WTF is Branding Anyway?
Lately all we hear about is “brand this, brand that” but if you’re like most of our clients, you may be scratching your head wondering… “WTF is branding anyway?”
Branding is both tangible and intangible.
Sure it’s your logo, colors, website, but it’s also your values, customer experience and that extra special something you can’t quite put your finger on.
To help you better understand the concept of branding, let us break it down for you!
Your brand is your dating profile in the relationship between you & your ideal client
Your brand shows off not just who you are and what you want to be, but how the rest of the world perceives you. It should drive loyalty, promote longevity, & create a lasting reputation. This means finding the true meaning behind your business, products, and services that you want to reflect to your customers.
Your brand at its core is about intention; simply put, you’re showcasing the why behind what you do so you can better connect with/attract the right clients.
Branding is an experience
Branding more than a logo or a clever tagline … it’s a relationship. It’s your client’s emotional connection and experience to you and your business. Through the branding process you give life to a specific perception of your business by putting intention and action into the world. This could be anything from your logo, to colors, your mission statement, and even how you interact with clients.
In its simplest form, branding is finding your voice and telling your company’s story in a way that connects you with your ideal client and lets your core values shine through.
Branding is what other people say about you
when you’re not in the room
Your brand exists because of your clients. You can say whatever you want about your brand on social media or your website, but at the end of the day the most important part about your brand is what you customers say it is.
Most companies go wrong when they start thinking that their branding is about them, when in reality it’s actually about their customers: how you help them, how they perceive you, and why you make their lives better.
Branding is about working smarter
- not harder
Your brand strategy is the rulebook of your business. It’s your long term plan designed with specific goals in mind that give marketing and sales the info they need to deepen your current relationships, provide a kick-ass client experience, and walk new clients through a consistent and intentional process of becoming a paying customer.
Without a strategy, your brand is sitting there just looking pretty. A successful brand strategy isn’t just doing one thing right, it’s the perfect combination of strategy and storytelling. It looks at who you help, how you help them, and finds the most effective way to connect with your ideal client.
Branding isn’t about being impressive,
it’s about being intentional
We believe that if you just put a little more thought into the work you’re already doing, you will see huge changes in your business. Your brand identity is what puts the work from your brand strategy into something visual that resonates with your audience.
Your identity is how your audience perceives your brand and includes everything from your font selection & typography, to website imagery & illustrations, to your brand’s color palette and logo variations. Having a solid brand strategy already in hand, you’ll be able to easily begin creating a unique, recognizable brand identity that stands out from the crowd and leaves as lasting impression on your audience.
The Takeaway?
At it’s core, branding is the process of knowing who you are, who you help, and why people should care about it. Branding is about understanding what your client needs and not just offering them a product or service, but showing them how you will help to add value to their lives.
Your brand is the key to the future. It’s the what you put out to the world and – most importantly – what the world gives back.
Want to learn more about branding?
