Why do you need a brand?
A strong, professionally designed, crafted and executed brand which explains your businesses services and products as well as the company’s values. This is how you form a credible and likable reputation for your existing and potential customers.
What is a brand?
A brand is far more than a logo. The logo is one small element of the brand which sets the tone of how the overall brand will look. Because everything revolves around the logo, this does become a very important part of the brand and hence a lot of thought should be allocated to the logo design process.
Perception
Branding is how your company is perceived by the public and by customers. It is the whole experience that people have on a daily basis – from the signage on your building, to the way you answer your phones, the way you drive that branded vehicle and the way you behave in public in your branded uniform. So be aware – you are always on show and that brand experience needs to remain consistent in order to create the perception you want.
Recognition
People like doing business with brands that they trust, brands that appear credible and one’s they have had a good experience with. This is where good design is important as people are naturally attracted to visually appealing websites, products and stores.
Brand awareness
People who have had a good experience with your brand, whether online, instore or elsewhere are far more likely to share it with their friends and colleagues. Creating brand awareness is an essential part of building any brand and is typically done with online marketing, vehicle and building signage, advertising and word of mouth.
Sales
Well designed and executed branding can boost sales significantly. There have been many reports of how sales have taken off after a new brand has been launched. One company reported an increase in turnover of over 3 times within a 3-month period after launching their new brand. There are no guarantees, but one vital factor is to execute the brand well and across all platforms – digital, print, signage.
Consistency
Executing the brand well means consistency. Every touch point with the brand should be consistent. The marketing and design strategies will define. A good idea is for your designers to create a brand guidelines document featuring the rules around how the brand is used. This should then be adhered to and policed by brand managers, sales staff and any subcontractors.