Branding is much more than your logo.
Big brands, small brands, personal brands, company brands – it seems that everywhere you look, you see brands.
For many small business owners, the concept of branding is stressful. For others, it seems simple – design a logo and hey presto, you have a brand. Both of those are misconceptions.
Branding is not as stressful as it seems, but it’s also much more than your logo. To help you navigate branding, we’re explaining what a brand is, how to build one and the eight elements that help you use your brand in marketing.
What is a brand?
Possibly the biggest myth of branding is that it is tangible. That you could touch it, see it or hear it. But in reality, branding is something imaginary. It is the feeling you give your customers after they interact with you. It is the things they perceive about you – such as your trustworthiness or your value for money. To put it another way, your brand is the sum total of a customer’s experience with your business.
Your brand elements – such as your colour palette, logo and slogan – are marketing and communication tools. They are the tangible assets that help customers understand and experience your brand. When combined, elements like these make up your brand identity.
Another common myth is that branding is only for large corporations and global companies. But branding can apply to any sized business. When it comes to small businesses, you can apply the same branding techniques on a smaller scale to achieve the desired results.
Why is a brand important?
Building a brand takes time and money, which is a key barrier for smaller businesses. But, there are many reasons that the effort of building a brand is worthwhile. Let’s use Google as an example.
Google is a technology company
As a brand, they are known for being user-friendly, innovative and convenient
They have a diverse range of products from Google search to maps and email
They have a strong brand identity that unites all their products and people
Google is far from the only search engine or email provider. They are far from the only technology company to choose from. Without a strong brand in place, Google could easily lose awareness with their customer base. Google’s brand allows them to stand out in saturated markets.
Their brand also serves to build trust with customers who gravitate toward Google above all else. It is estimated that retaining an existing customer is 5-25 times cheaper than acquiring a new one. A trustworthy brand that builds customer loyalty is saving Google money.
Google’s visual identity, like their colours and logos, are instantly recognisable. This helps customers make fast decisions when faced with multiple options. While a visual identity is important, it’s only as strong as the trust in your brand. The identity elements carry the feeling for your brand. If that feeling is negative, such as when a company weathers a scandal, then your elements will pass on this feeling. This is one reason many brands go through redesigns after a fall.
How do you build a brand?
The building blocks of any successful brand are repeated, positive interactions with customers. But that’s not all it takes. There are three key steps to building your brand:
Define your brand values: these are the things your company stands for and the values that you share with your ideal customers. Examples include family-oriented, sustainable or diverse.
Communicate your values in your marketing: using your brand identity, spread these messages to ensure your customers can feel your values.
Interact with customers: develop a customer journey that embodies your values. Seek feedback and refine your experience until every customer shows a clear understanding of your brand.
The key elements of a brand
The core of your brand may be the values and the feelings these evoke, but the method of communication is your brand identity. There are eight key elements you can use to build a brand identity that resonates with customers.
Logo
Possibly the most popular brand element, a logo is an image that is easily recognised by customers. Many brands choose simple logos, such as Google who use their brand name in mixed colours. Others choose abstract logos, such as the Nike ‘swoosh’.
Colours
Choosing the right colours is essential as these are the elements that are easy to spot from far away. Some brands use colour psychology to find the right mix that communicates their preferred values and feelings.
Fonts
Brand fonts have become increasingly important in the digital world. Most brands choose more than one font for different purposes – such as headings, body text or graphic elements.
Shapes
If your brand has a particular shape associated with it, you can use this to create consistency in your marketing. An example might be an outdoors brand with a mountain in their logo. To replicate and reinforce this shape, they might use triangles as a simplified version.
Imagery
Whether you’re running a photoshoot in-house or relying on stock imagery; you need to decide what style of images represent your brand. For example, do you prefer imagery with people or without? Do you like bright lighting or are you creating a moody, dark vibe?
Tone of Voice
Content is everywhere. From your website to your socials and even your checkout page – you want your content to sound the same. Your tone of voice dictates how you speak to your customers. Casual or formal is one of the most common tone of voice decisions, but a well-developed tone will go much deeper than this.
Slogans
Like your logo, a slogan is an instantly recognisable brand mark. The great part of slogans is they are versatile. You can use one slogan to represent your entire company brand, while another is just for a certain product or service.
Personality
Brand personality describes the human traits that people associate with your brand. For example, your brand could be outgoing or intelligent or kind. As we rely more and more on digital interactions, your brand personality can help customers feel a greater connection with your business.
Let’s navigate your brand together
Many small business owners feel comfortable talking about their reputation, when in reality they’re also talking about their brand. You don’t have to build a brand as big as Nike or Google to be successful. But, you should consider how a brand can help your business stand out from competitors, retain customers and increase your business value.
With years of experience in strategic marketing, Ebony & Salt can help you develop a brand you’re proud of. We use the same techniques as the big brands, but scale them down to suit small business needs. Get in touch to begin your branding journey.