What is Branding and Why is it Vital for my Business?
2015-10-27 | Marketing
The term “branding” gets thrown around a lot in today’s business world, but rarely do we stop to consider what that really means. As technology improves and brings the expense of high-quality advertising materials lower, both large and small businesses are recognizing the value of differentiating oneself with a recognizable brand. Here are the most essential elements of what makes your business come together in an unforgettable way.
- Design Color, type, and other design elements are all part of what your colleagues, customers, and competitors will recognize as belonging to you. Selecting a color scheme and creating a logo that reflects the ideas you want to put forward through your business matters just as much — if not more — than your mission statement. Good design can be the difference between being seen as professional and dependable or being seen as the type of business that just throws something together at the last minute. With persistence and repetition, you can instill your colors and other design elements into the customer’s mind so that they will associate them positively with your business.
- Voice Words, even though they might not be the very first thing the customer sees, play deeply into how your brand is conveyed in public. The term voice refers to the general attitude and expression that you take on when you write in your ads, on your blog, on your website, in your catalogs, or anywhere else verbal communication happens. How do you want your company’s voice to sound? Clever? Authoritative? Playful? Sincere? Your voice makes up a large part of how your brand is understood, and trickles down even to the way your team treats customers.
- Consistency: Just like the root of the word relates to branding cattle, you have a literal brand that you can use on all of your business and marketing materials. You can think of your logo as the most literal, physical part of your brand, and it should be present in any stationery, signage, or graphics that you promote on behalf of your business. And this doesn’t just apply to “hard copies.” You also should make sure your logo appears on any social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and definitely LinkedIn. That way, your customers can tell what the “real you” looks like. You should also be using the same colors, design elements, and voice across all these different platforms.
All of these ideas come together to form your “brand” — the way your business is recognized and understood by the rest of the world. And there are some businesses dedicated to helping you keep visual consistency when it comes to this brand. Vinyl graphic wraps for vehicles, windows, and walls can make a big impression on the customers who see them, and we at eGenoa are happy to consult with you on how to make your business’ branding as consistent as possible.
