Branding! Wait...What, exactly, does that mean?

Unsure what “branding” means? You’re not alone. It’s one of those vague terms that is thrown around a lot in marketing circles and can be easily conflated even for those who are deep in the weeds of it every day.

And since we’re all about clarity and transparency around here, we want to shine some light on this topic using ‘real human’ language.

Let’s start with a quick definition. 

Branding has been around since 350 A.D and is derived from the word “Brandr”, meaning “to burn” in Ancient Norse. Around the 1500s, it was used to mean the mark that ranchers burned on their cattle to signal ownership—logo anyone?

But, today, a brand is so much more than a logo. It’s really about the feeling consumers get when they encounter your brand in all its forms.

Branding, then, is the set of actions you take to create that feeling.

Branding is the process of giving a meaning to a specific organization, and their products and services by shaping an image and voice in consumers’ minds. The goal is to help people quickly identify them and give them a reason to choose and believe in the company’s offerings over the competition. This includes a distinct definition of what this brand is and is not - the brand promise. This is where loyalty lies.

“Brands are essentially patterns of familiarity, meaning, fondness, and reassurance that exist in the minds of people.”— Tom Goodwin

Ok, so what does it entail?

First thing’s first. We talk a lot about consistency. But let’s be clear, consistency does not mean complacency

It is a perpetual undertaking

Branding is never over. Consumers, businesses, products, and the marketplace are always evolving and your brand should do the same if you want to stay relevant in the mind of your target audience.

 There is a process. 

There is a proven process that’s important to follow when digging into this work. First, you need to identify who your target audience is and what they care about. Yep, human emotions. That’s where we start. From there, you can build out who you want to be to them and create a positioning and strategy. But it ALWAYS starts with the consumer’s needs. 

There are things that bring it to life

Once you’ve established who you’re talking to, what they need, and what you offer them. Then, you can translate these into assets like your visual identity, content, ads, product offerings, scripts for customer relations, etc. These are the moments that will solidify your brand in consumers' minds. 

Reputation is still king. 

Perception is reality and whether you like it or not, you have a brand reputation. This can be a result of the hard work you’ve put into your brand or the lack of effort you’ve put into it. The question is are you willing to put in the investment to have control over this reputation?

It’s not just consumers who are impacted.

Your current customers, prospective customers, your shareholders, business partners and employees are all stakeholders in your brand. Some brands build an internal and external-facing brand in order to meet all of the stakeholders in their different channels. 

“A good definition of brand strategy is the considered intent for the positive role a company wants to play in the lives of the people it serves and the communities around it.” — Neil Parker

 Why should you care?

Branding increases business value in real dollars.

As we said, branding impacts prospective customers and being top-of-mind in these consumers minds is a leg up to be sure. Strong branding leaves a positive impression and takes up more mindshare which makes consumers more likely to choose you over competitors and refer you to friends because of familiarity. Once a brand has been well-established, word of mouth is the best, and most effective, lead generation tool.

Employee pride is undervalued by most brands. Employer branding is important because it builds a loyal employee base who are less likely to leave and take the knowledge and effort you’ve poured into them elsewhere. Retention is more than reputational, it’s costly in time for recruiting, benefits, etc. Lastly, a brand that is held in high regard by employees can translate into better leadership, and more pride in the products and services created which only compounds.

Trust is earned.

A brand’s reputation is really about trust. The more consistent and top-of-mind a brand is, the more trust consumers will have in it. The more trust, the better the reputation and the stronger the brand. 

If you take anything away from this, remember: every single time you talk about or advertise your business and every business move you make is building your brand. The question is, are you doing it strategically and intentionally? Creating a thoughtful strategy with the consumer at the heart and being consistent in the approach to getting it out in the marketplace are not just important - they’re vital to the life of your brand.

If you have a brand but need to update or pivot or if you’re starting from scratch and want to get off on the right foot, we are here to support you. Reach out for your free consultation meeting to discuss the future of your brand with the team that’s been ranked as a Top Small Business Branding Agency by DesignRush.