In Forbes’ World Most Valuable Brands (2020), it was not a surprise that Apple ranked number one from a pool of 200 global brands with a notable overwhelming presence in the United States. This is because of its carefully thought out brand personality, architecture, and promise. All these considerations constitute their brand communication strategy which, because of their achievements, we can deem effective.
Such a strategy allowed their audience to respond to their campaigns which were tapped through the right channels proving that if one only successfully tailors a branding strategy and forms a remarkable identity, business success is highly probable. Communication through various campaigns results in stronger, more effective, and memorable brand experiences which can translate into higher sales. Branding, therefore, is the lifeblood of any company.
This fact is supported by the results of the study conducted by Render Forest (2021) in which it was found that seventy-seven percent of marketers believe that building a strong brand is key in achieving continued company growth and success. Relatively, another seventy-seven percent of customers actually remember and recall certain products through their brand names and fifty-nine percent prefer to buy it from such brands.
A huge majority of company respondents also mentioned that concerted efforts for brand awareness are always on top of their priority list. Certainly, branding is not only meant for aesthetic purposes but is crafted from an analytical perspective to achieve business goals in the grand scheme of things. The following tips are crucial in building the brand image of your business:
Do your research.
According to the GLS Collective (2019), knowing your target audience, their profile, aspirations, needs, and wants will help you derive products or services that are specific to their values and tastes. Because is it them who you want to cater to, your brand’s identity should be somewhat relatable to them.
All these should be research-based and therefore must be determined through market research. Market research is an integral part of a business strategy and must encompass all the data you need to achieve brand competitiveness, demand, and audience capability.
Design and plan.
Once you have all the data that personifies your market.Craft a communication plan that can attract your target market through visuals, messaging, and experience. Strategy is key here as you will need to consider how to present something attractive, compelling, comprehensive, and parallel to your brand’s purpose.
These elements shall be applied throughout your channels and they must be displayed consistently so that your brand can easily be recognizable. Having said that, your logo, color palette, font, patterns, design, word choice, tone of handwriting, content, advertising, and packaging must be coordinating and complementing each other.
Always include areas that support uniformity and consistency.
Uniformity and consistency are fundamental parts of any communication strategy as these collateral elements are under one brand. You do not want to strike oddity by having one effort uniquely its own. Everything must partially be the same or it can stir market confusion. Branding is so meticulous that even your employees must be consistent with it in terms of attitudes and character. This is the reason why most hiring headhunters find not just a specific skill set but also a personality that is similar to the brand so that they can represent the company on the frontline.
Watch out for self-destructive efforts.
Sometimes, because of the company’s desperate desire to earn profits, they come up with efforts that may at the onset bring progress but can potentially ruin their brand in the long run. Think of your company making a 70% off to make a sales drive. On one hand, this can pose a great deal but on the other, it can give your critical thinking customers a moment of realization asking why.
Posova (2020) revealed that people simultaneously believe such low prices can be a good buy but might also mean items within that shelf can be low quality. It can be nice to have people buying stupendous amounts of good bargains but it can also put your brand in a bad light.
There are many efforts you can make to build your brand identity and each one must be planned and revisited a dozen times before it can be implemented. Customers are very selective and usually do not follow the principles of “do not judge a book by its cover”.
Their messages and responses must always be looked at as clues. Client reviews, their inquiry, and social media comments and likes tell what you need to improve, what you need to offer, and what you are good at. As such, opening yourself to them and finding opportunities to gain their insights can pay off not only in terms of brand identity but also financial business gains.
Author Bio:
Natasha Barbeyto-Castaño is a beauty, wellness, and lifestyle writer. She took up Fashion Design and Merchandising in college and was hired as a personal shopper for a high-end department store right after graduating. Writing for the beauty and fashion sections of a society magazine and being head of content for a clothing company kept her busy before getting married and having a little boy.
She learned to read at the age of 3 and wants her son to grow up sharing the same love for books. Nowadays, this organic wellness nut and attachment parenting advocate balances working from home and being a housewife. She enjoys watching psychological thrillers and foreign-language films with her husband during her free time.
