason alone, first-class branding matters.
It pulls in people, whether you are looking to attract new talent, influencers, designers or marketers, and encourage them to get involved.
An outstanding example of a company that is able to attract its dream customer base by using consistent branding is Procter & Gamble – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household products and cleaning supplies.
You may not necessarily recognise the name, but you will know Gillette, Bounty, Febreze, Pampers and Oral-B, to name a few of its widely recognised brands.
Procter & Gamble can attract its target market of first-time mums, millennial professionals or washing machine owners because of its consistency.
The more recognisable your business branding is – online through your website, in emails and marketing materials – the more you will be able to tempt your target audience.
Promote products
Strong branding helps to promote new products because customers will pay attention to a name they know and recognise.
With competition fiercer than ever, marketing is more of a challenge.
However, a striking brand can set your products apart.
Take Apple, for example. Every time the white logo appears on a screen to promote a new release, people instinctively pay attention.
Familiarity piques interest, so if you are launching a product or service then your distinctive and established brand will help it to sell.
Competitive edge
A brand defines who you are and is what gives you a competitive edge in a crowded market.
If a customer recognises your branding, you have an advantage.
However, living in a digital age has changed the circumstances in which most businesses operate.
They no longer operate at a merely local level; the marketplace is global, which means your customer base can be too.
If you have thought carefully about your brand from the start, then your credibility is likely to be higher.
That gives customers a reason to consider buying a product or service from you before they study competitors.
With greater recognition, your business can grow and begin to rival other well-known operations in your chosen sector.
Shared values
People want to connect with brands they identify with, with studies suggesting that 89 per cent of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values.
Communicating what it is you stand for clearly and effectively improves your chances of attracting an ideal customer.
Research has discovered that 64 per cent of consumers would buy from a brand, or boycott one, solely because of its position on a social or political issue.
Your values whether, they are political, social, environmental or otherwise, matter to customers and they will support you if these values align with their own.
Save time and money
As an owner, it is up to you to decide what to prioritise as well as setting a course for your business.
Starting with a basic logo, and nothing else, might appear to be the most practical option when money is needed.
However, without proper branding in place, you risk missing out.
Deciding on a consistent message at the beginning will reduce the chances of having to make avoidable changes later that will cost you time, money and – worst of all – the loyalty of your customers.
A brand is your strongest asset when it comes to generating leads, driving traffic to your website and consistently attracting and retaining the clientele you desire.
If you want to show people who you are, what you are passionate about, and how you do things differently, then get in touch with us today.
Let the team at Dawn Creative collaborate with you to outshine your rivals.
Call us on 0161 711 0910, or send an email to wakeup@dawncreative.co.uk
We guarantee that you will love our work, so we offer a money back promise.
