Your Brand Is Not Optional: A No-Nonsense Guide to Getting It Right
So you've scored yourself a media hit... Congratulations!
You’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: build your brand. If you’re sitting there nodding in agreement, here’s a challenging question: what does that even mean? And more importantly, are you doing it right? With so many misconceptions around what defines a brand, it can be hard to get a grasp on the true impact of a well-established brand identity.
Let’s start with the brass tacks. In short, literal, and simplistic terms, a brand is a mark so meaningful and defining that it’s permanently affixed to its host. In the creative world, the translation isn’t quite so literal, but it’s fair to say that a brand is the north star of identity, whether it applies to a product, service, group, or individual.
As the digital age exploded, the elements of building a brand expanded, perhaps due to the influence of social media, market competition, or the desire to stand out. Whatever the driving force may be, the imperative of building a brand has never been clearer - or more complicated.
So, where exactly should you begin? There’s no shortage of experts or information insisting their way is best when it comes to brand. But lucky you – we’re here to help filter through these common misconceptions and dial in on the actionable insights.
Some believe… “brand” is superfluous and unnecessary in their industry.
Without the core elements of a brand – think personality, voice, tone, values, mission – you’re essentially wandering around in camouflage - no way to distinguish you from the clamoring competitors all around. In a business context, the ultimate goal is to create a product or service that solves a pain point for a particular audience. This requires communication, connection, understanding, and, at the very least, some sort of basic identity that your audience can latch onto and trust.
Is anyone dying to sit next to the kid who lacks personality at lunch? Exactly. Your industry is not immune to the importance of a brand.
Some say… once “launched”, your brand should not change or evolve.
What is it all those business tycoons say? Change or die. Sure, that’s a bit dramatic, but you get the point. Sometimes a fresh look, a new color scheme, or even a new perspective can be just the ticket to opening new doors, landing a new opportunity, or a budding new relationship. As the old saying goes, if nothing changes, nothing changes. So when the market – or the data – tells you something isn’t working, better dust off the conference table, go back to the drawing board, and give your brand the makeover it clearly needs.
Some think… brand = logo, typeface, imagery, and colors.
It was a simpler time when an iconic burger or grand golden arches were enough to convey the caliber of a french fry and entice consumers into one drive through over another. Today the markets are saturated and algorithms are hard at work trying to influence consumer behavior. If you’re going to convert, your brand needs to expand beyond the visual aesthetic. How do you communicate? How do you problem-solve? How will you make your audience feel safe and at home, or the opposite (no judgement here) with every touchpoint?
Your brand needs to live and breathe in all elements of your strategy.
Some practice… a brand lives and dies in the tangibles.
If you’re under the impression that once the logo, website, and company collateral are complete, so is your brand, guess again. Is it essential to build out the tangible pieces of your brand? Yes. Is it equally as essential that those elements are reflected in your company operations, policies, communication style, and dynamic? Also yes. Consumers can smell inauthenticity a mile away, so be sure to take a good hard look at whether or not you’re walking the walk.
Some push… a successful brand can be something to everyone.
Another misconception, another well-timed cliche. You can’t be something to everyone – better to strive to be everything to someone. In practical terms, once your brand values are set, own them. Even if those values directly conflict with certain groups or populations. Trust that your values will resonate with your audience, and in return they’ll reward that authenticity.
The bottom line? Branding is not optional. It’s the heart and soul of your business. Embrace it, commit to it, and watch it power your growth.
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