What is branding?

All too often, people mistake “branding” as the simple addition of a new logo, or new stationary. They have no idea that branding extends to the person, the team, the company and the message they deliver to their customers, both current and future.

An effective brand can and should encompass so much more.

A strong brand should be more than mere words, or a mere image. It should evoke emotions and values. A strong brand tells a complex story about who you are, what you stand for, and what differentiates you from your competitors. Much like the words “Once upon a time…” or “…and they lived happily ever after” are immediately recognizable as a key part to every fairy tale story you’ve ever heard, your brand (your logo, your tagline, your image, your color(s), etc.) should command a positive emotion that builds awareness of who you are and extends your customer loyalty.

Alina Wheeler, author of “Designing Brand Identity” says, “Brand identity is tangible and appeals to the senses. You can see it, touch it, hold it, hear it, watch it move. Brand identity fuels recognition, amplifies differentiation, and makes big ideas and meaning accessible. Brand ide

ntity takes disparate elements and unifies them into whole systems.”

Using Alina’s book as my guide, I would like to research throughout this blog all that is inclusive in what we call “branding.” How a brand is perceived affects the success of any company, regardless of whether it’s a start-up, a nonprofit, or a product. What then, is the purpose of branding?

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, claims that brands have three primary functions.

1.       Navigation. Brands help consumers choose from a bewildering array of choices.

2.       Reassurance. Brands communicate the intrinsic quality of the product or service and reassure customers that they have made the right choice.

3.       Engagement. Brands use distinctive imagery, language, and associations to encourage customers to identify with the brand.

Your brand should carry a consistent message that is recognizable throughout every brand “touchpoint” and is an opportunity to increase awareness and build customer loyalty. Touchpoints include external sources such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct mail, trade shows, presentations, stationary, proposals, packaging, signage, websites, to only name a few. It should also include internal sources too, such as personal networking, speeches to your employees, your voicemail, environment, etc.

In the entries to come, we will explore the process of designing your brand identity and give some examples of how others have implemented them.