Branding – What it is and why you need it.

This is what has tainted the minds of so many business owners, and leads them to miss the entire point of building a brand and all of the many ways it can make you so much more successful, impactful, and long-lasting.

So let’s jump into what a brand actually is.

In other words, it is what your customers say it is, not what you say it is. It is the foundation that informs who you are and how you want to be perceived.

For example, you may say your restaurant is the best date night spot in town, with a great selection of wine, but unless your customers think the same- then you have some problems. And you might even ask yourself, “What am I doing wrong?”, “Why is my business not as successful as I want it to be?”, “Why aren’t my customers feeling how I feel about my business?”

The answer? Because of your brand.

Branding your business is, in simple terms, personifying it. You are defining your business values, positioning, appearance, and more. You are giving your business a personality that your customers can connect to and relate to.

So, now that we know that Branding is actually how other people perceive your business — we can address what a dangerous game that is when it comes to your reputation, revenue, customer loyalty, and more.

When you build a brand, you are essentially guiding what people think, say, and feel about your business.

Strategic branding can ensure that those feelings evoked are positive and beneficial for your business and customers. It can get you new customers (that turn into loyal ones), increase your value, bring in more revenue, and align your team members… but only if done correctly. If not done correctly, or not done at all– you are freely letting others define who you are and what you do as a company. Aka- your restaurant not being the best in town.

This is why it is recommended to consider branding from the very beginning of your business.

So everything we’ve talked about has been about what people think, say, and feel, which is intangible and hard to understand. So the million-dollar question then– what goes into a brand and how do I build one?

Each of these components is only some of what goes into a strong, strategic brand. Let’s dive into what these are and how they contribute to helping your business grow and flourish.

Brand Values:

The values you hold are the core set of guiding principles that shape every aspect of your business. These are the beliefs that you stand for. Brand values determine your brand’s identity, message, and personality.

 

Positioning Statement:

This is a statement that defines who you are, as well as who you are not. It outlines what your business does, who it does it for, and what makes your offering different. Think of it as a belief statement, a promise to your customers that they can firmly believe you will deliver.

This is instrumental in determining which direction to go from a high level, as well as who to hire, what products or services to offer, how you should market, and more.
Read more about how your brand does a lot of work for you here!

Your brand values also provide context to your position. When you have a set of defined brand values in place, you can easily decide what you will and will not do, based on who you are.

Brand Identity:

After you have determined the values and differentiators of your business, you can move into the strategic visual design to showcase the beliefs/meaning of your brand. This step comes last when defining your brand. Your brand identity will fall flat if not backed by a process of determining who you are first. Plus- how else do you think epic logos are created? Designers’ work is only successful when it solves a problem. The problem, in this case, is that you own a business that needs to communicate your values, differentiators, who you work with, and what you do… and the solution needs to be able to do just that.

So a brand is about building a connection with your customers through sharing values, a strong positioning statement that establishes a belief about your brand in people’s minds, and a compelling and stand-out visual identity that leaves a lasting impression and showcases the emotion and heart of your business.

If you are feeling lost and just don’t know where to even begin with defining these key components of your brand, you’re in the right place!

To help you figure this out, you can download our free workbook that guides you through defining your values, positioning statement, and much more!

We also offer strategy workshops, where we dig deep into these topics and much more. Inquiry for a Brand Strategy Session here!

“A good definition of brand strategy is the considered intent for the positive role a company wants to play in the lives of the people it serves and the communities around it.”

— Neil Parker

At the end of the day, building a brand is hard work, and we’re here to help you every step of the way. Let’s hop on a discovery call and chat about how we can change the trajectory of your business with strategic branding and design.