The Importance of Branding
Posted on 10th May 2021 at 13:30
Branding is everything that people come to know, remember, and love about your business. It can be quite hard to define, but branding is essentially the shaping of how people perceive your business through its various actions and assets. It’s who you are, it’s what you can do, why you do it, and the very experience of working with you.
Branding is more than just a logo
A common misconception is that branding only regards a company’s aesthetic. Indeed, your website, shopfront, T-shirts and business cards should all share a consistent and carefully crafted design to build up a recognisable image.
However, whilst the visuals are certainly useful for conveying what your business is about, there’s more to it than that. The entire customer journey, from when a potential punter lays eyes on your logo, through to the social media content they engage with, to how staff answer the phone, to delivery of your product or service, all builds up your brand. Equally, the values, vision and stories that you convey throughout this journey all add fuel to the fire. Branding is your identity.
Branding distinguishes you from competitors
People increasingly want to buy from, invest in, and work for companies who do great things. That’s what makes a brand identity so important. Businesses with strong branding will find it far easier to distinguish themselves from the competition. When folk find a familiar, enjoyable customer experience with you, and when they’ve been exposed to what makes you unique, then you quickly rise to pole position in the market.
So, whether you plant a tree in the Amazon for every sale or you have a stop-at-nothing, cutting-edge customer service department, whatever it is that sets you apart is part and parcel of your brand.
Branding facilitates more effective and efficient marketing
When you’ve got a defined mission, vision and unique selling points at the core of your brand, all of your marketing efforts have a pre-existing foundation to build on. After all, knowing your own identity makes it far easier to tell others about it.
As a result, if your branding is on point, you’ll spend less time creating your marketing content and it’ll be far more consistent across the various channels you use. Employees can also work more effectively and collaboratively if they themselves know the brand and its direction. Wins all around.
Branding builds trust, loyalty, and drives more business
If a rival company pops up on the next street over offering exactly the same service and price, why will customers choose you? Because they’re loyal to your brand, they trust you, and they know exactly what you’re gonna give ‘em.
With solid branding, they’ll also be far more willing and able to share their positive experiences with people who haven’t heard of you. Everybody wears, eats, drinks, listens to and shares the brands they love, so make sure yours is worthy of this reward. Then, when word of mouth and brand loyalty is on your side, you’ll start to reap the benefits of new and repeat business. What’s not to love?
We know branding
The Penguins here know a wee thing or two about branding. As always, do get in touch for a natter if you’re looking for help polishing up your own.
Tagged as: branding, graphic design
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