“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” This quote by Intuit co-founder Scott Cook has been repeated many times on social media and in business writing. Word of mouth has always carried weight.
Luckily for you, it’s possible to influence and even change the course of the conversation by constantly delivering on quality and by putting the work into your branding and identity.Branding and identity show the world what’s unique about your brand and help you stand out in the public’s minds as an organisation that’s recognisable, memorable and exceptional. What’s the story you want to tell? What is it you do differently? Why should customers pluck your business from among an ocean of competitors? You can answer these questions with your logo, colours, typography and mantra.
You may believe the terms brand, branding and brand identity are just different ways to describe the same thing. Or that your brand is simply your company logo. But it’s a little more complicated than that. While all those things are related, each term refers to something different.
In this article, we elaborate on the differences between branding and brand identity and how you can leverage the power of each to grow your business.
What is Branding?
Your brand is not your logo, although that’s part of it. Your brand is not your visual identity, even though that’s part of it too. Your brand goes beyond things that people can see and touch. Your brand is the perception the public has of you, how you make them feel, and what they say about you. When you look at some of the biggest brands in the world - Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Mcdonald's, Netflix, Nike, Starbucks etc. – you know exactly what you’ll get, and you may have some strong feelings attached to them too. A brand has been described differently as a promise, a relationship and a gut feeling.
Branding is an ongoing process of creating this relationship with the public. The tangible, visual representation of it is known as your brand identity (more on that below). It’s a process because you don’t simply design a logo, throw some colours together and then keep your brand identity set in stone forever.
A lot of branding is rebranding, and you can see this in how companies change their logos, looks, slogans and more over time until they come up with formulas that work.
What is Brand Identity?
If your brand is more about the impression your company makes on an emotional level, your brand identity is more about the physical impression.
Brand identity is not just your logo but the combination of everything you put across to get your message out to the public and grow your business. It includes a logo that looks the part both online and offline, the right colour palette for the right mood and feelings, typography, and a mantra that communicates your message simply and effectively: “Just do it”, “Think different”, “Because you’re worth it” etc.You may have a great product with a great story behind it. But if no one can see it, you won’t make the impact you deserve. Branding and identity get your work out there.
Why You Need Branding and Identity to Grow Your Business
You may be wondering why you need branding and identity to expand your business. Shouldn’t your reputation for quality work be enough? Yes, earning a good reputation is important, but it won’t help your business expand like branding. Here are some reasons you need it:
Without it, you’d never be able to grow
Your logo, design colours, and the other elements of your brand identity help you become recognisable. Familiarity breeds trust and the more people see you, the more likely they’ll see you as having something worthwhile to offer. If all people know about you is your name, contact details and the services you provide, it’s easy to get lost in the ocean of competitors and end up being overlooked in favour of someone whose name is better known.
It builds loyalty and trust
Customers are more likely to trust your brand if they feel you both share the same values. Values like caring for the environment, making family a top priority or going the extra mile each time. The more the public is exposed to you, the more they’ll trust you, and the more they’ll appreciate the consistency of your work.
Poor branding and identity will lower revenue
Since having a strong brand identity will make you more memorable, the opposite is also true. Having no brand identity will increase the chance that people will forget you. When someone asks them for a recommendation, your brand will be far from the first name on the tip of their tongue. Word of mouth has real power, but to make it work, you need to be memorable.
How to Create Branding and Identity
Online and offline advertising
The options for both online and offline advertising are almost endless these days. They include advertising on streaming services, social media, apps and Google (Pay-Per-Click model) as well as more traditional methods such as billboards, brochures and free-to-air television services. Advertising involves researching where your potential customers are so that you can reach out to them there.
Social media marketing
With more than half the world’s population using social media and spending an average of two hours a day on it, having a social media strategy is vital. Your social media strategy has to be done right to stand out. Still, the benefits for your business are enormous: 74% of consumers have stated that they share video content from social media. Having the right social media marketing strategy will help you determine whether you need to be on Instagram, which is leading the charge for influencers, or expanding your professional network on LinkedIn.
E-mail marketing
E-mail marketing is a combination of digital and also direct marketing that allows you to sell products, deliver some news or reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate using nothing more than a friendly e-mail to your subscribers. And there’s plenty of money in it. The average return on investment is $36 for every dollar spent, and by the end of 2023, revenue from this style of marketing is expected to reach 11 billion.
Visual branding
Visual branding is the part of your brand identity that your customers see. It can involve your website, business cards, promotional materials, stationary, social media posts, etc. A visual brand is everything you need to make a striking impression on the eyes: your colours, fonts, typography, graphics, logo etc.
Bring Your Brand Identity to Life with Anchor Digital
Grow your business with Anchor Digital, a full-service digital marketing agency that can capture exactly what makes your brand unique and show it to the world.We’ll build you a brand identity that captures the soul of your story and demonstrates to the world what you’re about. We’ll conduct in-depth market research, uncover where your target audience lies, get an understanding of how your business runs day to day and craft you a brand identity that ensures the hard work you’ve put into your business will pay off. We’ll cover every aspect of your brand and branding: logo, typography, colour palette and mantra, all presented as a visual identity guideline for you. Drop us a line to become the brand your customers can’t forget.
