Creating a strong brand has never been important as it is today. It is what makes you distinct. It is what separates you from your competitors. It is what attracts and keeps your customers.
This means that if your brand is going to protect your market position, target and excite your audience and communicate your story effectively, you must get your brand right.
I’m guessing that all makes sense but how do you create the strongest possible brand? We’d suggest it comes down to taking these 10 steps:
1. Define your brand’s purpose
The first step towards creating a strong brand is to know exactly who you are, why you exist and what you want to do.
Brands with a clear purpose always stand head and shoulders above those that don’t.
2. Create a brand strategy
If your brand is going to deliver, it needs to be consistent. It needs to be front and centre at every touch point.
To make that happen you will need to set out a comprehensive brand strategy that explains exactly how you plan to use your brand to engage with your audience and move them to take the required action.
3. Craft a compelling brand story
People like stories. We react to stories. This is why it is essential you tell your brand’s story. What do you have? Where did it come from? And why does it matter?
4. Define your brand cameo
A brand cameo is a composite picture of your ideal customer. Once you have that, you can start to understand their likely behavioural patterns, their personalities, their preferences and even their tone of voice.
Once you understand that, you can start to make much smarter marketing choices.
5. Write a strapline
Your strapline is a statement of your purpose. It makes an instant promise to your audience that chimes exactly with what you have and what they want from you.
6. Design your brand
Yes, your logo will be part of this process, but it actually involves much more.
You need to think about the overall look and feel of your brand. Think about your colour palette, your typography, your photography, illustrations or use of animation or video.
You need a to create a comprehensive brand asset bank that will give you unwavering consistency across every physical and digital marketing channel.
7. Choose powerful imagery
“A picture tells a thousand words”. It’s a cliché but it is absolutely true.
Don’t just go back to the same old image banks or clip art. It is cheap and cheesy. Create your own original images and graphics.
8. Take inspiration from other brands
While you can’t rip anyone off, you should always take a look at what your competitors are doing and at what is working within your market. This analysis shouldn’t be limited to their look and feel. Take a look at how they promote, sell and deliver their services.
And taking note of what they’re doing wrong could help you avoid making costly mistakes yourself.
9. Don’t try to be all things to everyone
You have already defined your message, your market and your ideal customer so these have to be the parameters you work between.
Without that specificity of message, you will lose what makes you special you will become nothing to no one.
10. Don’t be shy
If your brand is going to fly, you can’t be shy.
Shout about what you do and why you do it best. Promote yourself proudly or all your hard work will have been for nothing. ‘Best kept secret’ is never a strategy for success!
If you would like to find out how we would help you create the strong brand you need (either from scratch or in terms of a brand refresh), please email us today and we can find a convenient time to chat.