BRANDING

Top 7 Tips for CReatING A BRAND

Creating your brand

Top 7 Tips for CREATING A BRAND

At Bema Creative we love educating people about the importance of branding on their company. Creating a brand is a lot more than just creating a logo, it includes everything your business does. One thing that you will observe is that strong brands all have great branding to back their company. Successful brands know the importance of branding and how a consistent branding strategy can create a much more successful business. Branding is everything that encompasses how people view your business. If your brand is consistent and managed well it will be alot easier to engage and build trust with your customers. Today we lay out some of the top branding tips for your small business.

1. BRAND STRATEGY

Branding strategy is the first step in creating a brand. At our agency we start with a company’s goals and target audience. If you don’t know where you want to go and what your goals are it’s really hard to figure out what elements that will create your brand will be. For example, if you value community and want to use your business to help others, this will be a key in how your brand needs to be communicated. The values and goals will also help you to pinpoint your brand’s story. This is the narrative that you want to develop that clearly delivers who your brand is and what you do.

The next step is figuring out your target audience. The target audience dictates a lot about a brand. What I mean by these are different demographics are attracted to different design styles and value different things. For example if your target audience is a 30 year old stay at home mom your strategy will be to target that feminine touch. This might mean that you use more of a pastel color pallet in your brand. Your messaging would include things that involve family values. Letting your brand develop organically like this will be easier to develop and give you the most success with your brand.

Before I move any further, one thing I would like to mention is that you should allow your brand strategy to develop organically and should not be driven by your opinions, but instead driven by the target audience. What I mean by this is that you started your business to be able to provide services or products to people. When it comes to branding and marketing these are the individuals that you want to attract. You as the business owner may not be a part of this demographic. I learned this the hard way! Years ago I had a skateboard shop. By that point I was about 24 years old, yet my target audience was 12-20 year old males.

I created the brand based on my likes and my opinions, so when I tried to design branded merchandise it was not received well. The younger kids’ styles and what they were attracted to was a much simpler design than the skate brands that I grew up with. I realized I needed to go back to the drawing board and take into account my target audience. Once I changed my approach my branded merchandise sold out!

2. BRAND GUIDELINES

For business owners of any size, brand guidelines—also known as brand books or style guides—are invaluable tools that define the look, feel and voice of an organization’s brand. These guidelines contain everything from logo designs to color palettes, fonts to imagery —all elements which help shape a brand’s unique identity.

Great brand guidelines make sure that your brand looks and feels consistent across all platforms – whether it be a website, social media page, or advertising campaign. This allows customers to easily recognize and identify with your brand identity.

In the Lucidpress study, 85% of organizations reported they had brand guidelines. However, only 30% say they are enforced. As a result, 77% of brands end up with off-brand content. Inability to provide a consistent brand experience makes it harder to build brand recognition, and more challenging to connect with customers. Below is an example of a basic brand guidelines that we made for a company.

3. BRAND CONSISTENCY

The number one rule in marketing is consistency. Creating a brand is no different! According to the State of Brand Consistency report by Lucidpress, consistent branding across all channels can increase revenue anywhere from 10% to 20%. Consistency is the key to establishing branding recognition, trust, and ultimately building a core following. Think about it, the people that we perceive as the safest individuals are those who are most consistent in our lives. Consistency communicates that you are trustworthy, firm in your values, not easily persuaded by others, and that you are safe. People don’t want to hear a brand change their message all the time.

They want a brand who is consistent visually, in their values, and in their messaging. The most effective branding are companies who are consistent. This means that everything their brand touches you’re able to recognize. This includes marketing materials, video content, digital ads, customer experience, etc. When a brand is consistent it is easy for people to create a connection with that brand which in turn persuades them to become a long-term customer.

4. CUSTOM COLOR PALETTE

When it comes to creating an eye-catching and memorable brand, color has the power to make a lasting impression. A color palette is an important tool for creating a brand identity. With just a few carefully chosen colors, you can create powerful visuals that will help your company stand out from the competition. Your color palette should be carefully chosen.

Research has shown that using a signature color can cause an 80% increase in a consumer’s recognition of your brand. Think about the brands who have a specific color that as soon as you see it you recognize it. Home Depot’s orange or Tiffany and Co’s classic turquoise, these are colors that even if the logo isn’t displayed make you think of their brand. This is how powerful your brand’s colors can be.

5. CLEAR BRAND MESSAGING

When crafting brand messages, it’s important to keep in mind your brand story – what makes you different from other businesses? How do you want people to perceive your brand? You need to be clear, concise, and consistent when conveying your brand message. This will help create an authentic brand voice that resonates with consumers.

Finding the perfect tone of voice for your brand messaging is also critical. Tone can have a huge impact on how the message is received by customers. The tone should reflect your brand values, mission and personality. Whether it is playful, professional or friendly, make sure to stay consistent with your chosen language throughout all communication channels. With a creative yet intentional approach to brand messaging, you can create an engaging and memorable experience for customers that will help build trust and loyalty over time.

6. COMPANY VALUES

Company values are also an important part of a creating a brand. Your company values help define who you are as a business and serve to guide decision-making at every level. By emphasizing core objectives such as sustainability, customer service, innovation, and diversity, you can create a strong sense of purpose around your brand that resonates with customers. Your company values provide the foundation for all branding initiatives and shape how customers perceive your business.

Through purposeful communication about your values, you create a positive connection between customers and your brand that will last long after their first experience with it. In short, having strong company values is essential for any successful brand strategy. According to a study, 77% of consumers buy brands who share their values.

7. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customer experience is the single most important factor when it comes to helping your brand stand out. In today’s competitive landscape, customer experience matters more than ever before. It’s not enough to simply provide a good product or service – you must also take customer satisfaction into account. If your customer has a positive experience interacting with your brand, they are likely to be loyal customers for life and will spread positive word-of-mouth about their interactions with you. Creating meaningful customer experiences is an essential part of building a successful brand. By prioritizing customer needs and offering unique experiences tailored to those needs, you can set yourself apart from the competition and become a leader in your industry.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by creating a brand feel free to reach out to us here at Bema Creative and we would be glad to help. Cheers!

BRANDING

BRANDING