3 Pillars of a strong brand.
Whether you’re just starting out or your business is taking a new direction, you’ll want to create a strong brand identity that sets you apart from the competition. Your brand is essentially your company’s personality. This shapes the way you present yourself to the world and the feelings that your product or service evoke when customers interact with you.
Your brand might be playful or professional, friendly or authoritative. It should also reflect your values and promises, like whether you focus on value or luxury. When your brand is strong and clearly portrays your personality and what you stand for, you can build trust and inspire brand loyalty. This then increases the chances of repeat custom, while turning your customers into brand ambassadors for lower customer acquisition costs.
So, how do you do it? Read on to find out the 3 fundamentals to bear in mind when building a strong brand.
1. It’s more than just a logo
When it comes to branding, many businesses jump straight to their logo. Back in the days before social media, websites and email marketing, this would have been the cornerstone of your brand. Today, they’re still important as a visual representation of your business. However, logos offer little value beyond making your business recognisable among the masses.
Since technology has opened up multiple channels for customer interaction, brands need more than just a symbol. A strong brand is built on various tangible and intangible elements that come together to form one cohesive identity. When customers interact with different touchpoints, these elements should evoke the same image and emotions, delivering a consistent customer experience.
Aside from the logo, other tangible elements include everything from colour palettes, fonts and infographics to packaging, menus and letterheads. The intangible elements are more about your company’s image, so your mission, value and purpose. When each of these elements supports the other, they create a strong personality that shows your audience exactly who you are.
When all your elements are consistent, your brand will exude confidence for a powerful impact that makes your business unforgettable. Your brand isn’t just one visual, it’s the whole package.
2. Show empathy
Your brand identity should reflect the identity of your customers, showing that you understand things from their point of view. You care about their struggles and you want to make life easier for them. This both validates their need for your product or service, and shows authenticity—a characteristic that 86% of people say is important when it comes to liking a brand.
So, how do you show empathy? The first step is defining your target audience. Once you know who you’re talking to, you can tailor your brand’s value proposition and tone of voice in a way that connects with them.
But empathy can go deeper than simply saying, “Hey, we understand!” It runs through every interaction, showing that you also know what your customers are looking for at each stage of their purchasing journey. Brand empathy can come in the form of complete transparency, streamlining your checkout process, free delivery, or user-generated content—things your customers want.
A strong brand identity is one that resonates with your audience, which means keeping things authentic. By showing that you understand their struggles and celebrating their wins, you can make your customers feel heard and valued.
3. Tell your story
In today’s world of technology, your brand needs to be about more than just the products you offer. People buy based on their emotions, and with authenticity more important than ever, businesses must now find a way to connect with their audiences on a deeper level and engage with them as humans.
This is where storytelling comes into play. Your brand narrative is the very soul of your business, taking people on a journey through your history, challenges and goals. It’s all about the bigger picture behind why you exist, which inspires people to care more about your brand and what you do.
Studies have shown that storytelling actually affects the brain, shaping our opinions, attitudes and behaviours. It’s a powerful form of communication that helps people connect on a personal level, while also helping us make sense of complex messages. When it comes to branding, a story can inspire us to take action and make a purchase. And since stories engage more of the brain than facts, they even help make your brand more memorable.
With a clear and compelling narrative, you can transform your brand into an emotional experience that helps you connect with people on a personal level. By telling your story, you can capture the attention of your audience and make them want to support you.
Stand out from the crowd with a strong brand
A brand is about the whole experience, which is shaped by bringing together tangible and intangible elements, a compelling narrative, and empathy. By keeping these 3 points in mind, you can build the solid foundations for a strong brand that makes an impact.
Looking to create a standout brand? Click here.