Welcome to the Brand Boost Blog. I am so glad you are here. In this space we talk about the realities of business life and growth with actionable steps forward to grow our brands.
Today, we are going to talk about our brand identities and the power they have to help our hinder our business growth. We will dive into what brand identity really means beyond just having a logo. We will also tread through what a brand identity is not, and why just a logo isn’t enough. So, lets get going.
What is a Brand?
If you have been an entrepreneur or small biz owner for any length of time, you know you’re supposed to be building a brand (or at least that is what the “experts”say). But, really, isn’t building a business enough? With all of the mixed messages about what a brand is, we can easily put brand building as another check box on our To Do list.
Well, let’s talk about a business vs. brand. Your business is the products and services you offer to customers for a profit. It entails all of the logical parts of what you do. Your brand in short is the reputation of your business. It is the perception, personality, and emotional connection people feel about your business and the good/services you offer. It includes the name of your business, your message, and values that help people connect. As Marty Neumeier says, “Your brand isn’t what you say it is, it is what they say it is.”
So, if “brand” is the way that people see you, is it worth it to put so much effort and money into it? The answer is; only you can decide. The advantages of building a brand alongside your business are many. A brand builds greater and deeper customer loyalty and retention, gives you a competitive edge by positioning you in your market, it also gives your business a higher perceived value.
What Brand Identity Means
Ok, you say, so let’s build a brand. But how do we build it, if a brand is dependent on what other people think?
The question is answered in a strategic and authentic brand identity. When we deliberately shape our brand identity it becomes the thing that customers interact with on an emotional level. It is like putting your best foot forward at an interview or a first date. And on each interaction there after.
Your brand identity encompasses your visuals (yeah, we got to the logo!), color palette, typography, brand voice/tone, photos, illustrations, and messaging. It takes into consideration how and where your customers will interact with your brand. It is how you structure your offers, and more.
Think of one of your favorite brands. Think about what they promise you in their marketing, messaging, and values. They have become a favorite brand because after many interactions, they delivered on what they put forward. Over time you connected with who they are and what they do.
One of my favorite shoe brands is Adidas. I have been wearing Adidas shoes since middle school. They pride themselves on innovative, high performance, and stylish sportswear that blends athletic functionality with cultural trends. As a middle school volleyball player, I connected with their athletic functionality and promise to be on trend. These days it is more about trend than athleticism, but either way, I am a customer for life. (Adidas, if you would like to sponsor this post, let’s talk).
So, a strong brand identity draws your customers to you, tell them what they can expect from you, and gives you the opportunity to deliver every time.
How to Go Beyond the Logo
It is sad, but true to say, that when I started Jami Thornsberry Designs I put a logo out there and just went for it. My brand, my brand identity was something on my To Do list. Chances are, you are or were there too. There is something to be said for getting our businesses out into the world before everything is perfect.
My business worked without a solid brand strategy for a few years. I have had the opportunity to serve some amazing clients. Over the last year, I noticed my business growth stagnating, my offers were changing due to customer demand, and my goals were changing. I built the business, now it was time to work on the brand. So, I put myself through the process that I go through with my clients.
If this is where you are, here are some questions to help you go beyond just a logo and begin building your brand;
- What should people feel when they see or interact with my brand?
- What story do I want to tell about my brand? Am I or how can I tell that across every touch point?
- What promise am I making to my customers? Am I fulfilling that promise?
- What is my brand’s purpose? Does this guide everything my brand does?
Taking time to answer and test the answer to these questions will put you on your way to building a brand identity that really means something. Putting it into action consistently will build a brand reputation that will keep customers coming back again and again.
So, there are our action steps. Diving deeper into what we want our brands to be known for, how we want our customers to feel, serving our customers through our passions and building a solid, authentic reputation through each interaction. Because our brand identities are what connects us on a deeper level with our customers. It helps us show up with confidence. It supports where we want our businesses to go.
If you found this helpful, head over to Instagram and share what you learned. I would love to hear from you.
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