Busting the #1 Branding Myth: Beyond Fonts and Logos
Myth Busting: Beyond the Basics
So, here's the thing — a brand isn't just a cool logo, sleek fonts, and a chic color palette. Though those can be an important part of a brand.
In the good ol' days, businesses could get away with catchy slogans and a top-notch product.
Competition was a fraction of what it is today and the internet was just becoming all the rage.
Today, consumers are savvier, more disconnected than ever and they crave something more – a human connection.
Large companies understand this and invest heavily in branding.
Sadly small businesses struggle to keep up — dawning yet another hat of the brand strategist. This blog aims to simplify branding and offer practical tips you can use today.
Understanding Branding
The brand of your business is the perception people have it. While we can't control this perception entirely, we can influence it by strategically using various elements that come together to form the brand identity.
Think of a brand as a person. The core of a brand encompasses values, ideals, mission, and vision – much like a person's morals and character traits.These elements combine to create a distinct look and feel that people come to know and either like or dislike.
What is Branding?
Branding is the intentional, strategy led effort to build brand awareness, attract ideal clients, and inspire client loyalty. It is a verb - a business being and acting in alignment with it’s values, ideals, mission and vision.
Just as a person might join a club to make friends (brand awareness), their actions and interactions will either attract or repel people (attracting the right audience). Building lasting relationships takes time, like a business establishing brand loyalty.
Brand Identity is everything a business does to communicate its essence – the look, feel, touch, taste, and even smell. It's the driving force behind recognition and differentiation. If a brand were a person, it would be reflected in their hair color, clothing choices, facial expressions, scent, and even tone of voice.
No part of expression would go untouched by the brand’s essence.
Discovering Your Brand's Essence
Staying with the analogy that a brand is like a person values, ideals, mission, and vision does your business hold? How would this person interact with the world.
The challenge is to personify your brand – to create a look and feel that the right people (your ideal client) not only notices but genuinely connects with.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s imperative that the values and ideals your business upholds is also a part of your core values. If not, this is where mistrust and dishonesty reek havoc on your business. Sure you can point to scummy people who have succeeded doing just that.
Here’s the thing: you’re not that kind of person and neither am I. So we operate with integrity because we’re not out here just to make a buck we’re here to make the world a better place doing something we love.
Practical Steps for Branding Success
Now, let's talk action. Whether you're starting from scratch or thinking about a rebrand, it's important to evaluate your brand regularly. Here are a few practical steps to guide you:
1. Define Your Core Values:
Just like a person's morals shape their interactions, your brand's core values should guide how your business engages with the world.
What does your business stand for?
2. Building Awareness:
It's like joining a club to make friends. How can you make your brand known to the right people? Share your story, engage with your audience, and let them see the real you.
3. Crafting a Unique Identity:
Your brand identity is the sum of everything – the look, feel, touch, taste, and even smell. Picture it as your brand's signature style, just like a person's unique fashion sense or choice of words.
Ready to dive deeper?
Check out our blog on "5 Steps to Creating a Brand" for a roadmap to building your brand.
Prefer to bypass the do-it-yourself route? Book a free complimentary brand strategy call to discover how we can create a one of a kind brand.
