For several people, branding is nothing beyond their logo. However, the reality is different. Your logo is important but it’s just a small part of your total business branding.
So, you might ask if branding is more important – what is it?
Branding is critical as the encompasses every single touchpoint of your customer. Customer expectations from a brand are extremely high. You might be thinking you have a great product. You have the perfect website and everything is fine for your business.
No, things cannot be good if you are not wrapping all these things into a smart brand that your customers find memorable, delightful, relatable, and human. Brands live in a culture. A brand is a recognition which a company gets, it's an acceptance and reputation which a company develops after the successful rendering of products and services.
A brand is a lot more than a color palette or a logo. Brands are usually built for people – something which excites them and keeps them loyal to a product or service. Effective branding is not just about some pretty colors or a logo. It is the total experience which a customer has with a specific product.
So, let us first sum it up:
When you are getting started with the branding for your new company, you should first know what branding is actually. Having a logo does not mean you have done everything you could do. Having a big logo also does not help and won't help your branding if you do nothing further.
Branding is the whole experience of every touchpoint which your customer has with a specific product. Thus, your customers must have a consistent and thoughtful experience with your product. These touchpoints are important as it defines the nature of the company you want and who your target customers are.
Now, what are these touchpoints? These include several things such as personality, logos, imagery, texture, homepage design, print design, shapes, imagery, and color among other things. It is the sum of all such parts which help in making your brand and it is how your business connects with the customers.
This is a crucial fact which plays a role in your branding. What does your company do and what role does it have in helping the growth of your brand? These are the basic questions that will help in defining who you are and what your company does. It will help in building a connection with your employees.
It is about how your brand is depicted in the content of your website. There is little difference between a helpful guide and being pushy. The tone of your content will provide your customers with a short glimpse of the personality of your brand. The tone also helps in driving several designing decisions like colors & imagery. A friendly tone with light-toned colors will help your branding.
Last, but not least, remember that branding will deliver results. It keeps a business growing and is the sole reason for the survival of a business in the tough and highly competitive world.