The Power of Branding
Whether you’re aware or not, every brand tells a story. It sums up a set of emotions that override the rational side of our brains to influence us into buying a product or service. That’s to say, branding is another word for effective storytelling.
Because that’s what a brand does. Branding isn’t about merely creating a logo, typeface, or brand identity. Branding is the ability to influence customer behaviour. Each brand tells a story and with successful branding, you tell stories that strike a chord with consumers.
What is branding?
It would be tempting to reduce branding to a logo or tagline but that’s only a part of the story. Branding is the process of making a product or service distinct from others in the category by using design elements, colour schemes, a brand name, brand message, values, and attributes specific to that brand.
Collectively, all these elements tell a unique brand story that resonates with its customers. That story elevates the brand from a product or service to a larger set of emotions.
When customers see a brand, they aren’t merely looking at a name or logo. They recognize attributes that align with their value system. Customers are subconsciously seeking an intrinsic connection between who they’re, what they want, what they aspire to, and what the brand offers.
The effects of branding and why it works
Social media and digital marketing avenues have reduced entry barriers. Irrespective of the merits of your product or service, you need to invest in branding to attract and retain customers. Here are the most common effects of branding which prove why it works.
1. Greater recognition for your brand
One of the biggest benefits of branding is memorability. Branding makes it easy for people to recognize your brand. Through a unique logo, tagline, distinct colours, visual elements, and values, your brand will stand out from the competition.
Getting more people to remember your brand is the first step in getting them to consider it. This is particularly true for the online world where hundreds of brands can offer the same benefits.
2. Makes you credible to customers
Successful brands build enduring relationships with their customers. The key to that is trust and branding allows you to do that. When your marketing focuses on branding, your company, product, or service becomes more professional and credible. This helps you start meaningful conversations with your potential customers.
Now you can tell them the salient features of your product or service and the value it can add to their lives. This makes branding a long-term investment for customer acquisition and retention.
3. You can improve your advertising
Nike didn’t become one of the biggest brands on the planet by talking about the soles of their shoes. Apple didn’t become a universal favourite by talking about its hardware. Talking about your product attributes or features can only get you so far because others could also be doing the same.
Branding empowers you to make your advertising more compelling and cohesive by using ephemeral attributes connected to your brand. You can talk about a bigger benefit that’s beyond your product or customer. This is how you create great advertising that converts.
4. Branding increases customer loyalty
Businesses are built on repeat customers and that can only happen when customers are proud to associate with your brand. Using branding to define and humanize your brand gets you closer to customers. Once they understand you, they’re more likely to keep buying from you.
Beyond loyalty, powerful branding can turn your customers into brand ambassadors. They will start advocating your brand to those in their networks, which will widen the reach of your marketing.
5. It helps you attract employees
An overlooked benefit of branding is its ability to attract future hires. Tesla’s powerful brand imagery attracts not just customers but also the brightest minds in software. Google attracts not just online users but also the most innovative engineers.
When employees know the company’s vision, mission, and values through its branding, they will be more invested in their work. Inspired employees are also more likely to encourage their peers to join the company.
Tips for successful branding
These suggestions will help you use branding to create a unique appeal for your product or service.
1. Develop a brand strategy
The first step is to develop a functional and unique brand strategy. That begins with identifying your brand values, characteristics, and message. The way to do it is by looking at your product features and elevating them to a higher benefit that will resonate with your audience.
Nike isn’t about shoes. It’s about finding your greatness through supreme athleticism. Harley Davidson is less about motorcycles and more about freedom.
2. Invest in your visual assets
Your logo, colour schemes, and visual assets should be rooted in the category and consumer insights but different from your competitors. They should be simple, memorable, and easy to reproduce on various platforms.
Your logo in itself can capture your brand story. Amazon’s logo subliminally tells customers that they can find everything from a to z on the platform.
3. Be consistent
Once you identify your brand mission, character, and values and develop your identity, it’s important to be consistent in your messaging. Your storytelling shouldn’t be different on different channels. Customers should get the same emotional response no matter where they come across your branding.
Coca-Cola might have undergone several changes in its product portfolio but its packaging is still red in colour. The Levi’s customer may have evolved but the branding still celebrates builders.
4. Focus on being relevant
Branding will be effective when customers believe that the brand story is relevant to their lives and aspirations. The way to do this is by identifying values that will always be relevant instead of opting for trending themes. The next step is to make them relevant to topical issues.
Apple’s ‘Think different’ campaign is as relevant today as it was more than three decades ago. No matter how families change, Disneyland can always claim to be the happiest place on earth.
In short
Imaginative, relevant, insightful, and inspiring branding can elevate products and services into enduring brands that customers will be delighted to associate with.
Sumi Saleh, Marketing Specialist at Consumer Choice Award
