Branding, What Is It and Do You Need It?

What is branding, really? Branding, in terms of marketing and promotion, is the distribution of merchandise with a brand or logo imprinted that distinguishes each organization or product from one another to customers. Branding your company and/or merchandise, depending on your products, may mean print, digital, or a combination of both.

So, do you need it? Maybe. Large companies use branding on everything to not only get their image across to customers, but also their reputation, which is attached to their brand image.

Branding and Impressions on Your Audience

People, clients, customers and your target audience will judge your company based on their first impression of you and your brand.  Branding can represent your company core values, your mission statement, and the feeling you want people to have when they see it. Your target audience will see hundreds, if not thousands, of brand messages on a daily basis. Making sure your brand stands out can help.

Key Benefits of Branding

• Enhanced credibility
• Recognition from other brands
• Customer loyalty and shared values
• Consistency
• Attract more clients and referrals

A good brand is more than just your logo, it’s the perception that the client sees in your company and you.

Items to Think About When Creating Your Brand

• Company Mission Statement
  • A sentence to describe your company’s function and goals
• Will your branding look good on all aspects of marketing material (print and digital, large and small)
  • This can include any brochures, billboards, website, business cards, signage, etc.
• Fonts/type you use in your branding (Need a refresher? Here is a great article Font Selections Based on Brand Personality)
• The color theme for your brand ( Color Theory)
• Words used to describe your brand to your audience
  • Upscale, Casual, Conservative, Quirky, Elegant, Extreme
• What are your core values? How do your core values tie in with your brand?

After all of your branding decisions have been made, you may also want to use branding guidelines or a style guide to ensure your brand maintains all of the information and remains consistent throughout your marketing material. 

Do you have doubts about your brand and need a second (or third) look?

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Post Author: Randi Sparkman