Branding is a core component of running a successful business. However, if you don’t know how to go about it, it will feel impossible to do. The answers are not always clear, and you may feel that at times you are going in circles. Brand development strategies should focus on the company as a whole, not just on a few buzzwords. If you're looking for a way to get your brand noticed and increase sales, it's important that you look at the big picture when developing your brand strategy. You should be thinking about how your brand will fit into the marketplace and what makes it unique and special. Of course, there are some branding cliches that should be avoided—and we want to share them with you.
- Your brand is your business.
It is important for businesses to develop strong brand identities, but without solid business plans, no amount of branding will keep them afloat. Businesses need both a strong plan and solid branding to succeed. The first step in developing your brand is to determine what kind of company you want to be. Do you want to be known as the best place for burgers? Do you want your customers to know that you have the best selection of beer on tap? Or do you want people to know that when they walk into your restaurant, they can always expect great service? Once you know what kind of business you want to be, it's time to decide how it will look and feel. This is where branding comes in. If you're looking for advice on creating a brand identity for your business, we can help get the process started.
- Your brand is your logo.
Your business has a visual identity that goes beyond just your logo. All the other things that make up your brand — from colors to fonts to shapes — play an integral role in how people perceive your business and its products or services. So even if you decide against changing your logo, it can still be beneficial to take a holistic look at your entire brand identity and how it connects with audiences. That’s why it’s so important to get every element of your brand right — from color choices to word choice, from tone to message. Every choice matters; every detail counts. When making decisions about how things should look and sound for your business, keep these three things in mind: Who are we? What do we do? Why should someone care?
- Your brand is what others say about you.
To create a successful brand, you need to do more than just get people talking about you. You have to get them talking about you in the right way, for the right reasons. You want people talking about how great your product is, how it changed their lives. In order to get people talking about you in this way, it's important to understand what makes them tick. What do they find interesting? What do they care about? What will make them feel like their opinions matter? It's also a good idea to make sure that whatever it is you're doing has some sort of tie-in with what your customers think is important—or at least that it doesn't conflict with those values. Once you've figured out what kind of conversation you want people to have about your brand and why, then all that's left is getting them started!
- You have to stick with one message.
When you’re starting out, you may be tempted to use the same message across all of your marketing channels, but that can leave you missing out on opportunities to tell the story of your brand in a way that resonates with each audience. As you grow, there are going to be times when you need to make changes in order to stay relevant and competitive. For example, if your company has been around for a while, but hasn't changed its logo or messaging in years, customers might think they're dealing with a stale brand. If they're looking for an innovative solution or feel like they're being sold something old-fashioned, they might look elsewhere for what they need. Your product or service may also change over time, which means it's essential for your marketing messages to evolve alongside them! If you want to get the most out of your brand, you should always be on the lookout for new ways to improve it.
The truth is that although many modern marketing strategies claim to be "hip and trendy," they are founded on the same old cliches that make it difficult for any company to stand out. If you're creating a brand identity for the first time, or you're trying to refresh an old one, please keep this list of cliches in mind. They seem harmless at first glance, but they can ultimately detract from your hard work. And that's not what you want. In fact, that's not what anyone wants. Just try to remember: if it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it's probably a cliche.