Why your company’s brand is so much more than just a logo
If you stop and think about three supermarket brands for a moment, chances are you will suggest many of the usual suspects – you will picture the store you go to, their logo, and perhaps an advert or product. It’s amazing how many of us remember a brand logo from our childhood or past with ease, as they evoke memories, smells, or good experiences.
A business’s branding is more important than you might think. On the outside, your brand may seem like it consists only of elements such as logos and colors, but your brand is actually the entire identity of your business. Your brand gives your business personality and character.
Branding has always been a vital part of business, but now more important than ever before. With social media and online advertising, consumers get exposed to new brands every day. This can be great for consumers who have plenty of options and are able to do research to find the best fit for their requirements, but it makes it harder for businesses.
There’s a huge amount of competition today, so businesses need to go the extra mile to ensure they stand out in a crowd. To do this, you should invest in creating a strong brand that will get and keep people’s attention.
When you look at dictionary definitions of brand or branding you will notice something. They tend to focus more on name, logo, and packaging for the most part. That is very limited because branding goes beyond just the visual components. Ultimately with the right branding, you have the chance to get some control over how people perceive your business.
More people will recognise your business
An obvious reason for any business to need branding is to help them get recognised more often. If you have strong branding for your business, people will naturally take note of it much more than they would a business without it. A business that doesn’t really have cohesive branding isn’t going to stay in someone’s mind for very long.
In comparison, a business with elements such as a distinctive logo and other visual elements (uniform or signage) will be much more memorable. Someone might see your brand for only a moment, but if it sticks out in a positive way, there’s a good chance they won’t forget it, even if this person isn’t ready to use your products or services just yet. Eventually, when they’re ready to take the next steps, if your branding has stuck with them, they’ll come back to you.
Branding can help build trust
Think about it – you and your competitors may sell very similar products, your brand should be the differentiating factor between you all. It can also help you to earn trust and confidence from both clients and your own staff and future employees. Marketers who express their company’s personality through their branding are able to capture the attention of potential clients, gain their trust, and demonstrate what it would be like to work with them.
There is an expectation when we look at a business and its website in any industry, when there is any obvious missing branding that could be a red flag to some. Without branding, you have very little to show for your business. If you had to choose between a business with clear, professional-looking branding and a business that hasn’t made this effort, you probably know which one you’d trust more.
Branding helps you show potential customers that you’re an established, credible business. You can use this to tell people very early on what they can expect from your business. It is an investment in your business to improve itself, and potential customers will recognise that you put in the work to create and establish your own brand.
It’s great for your Employees
Branding provides value inside of your company as well. Naturally, you want your employees to love working for your company and feel like they’re a part of a team. A company with great branding will have an easier time getting employees to feel like they’re involved with something more than just a job.
Branding creates loyal customers
The ideal is not to establish customers who recognise your brand and then use your business once — you want to create repeat customers. With good branding, you can give your brand a more human side, which your customers can relate to more than a company that’s strictly all business.
In many ways, you can appeal to people’s emotions through branding and make them feel more connected to your company. Branding allows you to build relationships with your audience, which can eventually turn them into loyal customers and advocates for your brand. You can create a brand that people actually care about and put yourself ahead of businesses that aren’t using this to their advantage.
As a marketer and brand ambassador, I would say that your brand is an extremely valuable asset for your business – it’s priceless, it’s the backbone of your business. You need to make sure that you take the time to truly evaluate your company’s positioning (both online and awareness level in the industry) and identify any current obstacles, because it may become a missed opportunity if you don’t.