Understanding Branding
It’s all about Branding. You must have heard it several times. Brand is what makes a successful business.Have you ever wondered as to how to actively shape your brand to make a strong impact on your business? Let us first understand the term ‘’Branding’’.
What Exactly is Branding?
A Snappy Peep Into the History of Branding.
Delving a little into the history of Branding, we understand that the word is derived from ‘’Brandr’’ meaning ‘’to burn’’ in ancient Norse language (the ancient Germanic language). It referred to a burning piece of wood. Over the years the meaning changed to depict ownership. As time progressed Branding evolved and has become the most important tool for companies to establish trust with potential customers.
According to the American Marketing Association “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”
Well, that is the basic definition but there’s so much more that goes into Branding. It is a promise, a responsibility and a practice to establish the image of your company in customers’ minds in addition to creating emotional bonding.
Why is Branding so Important?
We are living in an internet age where attention span is short and customers are more demanding. Customers have become more brand conscious. Whenever they buy a product, they look at the brand first. A familiar brand grabs the attention most. It becomes important for companies to gain visibility online as well as offline. A good Branding not only helps you gain customers’ attention and increase the value of your company, but it can also motivate your employees to deliver the best.
A Well-defined Brand Strategy helps in Achieving
- Customer trust, loyalty
- Better brand recognition
- Motivation among employees
- Profitability
Branding gives an identity to your product. It is the face of your product which is instantly recognised by the customer. Secondly Branding attributes to retention. A customer can recall the brand every time he or she wants to purchase a product. And a trust is formed gradually which eventually increases the value of the brand in the market. In addition to a strong customer base, Branding also helps in motivating your employees. Working for a reputed brand inspires them to work hard and opens their growth opportunities. It is easy for a successful brand to expand further as it generates future investment. Brands can be so impactful that they have outlived products in some instances.
Key Elements in Branding
- Clear purpose
- Connectivity
- Consistency
- Creative logo
A Clear Purpose Brings in More Clarity
It is important to have a clear purpose for your Branding. One needs to understand why the brand exists and what is its long term purpose in the society. It also helps connect customers, employees and investors emotionally. Every brand has an identity, which is integral to build a strong customer base. At a TedX Talk, author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek shared a marketing principle called ‘The golden circle’ or ‘start with a why’. Most organisations have succeeded by following this principle.
To quote Simon Sinek ‘’People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.’’ He explains that often businesses communicate by showing what they do but in fact it is much more effective if they say why they do it. It is represented by three circles one within the other. The centre one being ‘why’, the middle is ‘how’ and the outer circle is ‘what’. Most businesses start from the outside and then go into the ‘why’. A purpose driven brand creates a connection with the customer and lets them think beyond the product and pricing, thus building the trust among the target audience.
Connecting With Customers Lead to Lasting Impressions
Meaningful connections give the brand a greater appeal. Quite often emotions drive purchasing decisions. If your brand sends out a positive message and succeeds in creating a strong emotional connection, your brand becomes more significant. With businesses dealing on a global stage, digital marketing is vital to increase the reach. From responsive and visually engaging websites to prompt online communications are essential to ensure the brand reaches the target audience and improves interaction and retention among customers.
Consistency is the Key
A consistent brand experience goes a long way in turning your audience into loyal customers. This is an important step in building brand recognition. Once you build reputation through consistency in providing the brand experience to customers, you are closer to expansion. In order to achieve brand consistency, it is important to align elements like brand strategy, design, communications and marketing.
Smart Logos Make Best Brands
First impression is the lasting impression. A creative logo is central to a brand’s success. Best ideas make best brands. This is the first thing that catches the attention of people. Logo must be simple and instantly recognizable. Be it a brochure, hoarding, print media or social networking sites, a logo needs to be flexible and noticeable with smart use of colour schemes. You must drive the design strategy that makes your logo recognizable and reflects who you are. Companies also redesign their logos from time to time, to keep up with the changing times. Some of the successful global brands have integrated simplicity into their distinct designs that have led to people instantly recognising the brand merely by looking at the logo.
In today’s digital world of endless options and exciting opportunities, Branding is a necessity for businesses of all sizes.
So, are you set for effective Branding of your business? Scintilla Kreations has the proven expertise and rich experience in providing end-to-end Branding and marketing solutions to diverse industries. Our well designed brand strategies help in achieving brand visibility and recognition.
Talk to us to get insightful Branding solutions for your business.
