How Can Branding Help My Business?

Consider this short article an intro to the concept of branding. My aim is not to bore you to tears with dry facts and lists of items but to give you a slightly more human definition of what branding can give you. We live in a hyper-branded world where almost everyone has or dreams of launching their own. With all that's been said and written about successful branding, it seems redundant to utter another word on the matter, and yet we still encounter brands that have taken a "will-do" approach.

We've come a long way from marking cattle to designing logos for water bottles. Branding used to be a physical symbol of ownership, but now it's evolved into something far less tangible. Simply put, a brand is the gut feeling people have about a product, service, or company. I like to think of it as perception optimisation.

Some sources claim we have mere seconds to stop shoppers and make them pick our product off the shelf of similar options. We can no longer simply put a product in the shop and hope for the best. Standing out (for all the right reasons) is a delicate dance that requires strategy, passion, knowledge, grit, and persistence.

So how can branding help your product stand out? Distinctive branding is like a signpost, guiding consumers to your product amidst a sea of options, and your team towards a shared vision and purpose.

There are many advantages to undergoing the branding process. For one, through discovery and research, you'll clarify what your brand is and what it is not. You will determine its place in the industry, its mission, and its vision for the future. You'll establish, with precision, who you're speaking to and how you should talk to them. Armed with all that knowledge, you are able to set a strategy and create a visual identity that will resonate with the audience.

Our gut feelings are based on our life experiences, and if we encounter a product that we enjoy, we subconsciously start to make a record of how it made us feel and if we want to replicate the experience in the future. So the next time we are in the shop and we see the product on the shelf, we will have a reaction. For this to occur, there are a few things that need to happen. First of all, your product has to find its way into consumers' hands with a clear message of what it offers. The promise is fulfilled and the consumer is left satisfied. The experience and the visual identity paired are noted for future reference. And now, all that remains is to continue to deliver on the promise.

Branding is not just about breaking into the industry, it's about leaving a lasting impression that keeps your brand top-of-mind for consumers and fuels continued growth.