We all want to be recognized. When a consumer sees something that represents us on social media, on their browser, or in print media, we want them to be able to recognize the company we represent. In order to make this happen, businesses need to develop and use a brand guide. A brand helps define what a company stands for and why. It gives the company an identity that helps them differentiate themselves from competitors, while also helping companies garner the interest of their target audience.
Why is it worth it
Branding is the process of researching, designing, and applying an identity for a company. Having a brand helps a company form their message into a clear and concise message for the target audience to digest. It also helps them to have brand recognition. The best example of this is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is one of the companies that mastered its branding when the company was very young. The brand’s logo and font is one of the most recognizable we see today. Their unique font, red and white colors, and colorful and lively commercials hold a place in everyone’s minds (and hearts if we are being honest). Everything they do whether it be commercials, social posts, or packaging of their products has a cohesive look because they follow their brand guide. Following your brand guide also helps capitalize on advertising and marketing opportunities because it helps deliver an extra punch of recognition for your audience.
Using a brand guide helps to build your identity and reputation by setting you apart from competitors. Die-hard Coca-Cola lovers wouldn’t dare drink a Pepsi product if they have the choice, right? The red, blue, and white logo of Pepsi’s brand with clean line typography sets it apart from the brand of Coca-Cola. Having specific branding helps each competitor build customer loyalty through cohesive branding across all platforms like social media, product packaging, and advertising.
How to create your brand
Now that you know why it is worth it to have cohesive branding, we can dive into how to create one.
When beginning to create your brand, you first need to determine your target audience. This is important because you want your branding to create an emotional appeal, so you need to know the desires and needs of your target audience to ensure your brand resonates with them.
Next, we recommend forming a mission and vision statement if you don’t already have one. Being able to say what your business has to offer your target audience, helps you craft a brand that the audience will value and have trust in. What sets your business apart from others? What makes it unique? Where are you going in the future with your business? Take those values, qualities, and benefits and use them to inspire the elements of your branding.
You also will need to come up with the business’s visual elements. This includes your logos, typography, and color palettes. It is important when developing these elements that you also create a brand guideline on how and when to use specific elements. For example, if you have a specific font that is used for headings and a different one for subheadings, that needs to be stated so every piece of media is consistent in the typography. When deciding colors for your color palette, it is important to have the specific color system (HEX/RGB/CMYK/Pantone) for each color so there aren’t slight variations across different platforms or products.
Your brand should be incorporated into everything. Your website is the landing page or home base for your business, so your logo, colors, and fonts should be all over it. Same with your social media. We highly recommend putting your logo as your profile picture on your social media accounts to help with brand recognition. Making sure your packaging follows your brand guidelines will also help. Having brand guidelines also helps make advertising a little easier by giving you elements you already know to use such as color and typography.
We think your brand is your rule book when it comes to creating brand recognition and customer loyalty. Now that you know why it’s so important and how to incorporate it, it’s time to build your brand!
If you still need help building your brand, reach out and we would love to chat with you about building your brand with you.
