How to successfully build a brand

When a client comes to our offices and says, “Build my brand!” we begin a process that is about so much more than just designing a fancy logo.

In consultation with that client, we explore the finer points of what can be a confusing subject for businesses who are at the very beginning of their brand-building journey.

Let’s talk about building a brand…

Building a brand is crucial for your business, regardless of whether it is large or small - not only to make yourself instantly identifiable but also to differentiate you from others and allow you to rise above the competition.

A strong brand will allow you to create a strong emotive relationship with your customers. It will form bonds that are hard to break. Earned brand loyalty brings a set of very valuable advantages, from higher-value sales to natural protection when unpalatable price increases become a necessity. The loyal customer base also provides an enviable platform for organic growth.

More than just a logo

It’s not unusual for people’s minds to automatically think about a logo when we are discussing a brand. Your logo is part of your brand, perhaps even the ‘face’ of your brand, but it is only part of the whole brand identity. It should look good and be instantly recognisable – in fact, through time it should actually become interchangeable with your name, but it is the brand identity that makes it meaningful.

Where to start…

A good starting point when creating a brand is to invest some time contemplating your unique brand identity.

Brand identity allows you to find your tribe. It will attract like-minded individuals and give them a sense of belonging. Strong brand identity turns clients into advocates.

Your brand identity will consist of a number of individual elements, including: -

• The logo
  
• Colours, designs, typeface and formatting
  
• Language 
  
• Tone of voice
  

But, depending on your business, it may include many other things such as layout of your premises (think hospitality branding), staff uniforms, the nature of customer interaction – it might even be the music playing in the background.

 It is all the visible elements of your brand; your personality, your values and the way you want people to feel when they interact with you. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, when establishing your brand identity, you can list what you don’t stand for, as well as what you do.

How do you create a truly great brand?

You’ve probably guessed by now that the creation of a brand is by no means something you can knock up during your lunch break. Deciding upon your brand identity can be tricky, but there are some things that should be high on your to-do list: -

• Self-analysis: question what your purpose and goals are (not your mission statement as this will come after you’ve established your brand identity), what you have to offer and pin-point exactly what makes you unique in your marketplace
  
• Research into your target market: find out what’s important to them, their needs, their wish list, their bugbears and identify all the things that would provoke a negative reaction from them – i.e. the things to avoid! 
  
• Consideration of the visual element: the logo is only the beginning – you need to decide upon your full palette of colours, text, font, imagery etc. to consistently portray your brand’s personality at a glance
  
• Consideration of ‘voice’: how do you want to sound to your audience and what kind of language represents your beliefs – formal, friendly, professional, knowledgeable? - but take care to avoid mixed messages, openly criticising your peers or mimicking competitors
  

The very best brands don’t rest

Creating a great brand is one thing, maintaining it to ensure that it stands the tests of time is another…

Carry out regular brand maintenance. Don’t assume that everyone ‘gets it’ or that it will stay relevant to your target market forever. Utilise every key performance metric at your disposal and constantly review feedback, social media chat, online forums etc. to make sure that the invaluable audience perception you worked so hard to create remains on track.

As you have probably guessed, branding is a big topic of conversation, and as a brand-aware marketing agency, we could devote many more paragraphs to it here. It’s importance should never be underestimated as staying true to the brand identity you have built will earn you authority, credibility and trust. 

That said, it’s not something to fear or put off for a later date and that’s why at Greyhive we are happy to support our clients through their brand-building journey, as well as all other aspects of digital marketing.

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