WHERE DID BRANDING COME FROM?
Before we dive into brand photography we first need to understand what branding is and isn’t.
Technology has opened up a world. With a click of a button in seconds, we’re able to see endless variations of a similar product or service.
Because of this, your ideal potential client needs a lot more from your business in order to stand out from your competition.
The way to stand out, cut through the noise and be memorable is to build a brand.
Top businesses and companies are already doing this and the ones that aren’t, continue to struggle month to month or worse go out of business.
Brands have been around for as long as you and I can remember. But the way these brands interact with the world has dramatically changed as technology and the influence of social media continues to expand.
In the olden days, a business only needed a catchy slogan, distinct logo, and product or service.
Now due to many reasons, we won’t get into here - consumers are WAY smarter, they CARE way more about where their money is being spent and they WANT to feel something when they engage with our businesses.
While the importance of building a solid brand cannot be stressed enough there are still many companies and small businesses whose marketing strategy does not include the basic fundamentals that create a successful brand.
So today we are getting into branding and one of the most important overlooked parts of building a brand.
WHAT IS BRANDING?
I LOVE BRANDING – seriously the more I learn about it the more it makes so much sense as to why is pivotal for businesses in the 21st century.
But if you’re like most of the world when you start your business you think branding is fonts, colors, and logo, maybe a slogan or tagline.
I did too – the good news is you’re here now and together we’re going to learn what it actually means.
So what is branding if it’s not those things?
This is how I like to think of it.
A Brand is like a person – it has values, ideals, and ways of doing things like speaking, and writing, that guide how it interacts with the world.
Here is where you'll find mission statements or core brand values.
Branding is like a person making acquaintances (brand awareness), building friendships (attracting new clients), and nurturing existing relationships (client experience). It’s a continual process to stay relevant and desired by your dream boat clients.
Brand Identity is like a person’s style that taps into all the senses – look, feel, touch, and even smell impact brand identity. Here is where most businesses start and stop when it comes to their "brand."
They create beautiful fonts, find a great set of colors, get a special logo and call it good.