When it comes to the brand of a business, each one tells a story about the company, its goals, vision and more. But building a successful and consistent brand can be more complicated than you would have previously thought.
If you don’t understand the nature of your brand, you’re setting yourself up for an unpleasant surprise. Consumers are very perceptive about brands these days, and they can spot confusion even before most businesses do. To help you out, we’ve listed the 5 major things that you need to understand your brand.
01. It tells your story
Always make sure that your brand tells your story and not someone else’s. Sure, you might draw inspiration from the branding practices of bigger companies such as Nike or Apple, but if you’re constantly making comparisons, or getting competitive with your sources of inspiration, you’ll start to create confusion around exactly who you are. Your consumers will not understand the message you’re trying to deliver. Always make sure that your brand focuses on your products and services.
02. You can’t fake authenticity
Building a buzz around your brand can be a goal or look enticing to you in terms of attracting more buyers, but you cannot fake authenticity. Consumers know when businesses are being disingenuous or not delivering on their promises. As mentioned before, you can draw inspiration from your competitors, but if you’re plagiarising their content or brand tone, your brand could lose credibility. Additionally, it can be off-putting for your consumers to see a brand that focuses more on fake branding practices.
03. Perfection is not required
When building a brand, it’s okay to make some mistakes – the important thing is that you learn from them. These mistakes may also end up giving your brand design a voice which resonates with other people. Sure, some brands like Apple, Microsoft and Google have a more corporate voice, but other brands such as Wendy’s and McDonald’s have a more conversational tone with their consumers. Yes, they make mistakes as well, but they always make sure they own up to and bounce back from them.
04. Always think of the audience
In your brand strategy, always remember to keep your audience in mind. This gives more definition and direction to your brand, improves market outreach and allows you to test out new markets. Forgetting about the audience and focusing solely on the product is a recipe for disaster. Consumers like brands that make them feel like they are their primary goal. If they feel like they are the secondary option, such as with a more sales-oriented brand, consumers aren’t afraid to turn to another brand which makes them feel appreciated.
05. Discipline and leadership are necessary
When establishing a brand, discipline and leadership are two important qualities that need to be acknowledged. Without them, you are more likely to face pitfalls or have a vague brand voice. Leadership is vital to be able to visualise the direction of the brand. Discipline also ensures that when problems arise, the brand’s image, voice and more do not suffer.
Conclusion
By focusing on these 5 major things, you will be able to understand your brand, the brand strategy and the long road that lies ahead of you and your successful business.