Branding your company is important, but why? Branding is the art of perception and how consumers view your business. It requires having a distinctive and cohesive design throughout all marketing channels. Your brand allows your company to set itself apart from competitors and establish a reputation that builds a future for the company.
Successful branding is why the Starbucks logo reminds you of coffee. Or the Apple logo reminds you of advancing technology and iPhones. If done properly, your customers should be able to easily identify your business by just its logo. Think of your company as the promise you make to your customers. This is the first impression that your company will make on a prospective customer. Therefore, setting your company apart from competitors helps establish a reputation that will lead to loyalty for your company.
1. Creates a United Front
Creating a cohesive style guide that is used across all platforms establishes a united and clear message to customers. Having this sense of consistency helps support the marketing and advertising efforts. It ensures that every ad or promotion includes the same format, colors, fonts, and images that best represent your brand. Marketers will get sick of your marketing brand campaign long before your customers. With the thousands of ads they see each day, it could take several months for your customers to see (and remember) three of your ads. That is why it is incredibly important to have consistent marketing across all channels. In addition, a consistent brand strategy helps your company stay focused on the mission and vision for your brand.
To create a consistent brand strategy, your company should have an established brand style guide. This will describe what colors, fonts, logos, mission, and values your advertising should include. Every ad your marketing team creates should follow the rules outlined in the style guide. Think of it as your Nike logo. The marketers at Nike do a fantastic job of placing the logo on every possible customer touch point: the shoe, the shoebox, the clothes, the commercials, the website, etc. The logo always appears in the same color and in the same place on each piece. Your business needs that same consistency to create a united front in advertising.
2. Branding Builds Trust and Emotional Connections
Your brand is how your company connects with customers. It establishes what people can expect from your business and how your business will treat them as a customer. Over time, your customers will come to trust your company because they know what to expect every time they experience your brand. It’s about more than pushing your products or services; it’s also the emotions your customers feel when interacting with your business.
For example, the Superbowl is best known for their half-time commercials. These commercials elicit every kind of emotion in a person, from happiness and laughter to sympathy and tears. People flock to their TVs and sports bars every year to make sure they don’t miss the annual event. A well-established brand should emotionally connect so well with your customers that they mark their calendars for your “Superbowl” events.
3. Establishes Customer Loyalty
Loyal customers are incredibly valuable because they will continue to promote your company. They are essentially a free sales rep for your business. Great branding is what makes customers want to remain loyal to your company and advocate to others about their experience. By building your brand, you are creating an identity that will attract more people. The identity should inspire consumers to want to be associated with your business and want their peers to know of this association.
Since 2004, consumers have been using Facebook as a tool to connect with other people. Early studies indicated that people would find and like Facebook pages to publicly display their brand affiliation to their friends. In fact, nearly 40% of people were liking company Facebook pages to build their personal profile and express who they are as a person. Every page like increases your company’s visibility and chances of interacting again with a consumer. Facebook will also suggest pages to users based on what their friends like. This is another way your business can increase its presence, and it all goes back to how you advertise your company brand.
4. Forms Employee Branding Advocates
When an employee knows the company’s mission, they are more likely to put in the extra effort because they support the cause that the brand represents. This leads to employees being more likely to share content and become brand advocates when a clear and concise message is established. Employees are also more likely to spread awareness about the company when they are proud of where they work.
The term employee could also refer to brand influencers. Forbes estimates there are more than 50 million people around the world who consider themselves to be influencers or creators. The most successful influencers are the ones who thoroughly understand and support a company’s brand. When people understand your business, they are more willing to promote it through social media and other digital outlets. A genuine and thoughtful influencer promotion could entice hundreds or thousands of people to purchase your business product or check out your company services.
Elevate your Company Branding with Walker360
Everything starts with how you build your style guide and present your business to the world. Certain colors, fonts, and placement can sway consumers in different ways. Work with a marketing professional to guarantee you are creating the right set of emotions that will inspire your target audience to take action. Walker360 specializes in graphic design and brand marketing services that can elevate your company to the next level. Interested in learning more? Reach out to us today to view a sample style guide and receive a free quote!
