Brand Basics: Four Simple Branding Tips to Transform your Business
2Branding is the most important step a small business can take in its journey to become a recognized and widely respected company. It is the process whereby a business forms an identity and carves out a place for itself in its industry.
Of course, personal branding and business branding can also be a daunting and stressful process, as there are endless aspects to consider while going about it. So to make things a bit easier here’s a crash course in branding basics. With these tips in mind, the task of transforming your startup into a household name should become a bit easier.
1. Understanding the Concept of Branding
The key to a successful branding campaign is understanding the methodology and consumer psychology underlying the process. The goal is not simply to create a visual identity, but to carve out a distinct offering within your business category. When branding is reinforced and a consumer thinks of your category, they will immediately recall your company.
For example, when you think of designer women’s apparel, mobile apps, dental care, florists, entrepreneurial culture, office supplies, business magazines, etc. what brands come to mind? It is likely that companies with an established local or national brand come to mind.
Start your branding mission by condensing the entire ethos and mission of your business into a single sentence. What do you do? What do you provide that no one else can?
2. The Power of Brand Aesthetics and Naming
After deciding on a niche, the second most important element of a brand is its aesthetic. Consistency is key.
The image you develop will be at the forefront of your business. It needs to illustrate everything you do, and become distinctly, uniquely yours. This applies to everything from letterhead to web presence. Many companies today are taking innovative approaches to native advertising: integrating their marketing strategy seamlessly into the information, entertainment, and online content consumed by their customers.
Another often-overlooked aspect of brand aesthetics is the evocative power of business names.
Countless studies have shown certain consonances and letter combinations produce strong image associations. Meaningless words and brand names can convey ideas like sharpness, harmony, sour taste, fluidity, and an endless host of other notions.
Choose your business name carefully and get the reactions of as many people as possible before settling on the word or phrase that will become the pneumonic device customers remember you by.
