Mapping your identity: The branding process explained

Posted on August 13, 2020

When most people think of a brand, they think of a company’s logo. But that’s just the most visible element. A strong brand begins with a strategic process that helps you understand the thoughts and feelings of your customers and clients so that they’ll be likely to purchase your services. Having a strong, innovative brand will make growing your company much easier.

When you’re developing your brand strategy and identity, ask yourself:

  • What clients and customers are you selling to? Who is your target audience? Do you have more than one?
  • What services do you offer? Can you market them to multiple audiences?
  • What are your buyer personas? Who is most likely to want a specific service?
  • What are your differentiators? What does your company provide that the competition can’t?
  • How does your brand speak? What is its personality? What are its values? Examples might be strength, commitment, quality, or integrity.

Answering these questions thoughtfully will help you formulate your brand promise—your company’s statement of what your brand offers to its audiences.

Next, find out what your customers and clients think about your brand. Survey them anonymously with questions like:

  • What comes to mind when you think of this brand?
  • How likely are you to work with this brand again?
  • On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest, how would you rate [X service]?
  • How likely are you to recommend this brand to others?

Use the answers to those questions as blueprints for how you can improve your branding. In addition, be sure to keep your brand fresh with:

  • A company website that’s responsive, relevant, and easy to navigate. Smart businesses are adjusting to the new normal by optimizing their websites and learning how to operate virtually.
  • A presence on other sites. Promote yourself on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. And don’t forget to think locally; be sure to update your Yelp, Manta, and Google My Business profiles.
  • A unified visual and verbal style. The channels may be different, but whether you’re creating YouTube videos or writing proposals, your company’s messaging needs to look and feel consistent and professional. Creating a style or brand standards manual and updating it regularly will help you do this.

The take-aways

Good branding isn’t cheap. There’s a big difference between creating a $25 logo and producing a well-thought-out brand strategy and identity. But the effort is there for a reason. You must execute the right strategy now in order to attract and retain clients and customers over the long term.

Badie Designs helps create lasting brand identities through forward-thinking design and marketing services. Contact us today for a consultation.

 


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