Breaking Through the Crowd with Effective Brand Strategy
Learn proven strategies to stand out with foolproof brand strategy.
BRANDING / MARCH 24
by Jonathan Haputra on November 22, 2023
Renowned branding expert Marty Neumeier said, “A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service or organization” The importance of building brands can be understood by a simple everyday example. When you're shopping for new clothes, specific brands will immediately pop into your head. You choose that brand because it reflecting the image or identity you want to portray or associate with. Building a brand is equal to building a tribe.
Brand is more than just a logo, it is the heart of your business, the personality that appeals to your target audience. But how do you create this essence? Let's look at the entire process of developing your brand from zero to hero.
Before initiating any visual design work, it is critical to establish a solid foundation for the branding process. A solid foundation, like those used to build houses, ensures dependability and longevity. Without it, the next elements risk becoming less effective and sustainable.
The first phase always starts with extensive research. This includes identifying the target audience, conducting an audit of the existing brand identity to identify gaps and possibilities, analyzing rivals and the entire market landscape, and taking into account the company's aims and aspirations. This research phase is sometimes linked to the formulation of a brand strategy and may include workshops or collaboration sessions.
Now that we've mapped out our plan, it's time to use design to make it real. Design helps turn ideas into pictures we can see and feel. Think of it like painting a house, it's where we start to see the colors, decorations, and little details that make it special.
But before we decide exactly how things will look, we need to explore all our options. This usually means putting together a moodboard or stylescape. It's like gathering pictures and ideas to show the client what we're thinking. This part is really important because it makes sure everyone is on the same page visually right from the start. Plus, it's a lot of fun and lets us be really creative! We can do it together in person or the designer can do it alone and show the client later.
We now integrate our ideas to create real brand elements. This is where we focus on designing the logo and other visual elements that tell the brand's story. The logo serves as the brand's signature. It helps customers remember the business and what it's about. However, it is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the brand. Its primary function is to help people recognize the brand.
After designing the logo, consider where the brand will appear, whether online or offline. When designing a brand look, we must consider how it will be used. The brand's look and feel should be adaptable across all platforms, including business cards, signs, and social media, to provide a thorough customer experience.
During this phase, we put the brand's look on different things that fit the business. Some might need business cards, while others might not. It's all about making the brand fit each client and their unique needs.
Then there's the Brand Guideline. It purpose is to maintaining brand consistency while remaining adaptable. We've worked hard to create a consistent brand design, and it would be a shame to screw it up. Brand guidelines serve as the brand's instruction manual. They ensure proper brand use throughout the process.
Presenting the new brand identity properly to our audience is even more important than developing the identity itself. This stage requires careful planning and may not always fall under the supervision of the identity designer. Instead, a marketing team or brand manager may be in charge of it. But it's very important that this phase be included as a fundamental part of the branding process.
The deployment is a continuous process that includes social media post, website updates, and content creation. This period might span anywhere from a few weeks to several months or even years, depending on the company and its objectives. But for long-term success, it requires constant work, just like every other aspect of branding.
In conclusion, depending on the agency or designer's approach, building a brand can take many different forms, but these five essential elements are typically involved. As markets and businesses change, the branding process will also change over time. As a business owner, we must always keep current and adaptable in order to make sure that our branding process works well.
If you need any help with branding, feel free to get in touch with me. Or if you're still unsure or feeling a little lost, schedule a FREE brand and design consultation here.
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