Oh yes, branding. That’s like logo design and stuff, right? Well yes, that’s definitely a part of the general concept. However, branding is so much more than just a logo design, visual identity or a brand name. Read all about it below.
What is branding?
Let’s start at the beginning. Back in the days experts mostly referred to branding as a visual way to represent your company or brand.
Not bad, that’s still partly applicable. The only thing is that the world and its expectations evolved enormously in the past few years. It’s not just the visual part any longer.
Branding is the heart and soul of your company, it’s the reflection of what your company is all about. We believe that branding has become so wide and so important that it’s a matter of life and dead for your brand. Well, that is a little exaggerated. Or is it? Let us explain our 8 main reasons to (re) brand your business.
1. Branding for a great first impression
Do you remember your mother tidying your outfit before you went to your first day at school? Does the phrase ’’you only get one chance to make a first impression’’ sound familiar? That’s because the first impression is one of the most important aspects in life to achieve success.
And so it is for your brand. When your company has been enriched with a well-designed branding, you can earn the trust of your potential clients in a very early stage. All because it’s clear to them what to expect from your company in the first few seconds, before you even said a word.
When you do say a word, and those words are matching the story of your brand, you will build trust. Simply because the potential client’s predefined expectations are met.
Therefore it’s of the greatest importance that your brand matches your company, even in the smallest detail of it. It has to represent the company as a unity, from the in-house cleaner to the CEO. It has to speak the language that your company is speaking.
3. Brand Equity
So let’s assume that your company’s branding left a great first impression on your potential client. You made it through the audition! Congrats, the branding is now giving your potential client a perception of a certain commercial value of your company. Even without trying or using your product or service itself.
Its the idea of a high level of coolness or expertise that makes your potential client an actual client. This is often referred to as ‘’Brand Equity’’. If the brand equity of your company is high, you are very likely to see yourself going through to the next round! The brand is selling itself. Amazing isn’t it?
Are you sitting down? We are going to take that even a bit further. If your brand is valued higher because of the well-designed branding, you are more likely to attract investors. It will be easier for them to see the potential, to understand and especially believe the story that you are telling.
4. Branding attracts
Apart from the potential clients and investors (revenues first, right?), we also want to point out that the right branding can attract top-quality talent. Simply because they will understand your brand and will feel a sense of belonging.
These candidates will feel like your company is the perfect fit for their aspirations and goals. They will also feel that your identity and vision is similar to theirs.
All these aspects combined will make you attract highly skilled and motivated staff that will be delighted to work for you and eventually will help you grow as a business.
Coca Cola (obviously) is one of the best examples. It’s known to be one of the most popular employers to work for. They implemented their recognisable branding into their office space in London to take their branding a step further.
In this office, you will see lights made out of recycled Coca Cola bottles, vintage ads and historic assets all around the building, a huge hand-painted sign at the entrance, a wall of crates, neon signs, and furniture in the red-white-black colour scheme.
Coca Cola’s office also has a lot to offer to their employees, to keep them entertained and happy. Our point is that it’s a magnificent idea to align cool gimmicks like these with your brand.
It will make your company be a desired place to work and make you stand out as a brand even more. In short: your company will attract exactly the right talent because your brand reflects exactly where they want to be working.
5. Branding to stay on top of mind
People will remember a well designed brand. That’s a fact. After a positive first impression, the potential client will easily recognise you again if you are consistent in your branding.
For example if you use visuals in your online social posts, make sure that those posts are visually consistent. Every single time a customer notices you as a company through your branding, they will start to recognise your brand.
This will add to the final goal: being on top of mind of your potential client. So eventually, if your clients needs a product or service that you are selling, you want to be the first one they think of. And they will if they notice you weekly.
6. Branding adds to your online presence.
The world has changed quite a bit in the past couple of decades. Especially the online world. We got used to scrolling, swiping and absorbing thousands of brands or branded posts a day. All this at a speed that would beat both Hamilton and Verstappen.
We became amazingly fast with absorbing info and content. And by ‘we’, we also mean your potential client. Subconsciously they even became branding experts. Well, sort of.
Let’s put it this way: they know exactly what sort of brands they are attracted to, what content they like (or double tap for that matter). They also know very well which brands they rate highly and which brands they rate low. And all that in the blink of an eye.
Yes, so? Well.. When your potential client feels attracted (or has positive attitude) towards your brand, they will give you more time and attention than the other brand which did not care too much about their branding.
By online engaging with your brand’s posts, or a thumbs up even, every single algorithm of any platform rings a few alarm bells. THIS FELLA LIKES THIS COMPANY.
Automatically, your company will be placed higher in the algorithm ranks and will be shown more often to this potential client. See it as a sort of ‘top-priority’, or VIP at Google or Facebook.
And the best part of it all: you also will be shown more often to people like that potential client. If a well-designed branding can add online value and give you a way of free extra exposure, you might as well use it right?
7. Rebranding to regain high brand equity
We can almost hear you thinking: ‘’Reading all this is very great news, because we have a great branding too. It served us well for over 20 years now!’’
It’s very common to think that your branding is still working great for you, especially when you invested a great sum of money to get it designed in the first place.
Our question is: is your company the same like it was when you first started? Did you grow? Or have you expanded your target market? Did you expand your client base? Or did you hire new employees?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, your branding is probably not representing the current state of your business. Your branding is most likely currently downgrading the brand equity of your company.
This can result in less interest from clients, fewer inquiries and stagnation of your growth in the long run. The relationship between company and branding grew out of balance, and needs rebalancing. Or as we like to call it: rebranding. As your company evolves, your brand needs to evolve with it.
8. Distinguish your business from your competitors
‘Last but not least’ is very applicable to this subject, because it’s essential for any brand. A high brand equity will ensure your company to stay ahead of your competition. It is an exceptional way to distinguish yourself from the ordinary.
We often notice that a lot of branding is based on what the competition does. ‘’They have a blue logo so we need a red one’’. Or the opposite, ‘’We want something similar to their branding’.
Building a brand from the roots of your company’s values and goals is paramount. It’s a process, an internal investigation if you like, from which your brand will rise. It’s only then, that your brand will truly reflect what your company is.
Your company is not a franchise of your competitor. It’s your company, with its own values, ideas, staff, identity, product and goals. You want to tell your story like it was written by you originally.
Did all of this make you think? We are more than happy to dive into this a little deeper with you or give a free consultation on your brand. Don’t be shy, please drop us a line and we’ll have that chat.