There are several philosophies that shape the understanding of branding, but ultimately I believe essentially branding has to be understood as the Art of differentiation. It’s both an art and a science. Simply branding when done right helps us stand out and build a good reputation.
The essence of branding is that it takes away cloudiness, opacity, confusion and brings clarity of purpose, alignment and focus to a business or an organisation, whether big or small, profit making or non-profit organisation.
To achieve this there’s need for a deep understanding of the following 3 key factors that help shape a brand and its brand persona.
1. Internal Brand:
This is like the soul of the brand, inner core, where the raw energy stems from. Just like how human outward behaviour is shaped by the inner workings of the soul so are the outward brand expressions shaped by the internal brand. This includes things such as the mission, vision, goals and objectives, values and commitments, purpose of business beyond making money.
2. Target Audience/Customer
It is paramount to have a thorough understanding of the people we want to attract and delight. This includes their demographics, psychographics, their story and much more. Through this thorough understanding we therefore gain valuable insights that help develop a brand personality or brand persona that can resonate with the target audience and with which the target customer can relate to in the brand and marketing communications.
3. Competitive Landscape
A thorough competitive analysis is paramount when developing a brand or during a rebranding or brand refresh process. This helps us understand the level of noise in the marketplace as well as what is already being offered, so that we can position differently and rise above the noise.
A bonus factor to seriously consider when developing a brand or during a rebranding or brand refresh exercise is the prevailing market trends. As a result, when focus and differentiation are based on a trend, the result is a charismatic brand that customers wouldn’t trade for anything.
Essentially the above factors will shape the Brand Persona which in turn affect the design of Brand identity elements such as Logos, Taglines, Naming, as well as the look and feel of touchpoints, voice and tone of brand & marketing communications as well as the overall experience at the various touchpoints such as websites, point of sale, customer service…In as much as I have enlisted the above 3 factors as paramount it doesn’t imply it’s an exhaustive list ,other factors may also shape the brand development , rebranding or brand refresh process.
Blessing is a Brand Strategist / Digital Marketer & Web Designer at Regal Digital Solutions
Contact: WhatsApp / Call +263 714 566 727
Branding is fascinating and can be challenging to digest and get right, and i believe these are some of the fundamental aspects to consider when building a brand. What do you think guys, what other factors do you feel are major?