Building a great brand isn’t a quick win - it’s a long-term investment

In today’s world, it seems everything we encounter is (or aspires to be) a brand. And these brands all vie for our attention, constantly – some demand it, some politely request it and some whisper. You can even brand yourself – I’m Jason, and I’m known for wearing orange!

In the commercial world, your brand is ever more important. The most successful businesses are built on the solid foundations of a strong brand. This not only helps to set a business apart amid increasing competition but also helps you build customer loyalty and contributes significantly to your long-term success

Branding is much more than a logo and a clever headline. It requires a seamless integration between your products, service, strategy and marketing and drives every customer interaction with your business. So before you embark on any sort of branding (or rebranding) exercise, you should always look to create a holistic brand strategy to examine:

– Values: positioning & purpose
– Visual: brand identity & design
– Verbal: Tone & voice

Ignoring these foundations risks inconsistent messaging but with this all in hand, you’ll gain recognition, loyalty and advocacy and leverage the power of your brand, forming emotional connections with your customers along the way.

A strong and recognisable brand helps your business to stand out by clearly communicating what makes it (and you) unique. Whether it’s superior quality, sustainability or innovative technology, try to bring your product benefits to life with powerful and relatable storytelling. This emphasis on the emotional benefits of the product (or service) – the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ much more than just the ‘what’ makes choosing ‘you’ much easier. More engagement equals less resistance.

But building a great brand isn’t a quick win, this is a long-term investment. The value of consistent messaging ensures that customers always know what to expect, building confidence and helping to grow your business over time. Start with the basics and add what you can as you learn.

The most successful brands have cultivated loyal followings over many years by consistently delivering on their core brand promises and the best of these often command higher prices.

On the flip side, weak and generic branding will rarely help drive business. A poorly thought-through rebrand can attract a barrage of negative publicity or worse still, fail to attract any attention at all!

A recent (worrying) ‘trend’ from many new and established brands is the rise of ‘blanding’. Here any vestige of character is lost behind a ‘logo’ made from a simple bold typeface. Throw some bold imagery, funky animation and the odd influencer at it, but I’d argue that a distinctive brand identity is still one of the most important and distinctive assets you will ever create – jump on the ‘blandwagon’ at your peril!

In conclusion

Building a strong and successful brand requires a strategic approach, long-term investment and consistent effort. If you’re ready to take your branding more seriously, here are some key points to consider…

Know your audience: Understanding your target audience is essential.

Research your market to identify the needs, preferences, and pain points of your (ideal) customers.

Define your brand: This will include looking at your business strategy, values, mission and vision, your brand’s positioning and uniqueness.

Personality matters: Never underestimate the value of thinking (and looking) different. Your visual branding must create impact and trigger recognition, and your messaging should be engaging and human but always still you – don’t just ‘make it pop’!

Consistency is key: Ensure that all aspects of your brand, from visual elements like your logo and colour palette to tone/voice and messaging, are used consistently, everywhere.

Adapt or die: Being consistent doesn’t mean your branding shouldn’t change. As the market moves, products develop and customers’ needs change, your brand should too.

Trust is everything: Ensure that your business consistently overdelivers on its brand promise. Show up and do what you say you will do. Engage with your customers and you will build loyalty and ultimately, business.

In essence, a strong brand is vital to the success of any business. It helps differentiate you effectively from your competitors and builds customer loyalty which in turn contributes to long-term profitability. But take the time to get it right, for as visionary entrepreneur Tony Hsieh once said: “A great brand is a story that never stops unfolding.”

This article was originally published in TW Business Magazine