Brand Beginnings: Part One

It’s the first Friday of a new month, which means we’re launching into a new blog topic for the month of April. All of March was about web design and websites, and we’re excited to jump into something new. This month we’ll be focusing on the different aspects of branding, hence the title of the blog series. Whenever we talk about branding, I feel like the automatic focus becomes logos, but the truth is that branding is so much more than just a single logo. So, that’s where we’re starting today with this new series. 

So, what exactly is branding? 

Before we can talk about branding, we have to define a brand. The American Marketing Association provides one of the best definitions I have ever heard, which is why they’re the experts. They define a brand as “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” Essentially, a brand is all of the aspects of your business that makes you distinct. Yes, a logo is a part of that, but this also extends into your color palette, your message, and the impressions left by the goods and services themselves. 

The difficult thing about a brand is that it is established by what your customers perceive about your company and your services. This is where branding gets tricky because it’s not just about the physical stuff; it’s about the emotional responses associated with your business as well.

For example, let’s say that you own a clothing shop. You work hard to give everything a clean and precise atmosphere. Your shop is spotless, the coloring is light and welcoming, and your online presence is accented by soft, airy colors. Your shop is associated with the words elegant and clean; however, that’s not all your customers think. That may be the impression left by your design and layout, but they also have an emotional response based on the clothes themselves and the people they encounter. The quality of the clothes can make someone feel powerful, so now they have a positive emotional connection to your shop. However, on the flip side, if someone is rude, your clean and elegant persona can quickly transform into one of being stuck up.

Branding is all about giving your products and services the power of a brand. Branding can be communicated through advertising, design, partnerships, and the experience of the customer. It’s the strategy you use to communicate the image of your brand. 

I’m not going to sugar coat it; branding takes a lot of work because there are a lot of moving pieces involved. We are constantly evaluating our own brand and what our customers perceive about us through our branding. This blog is only an introduction to the topic, so stay tuned next week as we go into more detail about why branding is important. Also, if you find yourself in need of some help with branding, you can find out how The Digital Shore can help here.