More often than not, articles use brand and branding synonymously. Is there a difference? Absolutely! Branding is what guides perception. Your tone of voice, messaging and visual identity, all of which emanate from your brand – who you are and how you deliver your value to your customers. Keep reading to find out more!
Brand
Your brand is the core principle that guides everything you do. It’s the sum of all your customers’ experiences. It’s how people perceive your business. It’s what you aim to accomplish. It’s what you stand for. It’s your “why.” Your brand is something that must be cultivated over time. This process never really ends, as your brand needs constant nurturing in order to remain relevant and competitive in today’s dynamic, ever-changing consumer landscape. In short, your brand is an organic entity, similar to your organization, that is a summation of all of your efforts, client interactions, positioning, products and teams.
Branding
Branding involves positioning your company both uniquely and memorably in the marketplace. This includes developing content, building a social media following, designing collateral, etc. Successful branding requires extensive research, cross-functional collaboration, and participation from all areas of your business. Many people jump to the branding stage before a clear brand story is formed. It is important to understand that you cannot start branding a product or service without an established brand in place. In short, branding is the action of self-communicating your brand in a controlled manner.
Brand alignment
In order to have brand integrity, your brand and branding must be in alignment. What you say, communicate and promise to your audience, must be in alignment with what they experience. Strong and successful companies are those that deliver on their brand promise through alignment of their brand and branding efforts.
Visual Identity
An important part of branding is your visual identity – a collection of visual components that represent and differentiate your business. Built on the foundation of your brand and outlined in your brand guidelines document, visual identity helps fortify your core values and brand promise through visible assets. If executed correctly, consumers should be able to identify and connect with your brand immediately. A few elements of visual identity include:
- Logo
- Typography
- Colour palette
- Graphics
- Tone of voice
- Messaging
What makes a strong visual identity? Your visual elements should be distinct, well-suited to your audience, simple, and timeless. Make sure you are building your visual identity from the core outward, remembering your core values, brand pillars and your purpose. Your visual identity will be used across digital, print and interior channels; it should allow for this.
Lastly, other things to consider when building your brand and ensuring brand alignment:
- Physical spaces and interior design
- Customer service and consistency in experience
- Product packaging, delivery
When your brand and branding are fused together with strategy, purpose and creativity, it becomes easier to achieve success.
Are you in the process of developing your brand or branding? Feel free to reach out to us at info@fevercom.com. We’d love to chat!
