Branding: Leaving Your Mark

Louis Vuitton. Huggies. Samsung. Warby Parker. Apple

These are all different companies with different products, but what do they all have in common? They leave an impact. Or in other words, they have a brand specific image (carefully crafted with a complex matrix of pieces), one that is so deeply embedded into people’s mind that if you were to gather a group of 100 people together to describe each individual company, you’ll find similar key words.

 Branding Style

An idea can be a dime in a dozen, but your brand lets your idea stand apart in the crowd. After all, can you imagine Kentucky Fried Chicken without the Colonel? Your brand speaks volume about your company’s culture, target audience, and personality. Building brand recognition and awareness is a key factor in separating yourself from the competition.

For example, take Apple. It is a brand, well-known for its minimalist approach, edgy software, apple logo and perhaps most famously, the iPhone. The brand is associated with a younger, hipper crowd, as demonstrated by its Mac vs. PC commercials. Possessing an Apple product is attached to a certain reputation. It’s also associated with a higher SES (socioeconomic status) because Apple products are on the pricier end of the spectrum. And all of that was taken into consideration when they first developed their brand.

With that said, brand is a heavy word with a lot of attachments. Keep in mind, it isn’t a one step, solve all, sort of problem. Your brand is composed of an assortment of parts and pieces, ranging from the name of your company down to the font and color you choose for your website. The combination of all these elements makes up your brand. If I were to say Facebook, the first thing that will probably come to mind is the shade of blue and white and the iconic lowercase font that makes up the logo– and quite possibly The Social Network.

So the idea is, you have to be consistent. The last thing you want is to choose are bright, loud colors and have them clash with your sophisticated script font. Consistency produces a strong brand and while it is possible to change your brand to give the company a facelift, it is costly and time consuming. Often there are only so many elements you can manipulate without the fear of losing your former audience.

A great example is McDonalds. Just a few years back, McDonalds decided that they wanted to do an overhaul with their image. They started by modernizing their facilities and changing their menu, in hopes to make the name more upscale. They replaced the cold metal chairs and glass tables with wooden tables and faux leather chairs. Similarly, the McCafe line and calories-conscious items were added to the menu to attract a wider audience.

Having a solid brand is the key in standing out amongst all the competition. Passion, creativity and a firm understanding of your idea and product will only get you halfway there. The other half requires a good eye, a hefty amount of research and perhaps some professional help. You want to take a good look between an assortment of brands to analyze what sort of image they are showing to the public as well as examining the brands behind your competition.

You want to find the balance between appealing to your customers and distinguishing yourself from the competition. And nobody does this better than the long standing rivalry between Coca Cola and Pepsi. They both sell cola, but if you ask a room full of people, everybody has an opinion as to which brand they like more.

There are a variety of things to take into consideration and some of them include:

• Name of your company
• Logo
• The colors and fonts
• Shapes
• Tagline/Catch Phrase
• Philosophy
• Jingle

Furthermore, you want to narrow down your branding adjectives to about three to five words. Think long and hard about what five words do you want people to think of when they hear or see your brand. For instance, let’s say I’m an internet café owner. When people enter my shop, I want them to think: high tech, sleek, clean, comfortable and friendly. Therefore I would tailor the various components of my branding campaign to reflect those adjectives.

If it all seems too overwhelming, branding specialists are professionals with a good eye for detail and who possess the experience and research behind establishing a suitable brand based on how you want your company to be seen.

Most importantly, at the end of the day, you want your brand to be something you’re personally attached to. Your brand should represent core values and a philosophy that makes you excited about the growth and future. Your brand specialist might tell you that you need a, b and c to make your brand relevant and up-to-date with the public, but you want to stay true to your values.

Challenge the norm and let your brand speak for itself. What are the qualities and traits you want people to remember your company for?

If you need any help with your branding, reach out to Headway Idea Labs!