Branding is everywhere. Some of it is subtle and sophisticated, some of it less so.
The purpose of branding is to create an identity for a brand that generates engagement with an audience and distinguishes the business from its competitors.
Branding establishes a reputation and can give a business longevity through the connections and loyalty it creates with customers. In addition, having a consistent and signature look is crucial in creating a strong brand as you start to develop.
Whilst making this all a reality may sound like a lot of hard work (which it can be if we’re being honest!) if you’re looking to boost or update your business’ standing in your marketplace, then branding is one area that is definitely worth investing in. If done right, it’ll give you a firm foothold within your industry and help you to stay relevant and in the minds of your customers long into the future.
So, how exactly does it do this?
Branding communicates who you are to customers
Great branding ensures that your products or services are easily recognised through your design choices and communicates to customers what your purpose is. It tells your story whilst building your reputation and establishing your credibility in the industry; phew, we hope we didn’t go too OTT with the branding jargon there!
Branding also gives your business a distinctive feel, even if you’re not selling anything particularly unique or unusual. Many of the biggest brands on earth have been successful due to confident and smart branding, rather than because of exceptional products.
Take, for example, Coca Cola. Their products are some of the most popular and well-known drinks on the planet, and yet essentially all they sell is sugary carbonated water!
Ultimately, great branding will communicate what makes you, ‘you.’
It gives you purpose and focus
You may have a distinctive logo and a great colour palette, but branding goes much further than this.
For instance, the core beliefs of a brand are built around many different values, such as diversity, sustainability or professionalism. Having these values made evident via distinctive branding lets your team understand a clear objective and makes sure you attract the right audience for what you offer.
What else will branding bring to my business?
Below we have outlined some of the tangible benefits you’ll see as a result of putting that extra bit of effort into your business’ branding:
- Profit generation and growth – Clean, simple and well-designed branding helps a business to connect with the right audience and communicate why its products and/or services are the best in the industry. This, in turn, creates brand loyalty and customers coming back to you time and time again for your products and services. This also means introducing new products or services to the market will likely be much simpler and easier to sell
- A positive company culture – When branding is well established, it is usually underpinned by a well-defined culture and strong brand values that engage employees, meaning they feel invested in the future of the business and care more about its growth
- Bringing customers together – Great branding unites customers and creates a connection between them and your business’ values. In layman’s terms, you can build up a ‘fan base’ for your products or services. Think, for example, about the brand loyalty that customers have to Apple and Samsung in the ongoing smartphone war. Each company has attracted its customer base via branding strategies that appeal to different audiences
- Gaining an edge – In a highly competitive marketplace, there are often few ways to establish a competitive advantage but incorporating effective branding within your business is certainly one way that you can get ahead of the game by standing out from the crowd in your purpose and messaging.
How can I make this a reality?
Branding provides the building blocks and foundations for the future of any business. Getting it right not only creates a strong identity, but opportunities to grow and thrive.
Starting this process from scratch can be daunting, especially if you’ve had no branding experience in the past. This is where working with an experienced branding agency can make all the difference, as you’ll have a team alongside you that will use their extensive knowledge to create something special and unique to your business.
To find out more information on how the team here at xHeight can help you with all of your branding needs, please visit our ‘Brand Management’ page, contact us via email at hello@xHeightdesign.co.uk or call us on 01403 586 002. We look forward to hearing from you!