What is Branding?

Branding has become the hottest term in marketing.  Why? Because without it you are nothing!

However, many business owners still are unsure as to what it is?  Here are four things it is not!

1. Branding is Not a Name

2. Branding is Not a Logo

3. Branding is Not Your Collateral 

4. Branding is Not Your Products or Services

More importantly, it is not what you say your product or services are.  They are not a description of the products or services.

What Is Branding: It’s Essence. 

It’s the constructs of a brand.  Accordingly, a brand, according to the American Marketing Association is a name or symbol that describes a good or service that is different from other providers of the same good or service.  A brand is singularly a difference. 

However, branding is the means of giving an identity to a company, products or services by creating and shaping what a brand looks like in the mind of the consumers.  Companies use this strategy to help consumers quickly identify their own products, services, and company. It gives consumers a reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by illustrating the brand and what it is not.  Illustrating the brand is a compilation of several attributes, not just visual imagery, messaging, personality, values, and character traits.

Furthermore, the main objective of branding is attracting and retaining allegiant consumers by giving them a product that delivers what they promise. 

But how do you attract and retain customers?

To clarify, it’s through the feelings that consumers develop towards the company or its product and the character traits that your company embody.  Take for instance Patagonia, over time the brand has gone from stripping off what is nonessential to championing values of quality, perfection, and environmentalism.  Do you relate to these values?  

This is exactly why it is so important!  It provides relatability while helping consumers self identify with the product or service.  Likewise, branding is the strategy of creating images in the minds of consumers.

Why do I need a branding strategy?

First and foremost, for the reason I aforementioned, it makes you recognizable.  Another reason is that it clearly delineates your purpose for why you are engaging with consumers and how to do it.  Next, it’s to have a cohesive communication strategy. Branding tells you exactly how to talk consistently with your client no matter where you are.  Offline or Online. Finally, a branding strategy brings consistency in values which not only helps to attract the target audience but also talent.

Building a brand for yourself or your business that is unique, simple, and identifiable is the reason why you are in business in the first place.  You’ll be easily identified if your brand has a significant message from your target audience. In the event that you have no message or values to share or it isn’t obviously communicated, you’ll become just another business in the industry.  This is exactly what branding fights against.

To schedule, a branding strategy call, use the book now button on the page. Leave me a comment below. What do you think it is?