What does branding mean and how to make it work for you
“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from those of other sellers,” (American Marketing Association)
But what exactly does this mean? In this blog we will explain what branding actually means, how it works and the importance of branding for your business.
A lot of people assume that branding is no more than the logo that defines a company or a business, and it’s this misinterpretation that leads companies to not invest enough time and effort in their branding and fail to achieve their goals or communicate their product offering effectively to their customers. Brand is not just a logo, it defines everything about your company, starting with a logo and finishing with tiny details such as for example the way you answer your customers’ phone calls.
For a start, let’s fully understand what branding includes. The company name and logo are key to your branding, they identify your business or product, personalise it and communicate with your customers. Investing in a good logo and a catchy name will make people remember you. It should transmit trust, be memorable, simple, timeless and appropriate. Before adopting a logo you should know what type of audience you want to catch, the message that you want to communicate and what are the main goals of your business.
But branding of your business/product doesn’t finish there. After creating a great logo you should invest in a good website that is clean and clear, looks professional, with a navigation system that is easy to understand and use.
If you are a company you should also invest in marketing material and advertising campaigns. They are very important in the communication of a brand or product. Don’t let your clients and customers forget about you, communicate with them, let them know about updates, offers and news.
Consistent and strategic branding leads to strong brand equity. It is very important to stay true to your brand and be consistent, make sure you use the same colour theme that was defined at the start, respect your brand rules and make sure everyone else respects them too.
Defining your brand and developing a brand strategy can be complex and challenging. Manifesto Design is specialised in helping businesses with this. As a leading marketing and graphic design company we offer our clients market research, corporate branding, content, social media management (which is also a very important factor in branding nowadays), copy writing and constant support. So if you are starting a company or launching a product and are looking to develop a strong brand, or keen to update your old one, then you should get in touch with us and our specialists will provide professional help and guidance.
– Oksana Drutsul –
