Brand Development: Let Your Company Brand Identity Work for YOU!
I love multi-tasking…And based on the following quote, that is what brand development accomplishes. You can be working on something totally independent of your business promotion and yet it is happening without your involvement. Here’s the quote:
“Your business makes you money. Your brand magnetizes opportunities on your behalf when you’re not even there.” Lisa Steadman
So how is this accomplished? Brand development is not just about having a logo…Branding is an experience…an emotional response…It’s how someone feels when they think about your product or service.
Think about Disneyland I can almost guarantee that their logo did not come to mind and yet it’s part of the picture. What came to mind was your day at Disneyland…The rides, the music, the smell of popcorn, the parades….I could go on and on.
Now think about what goes into creating that experience for you…From the logo to the advertising to their tagline – The happiest place on earth! – to the employees. To create that experience for you, Disneyland makes sure that EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you encounter is part of the experience from the moment you drive into the parking structure and for the rest of your visit…This includes the characters in the parade as well as the person who sells you a hot dog. In fact, Disneyland refers to its employees as cast members…They’re all part of the experience.
This scenario should give you a pretty good idea of what branding is all about. Now, how do you create your brand? Here’s your first homework assignment…Determine what sets you apart from your competition…What makes you special? One of the misconceptions about branding is that it’s only for large companies…Quite the contrary…The smaller businesses need to look larger than life, and setting yourself apart from the crowd and creating a brand experience says “professional” and “credible”.
And then there’s that logo…Even though a logo is not “the brand”, it is a good place to start…The logo along with a memorable tagline can be very powerful when utilized often and consistently. They should appear EVERYWHERE…On advertisements, your stationery, printed promotional materials, emails, website, social media, garments and coffee mugs….And when you introduce your business, your tagline is what should roll off your tongue! Wouldn’t it be great if people started finishing your tagline for you?? If you’re consistent, that will happen!
So determine what sets you apart from your competition. What makes you special? Now get out there and promote it! (And if you need assistance with figuring out what makes you different or what your logo and tagline should be, I know a great graphic designer that can help!)