The power of great branding

When you hear the phrases ‘Eat Fresh’, ‘Where Everyone gets a Bargain’ or see the slogan ‘Just Do It’ what brand names immediately come to mind? Subway, The Warehouse and Nike, right?

Great branding has the power to transform a company’s fortunes by creating an emotional connection with its customers. A strong brand can communicate the unique value proposition of a product and service and can create a distinct identity that makes it easily recognizable and memorable to customers, even in a crowded market. It’s that differentiation that can create a competitive edge, helping a business attract new customers and retain existing ones. More than just a company logo or name, your brand can extend to how you represent yourself online, through a team uniform or dress code, as a service, in a cultural sense or a bricks and mortar format. It can be personal, geographical, or corporate. So, does getting your branding right actually matter?

In short, yes. Your brand not only provides a visual identity for your target audience and engages your customers, but it can also provide immense pride within a business and create recognition and credibility.

Great branding also provides a platform for innovation and growth. A business with a strong brand can leverage its brand equity to launch new products or expand into new markets, confident that its customers will follow it.

An opportunity to tell your story, make a statement and to share your values, it is therefore incredibly important your brand, and the message you want to convey to the market, match. Where to start?

Every new brand needs an honest base to start from. Think about your mission statement, your target audience, what defines you and how you want to be perceived. What impact do you want your ‘first impression’ to make and how can you best stand out from your competitors.

Find inspiration, online or by talking to a professional and think of colour palettes, images, logos and fonts, keeping your design simple, versatile and easily recognisable. Nike after all is known worldwide by its slick, simple tick. Creating an online presence through social media or a userfriendly website will also increase engagement, creating a ‘journey’ for customers to explore the origins of your product, your backstory, and your team, helping to increase engagement. No matter the size of a business, whether a hobbyist, a local club, sports team, or a product or service, there is plenty of market research on the effect of good branding and customer buying behaviour. Taking into con- sideration the effect of product quality, price points, personal income and age groups, it has been proven time and again that clever branding can be an effective marketing tool and a powerful agent for all walks of business.