For many business, either a boutique agency or large corporate organisation, branding is a key element for successful growth and business development. However, many companies fall into the trap of confusing the concept of branding with aspects of marketing and business development. At Brand Plus we have established a 5-Step-Plan to assess if your brand is on its way to becoming a universal sensation, or if you are in need of a ‘brand-aid’.
Here are our 5-steps to ensure your company brand is on the map!
Understand the business
If you are dealing with a credible branding outfit, well before an artist puts pencil to paper, several things should be addressed. The agency will understand your business, where it is at and where it wants to go. They will know about your performance, personality and ‘present and desired state’. It will also take into consideration your target market demographics, marketing budgets and your overall financial situation.
Be strategic
A strategic session will challenge your team to have a good, hard look at itself. It will ask questions about your approach to business, what drives you and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. This information is collated and a comprehensive and honest document is produced that ultimately becomes the brief for the artist. Undertaking a strategic session will ultimately shape your thought process, and develop a more refined plan as to what particular strategy will be most beneficial for your company.
Know the target market and how they like to engage
Who is your demographic? How do they communicate? What kind of people do you want your business to attract? These are the questions you must ask yourself. There is no point creating print advertisements if your target markets utilises digital platforms.
Defining what really connects with your target market will essentially allow you to elevate your company brand as a whole. The agency designer must know whether or not the design is aimed at a particular market segment, if it needs to be emotive, where it needs to appear, how it will need to change for digital and print formats, if indeed it portrays an honest representation of your business and takes into account your corporate culture.
Marketing and Sales go hand in hand
Happy brand, happy life. Marketing Coordinators and Sales Representatives will not promote a brand that they are not proud of, or feel a connection towards to. Part of a strong brand is its representation, by others.
Creating a strong brand is not an overnight process, many of the large, successful brands we all know of are constantly redeveloping themselves.
Creating drive within your company to promote your brand will result in a high level of brand expansion – a major sign of a healthy brand.
The logo makes a ‘mark’
All too often, many organisations will confuse their brand with their logo. Put simply, a logo is the symbol or trademark that a consumer can associate with a particular company, while a brand is the business as a whole. A company’s brand is essentially how that particular company is viewed by not only their target market, but also the general public. If your company’s logo is being overlooked, then you need a serious word with your design team! A logo does not have to be intricate, but it should always attract the viewer through visual appeal.
