Branding isn’t just what your company looks like – it’s how it feels. It’s the gut instinct people have when they see your name, the emotion they associate with your tone, and the impression they take away after every interaction. Here, Nicola Docking, Managing Director at Poke Marketing, explores what makes a brand experience truly stick and why the best branding starts long before a logo…
Let’s start with the obvious. A brand is so much more than a logo.
We’re not understating the importance of a logo; strong visual and auditory branding elements help audiences recognise a company quickly and easily. But the intangible, emotive, narrative elements are what really give a brand a leg to stand on. We reckon there are five key points to consider…
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Number one: Define bespoke values.
What does your company stand for? What sets it apart from its competitors? Clarifying your company’s values will help create a brand identity that resonates with your target audience. And when we say values, we don’t mean the overused and cliched – meaningless buzzwords such as trustworthy, innovative and passionate.
For example, LEGO’s company values centre around creativity, learning, imagination and quality. The brand aspires to inject a sense of inquisition, playfulness and excitement into all areas of life – regardless of age, location or gender.
Number two: Understand your target audience.
To create a compelling brand identity, you need to understand your target audience inside out. This can be done by market research, creating attitudinal personas, and determining what customers truly want and need. Without understanding your audience, a brand is created based on presumptions of internal stakeholders; or worse, the vanity of a creative director.
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COM-B is a framework we are big advocates of. It allows us to define people based on their attitudes towards a brand. So shifting away from holistic, top level persona types such as Early Adopters or Laggards and instead, focusing on segmentation via their relationship with the brand. This means we can understand their barriers for engagement and their motivations for involvement.
Number three: Develop a unique brand voice.
One often overlooked aspect of branding is the brand voice. The brand voice should reflect the business values and personality. Formal and serious or conversational and playful? Deciding on a consistent tone that aligns with the brand identity and using it across all communication channels will help bring your brand to life.
For example, Oatley’s brand stands out from the crowd as its copy has attitude and a refreshingly different voice, which allows for a variety of provocative, witty, new ideas for their campaign executions. Oatly’s voice is both self-referential and self-deprecating – breaking corporate copywriter rules.
Number four: Consistency is key.
Consistency is crucial for creating a strong brand identity. Ensuring that the brand elements, such as colours, fonts, and imagery, are consistent across all platforms – from the website and social media profiles to packaging and marketing materials. A brand does not solely exist in a brand book; it needs to be set free and shown in the way a company behaves, speaks, and engages with customers.
Number five: Tell a story.
A powerful way to connect with your audience and build a strong brand identity is by telling the story of the company. Authentic storytelling helps create a genuine connection with customers. Far stronger than ‘we have been established for x years’ or ‘we have x offices’ or ‘we are the biggest x’. People don’t buy what a company does or how it does it; they buy why it exists.
Decision making is a two phase process. Emotion drives the decision and logic validates it. So stimulating an emotional response right at the start of the customer experience is incredibly important. And the brand is often the first thing someone engages with. A great brand narrative is impactful, memorable and personal.
The way that Macallan’s brand tells its story is a great example. Sure, it’s expensive but it draws people in to consider this quality product as a viable option for them to purchase.
In short, a brand is what resonates with the target audience. It entices them and prompts them to engage further. It nudges someone to find out more, to become curious and ultimately to behave in the desired way. A great brand proposition is the most powerful aspect of customer engagement.
