- Once tangible attributes of a brand have been created, other aspects of the brand need to be nurtured and maintained (Beesley, 2014).
- Brand guidelines not only include a style guide for logos, websites, and signage, but also the “voice” of the brand.
- Customers should be able to get to know the face behind the brand, especially if you are small business owner or freelancer.
- “Branding is about creating patterns, not repeating messages.” In this article, Mark Shillum writes about creating a believable and consistent brand in a philosophical way (2011).
- A brand should create coherence around multiple, broken-down ideas that are part of the whole brand identity.
- Smaller ideas are fresh and immediate, and embracing them is a powerful way to navigate a rapidly evolving and ever-connected world.
- Creating a pattern around smaller ideas makes customers recognize the brand more than repetition does.
- Patterns create consistency around the difference and variation that may exist in a brand.
- Repetition can build immediate recognition, but doesn’t fully account for variation in a brand’s products, although it may be consistent in quality of the products.
- One of the most important things that a brand will do is to analyze and understand its audience (DeMers, 2013).
- “The best brands have a thorough understanding of the demographics of their target market, what their interests are, and how they communicate.”
- “Understanding the target market is critical because it provides direction for the tone and reach of a marketing campaign, along with the overall identity of a brand, while helping to create an organic, human connection between a business and its audience.”
- Audience analysis, such as interviews and creating personas prior to embarking upon branding or re-branding is important for the reasons stated above.
References (APA)
Beesley, Caron. (29 September 2014). What is branding? Your Business, Your Brand – 7 Simple Brand Identity Tips. Retrieved from https://www.sba.gov/blogs/your-business-your-brand-7-simple-brand-identity-tips
Shillum, Mark. (23 June, 2011). Branding is about creating patterns, not repeating messages. Retrieved from https://www.fastcodesign.com/1664145/branding-is-about-creating-patterns-not-repeating-messages
DeMers, Jayson. (12 November 2013). The top 7 characteristics of successful brands. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/11/12/the-top-7-characteristics-of-successful-brands/#3e0031ba42f9
Lasamee Kettavong 