What is Branding?
Branding is more than just a logo. While design elements are important there are other vital aspects which work together to build a trustworthy brand. Branding is a combination of design elements, company values and social interactions with the your audience that portray who you are and what you believe in.
Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and allows you to build a company vision in which everyone within your company can get on board and work towards. Whether that’s selling 5,000 coffees a month to becoming the most eco friendly coffee shop in your neighbourhood it’s important that everyone understands that mission and the plan in place to achieve it.
It’s also important for your customers to understand your company values. If you want to be the most eco friendly coffee shop in your neighbourhood have it stamped on the coffee mugs, create incentives that encourage customers to buy coffee from you instead of the other coffee shops in town by explaining how you’ll plant a tree for every 5 cups of coffee and encourage recycling.
These are the top 3 things you should keep in mind when building or adapting your brand.
1. EMPATHY
As humans we want to feel like we’re understood and that we have people on our side. That’s why it’s important to be empathetic towards your customers. Walk in their shoes and get a true understanding of their needs. It’s helpful to create a profile of your clients so you can define their values, what they’re looking for and pin point how they’re most likely to find you.
2. CONSISTENCY
You should map out your customer’s journey from their first interaction to making a sale. Throughout this user journey consistency is key - you want to make sure that the way you communicate with your customers whether it’s through your website, in store or on the phone that your tone of voice remains the same. If you’re an online business ensure that the design elements of your brand are consistent such as typography and colours. This way you won’t confuse your customers and ensures you build trust with them.
3. DELIVERY
If your company promise is to offer a free muffin with every hot drink you must honour it. By dishonouring a promise you have made you’re not only letting your customers down but you’re also letting your company down. Building a brand is about building trust and if your customers don’t trust your brand then they’re not going to continue to buy from you or pay for your services.
Ultimately, branding isn’t just how cool your logo is - it’s the way your audience perceive you. As Jeff Bezos CEO of Amazon said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
