Have you ever listened to one of those catchy songs and then caught yourself humming it later? This is known as ‘stuck song syndrome’, or an ‘earworm’ (not a great name though), this is a psychological phenomenon where recurring tunes involuntarily pop up and stick in your mind. This can trigger emotions, memories, or associations –all from just hearing a tune. They are the perfect resemblance to understand the importance of branding.
Let’s first talk about what branding isn’t because it’s not a lot of things that people think it is. It is not a logo design not typography and not the way you choose to create a website . Branding is a result – meaning it is gut feeling that an individual has towards a product, service or a company. It ends up in their heads, their hearts! It is like a reputation.
So how can you build a brand that leaves a long-term impression on your audience? In this blog we will explain what is branding, and also share which branding elements will help you create a recognized and memorable brand.
What is Branding?
Branding refers to the purposeful actions that one takes to create a positive perception of a company, its products or services – so that they will choose you again and again. Simply it’s the way that a company’s name stays in people’s hearts and minds.
Think, when customers have to make a purchase, what will influence their decision? Branding is everything that you do to influence those decisions. It shapes the perception of your business to a positive one and ultimately turns your potential customers to loyal ones.
Difference between Brand and Branding:
• Brand: A brand signify the positive emotional reaction a company can generate from its customers.
• Branding: Branding is the process of promoting and upholding of that perception.
Why Branding is so important?
According to a research it takes about 7 seconds to make an impression, then your branding got to be strong and well-designing at the very beginning. Effective branding is the method that can make your business stand out and get your potential customer’s attention. When done right, branding has the ability to influence, to inspire and to create change.
When you look at successful companies like Google, Apple, Adidas and more, their success was not coincidence. They initially understood the value and power of branding and leverage it from every direction of the business. Then they continued to strategize and grow to maintain loyal customers.
Let’s dive deeper to understand why is branding so important and how it impacts our business:
1. Differentiates you from the competitors:
Competition is always fierce regardless of what kind of company you have, what industry you are in or who are your potential customers. Branding is what helps you set apart from the competition. It establishes the different ways in which you are unique and different from others defining why you are a better choice for them.
2. Builds Brand Awareness:
You need to recognizable, if you want to build a successful company. Brand Awareness is the way in which your business can be perceived in the market and in people’s brand. Initially you need to create a strong impression of your brand on customers and develop brand awareness to motivate them to pick you even when cheaper or alternative options are available.
3. Creates a consistent brand experience for your customers:
In order for your business to succeed, you need to provide a consistent experience for your customers and assist them however they interact with your brand, whether that’s through your website or in-person or by following your social media accounts. Branding allows you to control how people perceive and experience your brand—and you have to ensure that perception and experience stays long-term.
4. Turns audience into loyal customers
The most successful businesses are the ones that maintain an emotional connection with their audience which transforms a potential customer into a brand enthusiast (who recommends the brand to friends). And how do you build that connection? The answer is Branding. Different branding strategies can help you connect with your customers on a deeper level and develop a sense of loyalty to your brand.
What are the elements of branding?
Mission statement and Vision statement
Your mission statement and vision statement are the foundation for your branding. Mission is the brain of the operation. It is short statement which should serve to express the purpose of the organization. Meanwhile, your company’s vision is its heart, providing a motivational snapshot of what you seek to achieve in the future. It serves as a plan to guide the initial stages of your company and the future of your brand.
Logo
Your logo is the face of your company. It is an important asset of branding as it serves as a symbol, a visual representation of your company that should be easily recognizable and memorable. While designing a logo, think about who you are as a brand and how you want to be perceived by your customers.
Website
Having a professional online presence is an essential element of branding. Your website is the reflection of who you are as a brand. When designing your website remember it is a digital real-estate of your business and it should be visually engaging and simple to use. The type of website you create will depend on your industry and it is the place where you attract potential customers, generate more leads, sell and promote products/services and most of all communicate your brand.
Business Cards
Business cards are an essential part of your branding. It helps you connect with more potential clients, partners and collaborators. Therefore, it acts as a eye-catching extension of your overall brand design. With the Regular Business Cards offered by Print Spot make an impactful first impression. We stand best in Class Print Quality and provide thick, premium quality cardstock. Choose from the wide range of texture and size combinations as you desire. Attract potential clients and grow brand recognition with show-stopping business cards at the lowest prices imaginable!
Brand guidelines
It includes all the stylistic elements of your branding, including your color palette or brand color, fonts, and slogan.
• Brand color – The color palette you choose will shape your brand identity and appear across all platforms. It is important to consider the impact of color psychology and the influence it has on the buying decisions of people. For example, red is an attention-grabbing color which reflects passion, energy and danger, while blue is a much calmer color, linked to trust, peace and stability. Once you understand what message your business is trying to communicate, choose your brand colors accordingly.
• Typography – It refers to the specific letter forms including the design and layout. Similar to your brand colors, the typography you choose shapes your brand and helps get your message across. It is recommended that you stick to three or less font styles and keep everything aligned.
• Slogan – Coming up with a catchy slogan is not always an essential part of branding, but when done well it can be a very powerful marketing element. Nike’s “Just Do It”, or McDonalds “I’m loving it”, are perfect examples of slogans that instantly make you think of a product upon hearing them
Additional assets
There’s no all-rounder approach to branding. Depending on your business and industry, you might need additional assets like product packaging, flyers, letterheads. Evaluate your business and your needs, and then develop additional branding assets accordingly. Get all your business requirements at one place; Print Spot helps you with your marketing and stationary tools with excellent quality.
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