Branding refers to the techniques a company follows to create a unique identity for the business itself. Branding can involve the company’s public image, the company website, the products/services the business offers, or the customer experience the staff provides.
A business’s name, voice, reputation, and marketing designs (color schemes, fonts, etc.) can reflect branding efforts, as these components help showcase the brand values that the company is trying to portray.
Developing good branding requires planning, as well as a clear understanding of what sort of persona the company wants to attach to itself. Through consistent, high-quality brand development, a company can improve how the target audience sees it.
What Does Branding Matter?
Effective branding is essential in a competitive market and has a direct effect on business success. Through effective branding, companies stand out amidst a sea of competitors, driving more website traffic and converting leads into loyal customers.
Branding Elements
Consistency is important in branding and leadership, so it’s vital to have a consistent color scheme and text layout. The company’s name, business slogan, logo, and product names are other branding elements.
Colors, imagery, tone, mood, design, and voice need to all mesh together in a way that makes sense in order for a company to create a specific impression through branding.
For example, Coca-Cola has used a white and red color scheme for decades, and its signature script logo is still very recognizable as part of its brand identity.
The way the company addresses leads and customers is another important element of branding. A clinical, formal tone can create a sense of professionalism and authority, while a casual, warm tone expresses to the customer that this company’s spokespeople are approachable and friendly.
Branding Tips
Good branding paves the way toward memorable experiences for customers and audience members, so this part of your company’s design process is crucial. Branding can be complicated and time-consuming, but if it’s done correctly, it can make a world of difference when it comes to the success of your business.
Here are a few helpful branding tips.
- Be Consistent: If you develop the components of your company’s brand, stick with them regardless of who you’re addressing. If you’re communicating with the public as the brand, maintain the tone, voice, and personality of the brand you’ve designed. You want to ensure your audience recognizes you, and switching branding elements or tone is not the way to go.
- Stick to Your Values: Brand values are an important part of maintaining a consistent brand. Attach your company to causes and values that matter to you and your team, then spread awareness about the cause. People with similar values appreciate seeing a company whose views match theirs.
- Listen to Your Audience: Pay attention to the people your company serves because your branding components need to mesh well with these people. Grow familiar with who they are, what matters to them, their pain points, etc. For example, if your audience is older/seniors, using Gen X slang in your marketing content won’t be well-received.
- Develop Your Imagery: Sometimes, a fantastic logo can greatly increase a company’s brand awareness. For example, the Apple or Starbucks icons are well known, even among people who don’t visit these businesses. You could also adopt a brand mascot, like the iconic duck from Aflac Insurance. (An article on mascots is coming soon!)
- Follow the Right Personality: Create a personality that your audience identifies with, one that they feel a sense of familiarity with. Designing a personality for a living, evolving brand feels more natural and believable than talking “to the void.”
- Don’t Rush: Don’t breeze through your branding endeavors, whether you’re designing logos, choosing colors, or creating a voice. Take time to make sure that all the components of your company’s branding align with each other to create a snapshot of your company’s values and behaviors.
Audiences pick up on genuine efforts a company makes, and because of this, good branding is easier said than done. If your company’s branding doesn’t come across as genuine, going back to the drawing board is the next step. Don’t constantly adjust your branding components, but make small adjustments as needed so your branding can take on a life of its own.
Improve Your Brand with Matcha Design
Branding can make all the difference between securing customers and losing leads to competitors with better branding or who speak to their target audience more. It takes time and work to create a brand that your company can stand behind for years to come. Need help with that? We’re here for you – reach out to us anytime, and we’ll get to work on your branding project together!
