A strong business is one with recognisable branding. Take McDonalds for example, we all know what those Golden Arches mean, no matter who we are or where we’re from they are instantly recognisable. But what makes a strong and recognisable brand?
On a basic level it’s a mix of visuals, values, and reputation.
Visuals
Visually, strong branding is unique and instantly recognisable. Visual elements include logo, colours, fonts, packaging, imagery, layouts of social posts and communication style. These are elements that bring the ‘vibes’. These elements should remain consistent and recognisable, especially when starting out. That isn’t to say that a company can’t ever deviate from an established style, especially when it comes to content, but it should be done carefully to keep things recognisable.
Values
But a strong brand isn’t just about visuals, it’s also about values. A strong brand has clear values that customers can relate to. Values can help shape customer perception, differentiate a brand from their competitors, and establish an emotional connection with customers and build trust.
Some common values that many brands have include:
- Ethical values such as honesty, integrity, and transparency.
- Social values such as publicly supporting social causes and giving back to society.
- Innovation, or supporting and seeking new ideas, solutions, and technologies to improve their products and services.
- Quality, these brands focus on delivering a high standard of product and service to their customers.
- Customer focused, many brands consider focusing on their customers as a key value and structure their branding and their operations around their customers needs and wants.
If a brand has a reputation for having specific values that appeal to customers and genuinely living up to them, that brand is likely to attract loyal customers in people who share those values.
Reputation
A strong brand also has a reputation for having a value statement or proposition that encapsulates the value of the service they provide to customers. In other words, what do your customers want and how do you make that happen? This is what your business is going to be known for.
For example, Kmart’s value statement is ‘low prices for life’, this statement represents Kmart’s commitment to providing consumers with products at a consistently low price. This statement along with the company’s reputation for having on trend products translates for customers into ‘Kmart is the place to get popular items for a low price’.
This statement of what Kmart provides increases brand awareness for customers who are trend driven but price conscious, and Kmart secures the loyalty of those customers by delivering products and services that match the value they have pledged to provide.
How can a professional help?
A professional branding expert can help you with any aspect of your branding. From visuals and logos, distilling your brands values and what your company stands for, or coming up with the perfect statement to express how you meet your customers needs. A branding professional like me can do it all!
At Lauren Mienert Marketing we offer a variety of solutions depending on your needs, from exploring concepts, brand values, and value statements, to helping you bring those ideas to life via a professional logo or branding package. Contact us today if you’re ready to start your branding journey or your existing branding needs a refresh!