Yes, a good badge can work wonders but there’s a lot more to a brand than a logo. To build a strong brand identity you need to delve much deeper. Here’s how…
A brand at the top of its game has a good logo, granted. You don’t need to look twice at the golden arches, the mermaid or the bitten apple to know who you’re dealing with. But think of that logo as being a bit like a slick of red-hot lipstick on an already smoking outfit – it’s the finishing touch but there’s a whole lot more contributing to the overall look and feel. And not only that, as our grandparents like to remind us, it’s what’s on the inside that matters, too.
The end-to-end experience
Put simply, effective branding adds up to the whole experience – it’s there at every interaction your customers have with you and your products. It’s there when you’re turning their heads for the first time, and it’s there right through until they’ve finished their encounter (ideally that’s after they’ve left a dazzling review and started a long-term relationship with you on social, not once they’ve ended up in the customer complaints department – but even then, the brand experience is more crucial than ever).
So, whether you’re a start-up or an established company, make sure these four ‘Ps’ are on your priority list…
1. Purpose What do you stand for? What causes do you champion? The days of a brand being just a pretty face are long gone. The ones riding highest in the charts are those with heart – a vision that goes way beyond making a quick buck. Your company needs to live and breathe its values, weaving them into its overall story so they form a common thread running through your brand, internally and externally.
Your inspiration: Read about 5 famous companies whose values stand out from the crowd.
2. Personality What do Innocent, Virgin and Ben & Jerry’s all have in common? They’ve all nailed down a distinctive personality. It’s there in the way they speak to customers (their tone of voice), the image style they’ve plumped for, the style of campaigns they run. They’ve taken a business and effectively turned it into a person that’s loved by their customers, a mate you feel an affinity with and want to spend more time with.
Your inspiration: Read about 5 companies who’ve nailed their brand personalities.
3. Presentation This is where the visual side of things really comes into play. We’re talking your font, colour wheel, the graphics or illustrations you might use, and, of course, your logo. It takes time, thought, and often a bit of trial and error to nail the right look for a brand, and what works for one company won’t necessarily work for another.
Your inspiration: Read 15 examples of brands with a bold and beautiful visual identity.
4. Performance Careful of becoming a brand that’s all show and no go. In other words, it’s one thing creating a strong image that encompasses all the points above, but it won’t carry any weight if the quality of your product is sub-standard or your customer service is shoddy. At the heart of all the best brands you’ll find an in-demand product or service, a customer-first approach and the desire to give their fans the best experience going.
Your inspiration: Read which brands deliver the best customer experience.
And remember…
So as you can see, there’s a lot more to a brand than a logo. But not only that, there are some boxes you need to tick before you can start building a strong identity. Namely…
✔ Know your audience inside and out There’s no shortcut for this one – you simply have to do your homework. Who are you appealing to and what floats their boat? Find out before you get the creative process rolling.
✔ Understand what the competition are doing What brands are you up against? You don’t want to produce a carbon copy of your closest competitors, but you can pick and mix the bits that work well while still making your brand uniquely ‘you’.
✔ Build a brand plan that encompasses every touchpoint, internally and externally A strong brand is the DNA of your business and, as such, needs to run all the way through your organisation from top to bottom. Devise a plan that spans everything from your office culture to your customer complaints department, and bind your organisation together with this common thread.
✔Consistency We talk about consistency all the time here at Threerooms. Look at all the big brands and they’ll have worked hard to make sure you’re met by the same look and feel, whether you’re browsing their website, scrolling through their Facebook feed or asking for a refund. Consistency strengthens perception and trust, and your brand will be far stronger for it.
✔ Be authentic There’s only one thing worse than a brand without a mission or a set of values and promises – one that’s faking it. You have to walk the walk AND talk the talk or your customers will call you out, big time. And that’s a pretty hard thing to come back from…
NEED HELP? Building strong brands is what we do, day in, day out, at Threerooms. If you’d like to discuss a project, get in touch today.
A specialist Brand Agency
An award-winning strategic branding agency, Threerooms has spent over 15 years making brands stronger and businesses more successful. Whether modernising brands with meaning or crafting effective marketing campaigns, our amazing team is focused on delivering brand transformation while providing exceptional customer service.
