Fundamental Reasons for Branding: Why Your Business Needs a Great Image

Branding is an interesting paradox. At one end of the spectrum, it's easy to define and justify why it's important to your team and business stakeholders - on the other hand, it's also something quite mystical and not fully tangible (in a physical sense). But, it's a sector of business growth that is just as important as Sales, Marketing, Ops and the rest of them...and maybe in the future, it might be the 'most' important.

Today, let's take a deep dive into the fundamentals of branding and how you can truly amplify its value for you, your teams, your business and your audience.

Varying Levels of (Re)Defining What a 'Brand' Really Is

Let's first define branding. A simple definition would be "the practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products". But as we branding strategists and marketers know, it goes deeper than that.

If you go deeper into the subject matter itself - branding is about more than just 'identifying' your offering in the marketplace - it goes much further to what people feel about your products and business, what they think about it...and the business results it can muster.

Branding as The Great Differentiator In a Noisy World

In today's marketplace, branding is no longer just about 'identifying' your offering - it has become more of a way to set you apart from the noise. It gives an opportunity for you and your business to carve out its own niche in this hyper-competitive market where buyers are becoming savvier by each day. Simply put, branding is about building a 'connection' with your audience and using it as the foundation for better business results. A sort of promise to your audience and company so everyone is aligned.

Explaining Branding To a 5-year old, all the way to a Branding Expert

Just in case kids, your family or co-workers ask what exactly you do - here's a neat summary for the curious minds, explained succinctly and simplified. Who really knows what branding is...it is a feeling after all.

• 5-year-old: A way to remember a toy or animated TV show
• Student: A visual representation of a business
• Team: A way to make us stand out as a business and show that our offerings are unique in a visual way
• Stakeholders: An aligning factor to organise business goals and connect with our audience segments through (mostly) a visual experience
• Branding Strategist: Branding combines multiple elements of a business's portrayal in the public eye beyond visuals. It is a sort of 'glue' that keeps everyone in the company aligned to how we interact with each other and our customers. In many ways, it's a 'promise' and an 'experience' we always try to consistently deploy in our efforts to connect with our audience beyond just a purchase.
  

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Ways a Business Can Amplify Efforts Through Visual Branding

Once branding has been defined and you have a grasp of the concepts behind it, here are examples of what a great brand can do for your business:

Premium Pricing/Increased Margins

When branding is done right, people are more likely to pay a premium for your product or services. It's also about the perception of quality and standards that comes with it - something intangible but very powerful in today's marketplace.

Packaging

Bring branding to the physical world and into people's hands. Looks can be deceiving, but a well-designed package that is consistent with branding standards has been proven time and again as one of the best ways to create initial interest in your product or service - especially for someone you've never met before!

Employee Uniforms 

If branding is about consistency, what better way to ensure branding standards are being met than branding your employees with uniforms? It's a great opportunity for branding on-the-go and in the public eye - not just another marketing gimmick.

Brand Evangelists/Community Building

Building up branding efforts empowers your audience to become brand evangelists through their positive interactions with the branding - whether it's their experience after purchasing or being part of an event. They are then more likely to share this with others, becoming a 'multiplier' for you in the marketplace

Customer Acquisition

When branding is done right, it can help you acquire customers and prospects more easily. People start to remember your brand through the way they engage with each other or their positive interactions with your branding - even if it's just a logo!

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Why Branding Is The Future (& necessary)

Your branding efforts are not just an attempt to get people's attention - branding is the future of business and is essential in today's highly competitive marketplace.

Brand identity is critical for businesses, especially when it comes to customer acquisition and retention: branding can help you acquire customers more easily (for premium prices) and keep them coming back with consistent branding that resonates with your audience.

In a marketplace where branding is becoming increasingly important, the next step is to have branding become more personalised and individual. With digitalisation in full force, there's no reason why branding can't be tailored for each person or business with accuracy and precision - something that will surely reverberate throughout your organisation!

Now that you have a better idea of why branding is necessary and key to business growth...investing in deeply understanding branding is your next step.

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