A popular misconception on branding one’s business is that it starts and stops with a pleasing name and logo that communicates the company’s services and mission, but in fact, branding a business accounts for more than that. When you think of a brand, you have to consonsider the business, its owners, the employees, the core values of the company, how the business operates, each step of interaction with consumers, and the image that comes to mind when individuals think about the company.
One brand to consider is Starbucks, as customers receive made-to-order beverages from speedy, friendly baristas in a comfortable environment that smells delicious. According to branding agency EWR Digital, your brand is your company’s entire narrative; how it makes people feel, what impression it gives, the culture, the language, and much more. With so much embodied in a brand, there are many myths that perpetuate it.
The company’s name and logo are the brand.
While important, the name of a business and the design of the logo are not the brand. Consider the logo and name as the visual identity of the brand and the aesthetic that’s vital in effective branding, but they don’t reflect the identity of the company. When referring to a brand, one is discussing the collection of attributes and qualities that the public may associate with the business.
No matter how nifty the design, a logo cannot undo a poor customer experience, for example. A skilled artist can create a logo that captures the eye and speaks to the integrity of the brand it represents, however, a sustainable business needs branding that goes beyond a catchy label. This is important to keep in mind if one stumbles upon websites advertising that they create brands, yet their services do not exceed generating logos, business cards, and the like.
Advertising is Branding.
Branding a business is a comprehensive, long-term strategy focused on improving every aspect of the company. Advertising mostly impacts short term gains in relations like sales and product quality. An ad campaign cannot be successful if it lacks a business with a good branding strategy behind it. When it comes to advertising, it’s mostly the process of persuading consumers to buy from the brand, and there are usually goals and measurable outcomes.
Branding is not driven by trends.
Especially true with modern technology and social media, flexibility can play a key role in branding a business for the better. With trends in constant change, it is more about finding the appropriate online platforms to best utilize while keeping the company’s core values intact and engaging more with consumers. Consistency, in this case, can lessen the connection between audiences, but changing too often may lead to confusion and insecurity.
Having a clear, forward-thinking vision as the basis of one’s brand sets the pace. It’s also good practice to not fall into the mistake of naming the business something related to the most popular fad at the time, as this can lead to the company feeling prematurely dated and also cause little distinction between competitors.
Good marketing is good branding.
Portraying a brand to the public is no easy task, but marketing is not responsible for the brand. A business’s brand embodies the entirety of the organization, as well as every employed person’s ability to uphold the company’s brand identity no matter what department they’re in. Marketing, advertising, and branding are connected, but marketing affects branding by building the relationship between the brands and their audiences. Paired with a refined brand identity, marketing communications can greatly encourage brand recognition.
You control your own brand.
The truth that business owners must accept is that consumers have a major impact on the shaping of the brand. Whether their overall sentiment about the company is negative or positive, it influences how your business’s brand is viewed. Listening to customers share their bad experiences and critical feedback can help direct the brand in making improvements.
This can also be achieved by considering and improving on what customers like best about their interactions with the business too. They can also bring about unexpected marketing opportunities that may positively affect the business; think of how World Nutella Day only exists because an adoring fan of the product created the holiday. Control of the brand is dependent on several factors and is not limited to the minds behind the business model.