I’m going to let you in on a industry secret, come closer… Ahem, your logo is not your Brand!!! A logo is is an image that embodies your organization. A Brand is a ‘burning scar with bankable value’. What am I talking about? One should be able to cover up your logo on your website, your packaging, your business cards…etc, and be able to identify the company they belong to. Even with tone and voice in marketing copy.

With your brand, you identify your company’s distinctive value, one that our customers desire and are willing to pay a premium for. Once this is defined, developing ALL branding (this includes both your voice and graphical elements) much, much easier.  It also makes your Brand more coherent and much more meaningful to your consumer.  Not to mention it instills confidence in  your consumer when they are presented with one united ‘voice’. (Uhhh ‘flip-flopping politician’? No, thanks, cant be trusted…. give me that boring guy set in his ways).

So what does a Brand need to gain traction and be successful? Other than your brilliant graphic designer Simple, clear definitions of these key touchpoints in your company.

A: BUSINESS FRAMEWORK
Vision: What does your company want to become? (Nike’s vision statement is, “To Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”)

Mission Statement: What is your company’s precise description of what you do? (Apple Computers mission statement is, “Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.”)

Core Values: This should represent your company’s fundamental values and beliefs that define how your business behaves, how  you value your customers, clients and staff.

B: DEFINE TARGET MARKET

Create profiles of your ideal customer along categories like sex, occupation,age group, education, geography, income, and buying habits.

C: DEFINE VALUE PROPOSITION

What compelling, unique value does your company offer to your target market that they simply cannot ignore. What are your core competencies, (what you do best)? Always remember, you can stand for only ONE thing or you will confuse the marketplace. **I know it’s hard but you can only pick one!

D: UNDERSTAND YOUR PRODUCT

Get to know your product intimately and what makes you distinctive and desirable to your target audience. What solutions do you offer your customers? What are the features and benefits? Where is it positioned along price and quality? What value-added services do you offer? Where are you positioned among our competitors?

E: BRAND GRAPHICS & MESSAGE

A great logo visually represents a business well and lets people know right away what you do and whether you are trustworthy. It should be accompanied by a tagline that clearly reinforces the value offer with very few words.

F: DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED MARKETING PLAN

Rule of thumb is to assure every dollar you spend brings in more than $1 in return. Continually test to find your best marketing mix. PR, sales promotion, ads, etc. create a synergy and reinforces your campaign message. A unified voice makes it easier for your audience to recall your brand. It also helps to develop a perception of omnipresence where the your name seems to be everywhere.

Will your brand be successful for you?
Ask yourself these questions once you define the above.

• Is your message powerful and compelling enough to gain attention?
• Is your offer attractive enough to distinguish you from the competition?
• Do you engage in creative ways to increase the profile of your company and your competitive advantages?
• Are you consistent and persistent using an integrated marketing approach? Does each medium reinforce the others? (ie: sales pitches to email marketing to app to site, etc)

When in doubt, research the shit out of it.
Research is the most important thing we can do when creating the brand. You are are making your bed and lying in it. You must understand your marketing strategy, it is the most essential part in which a brand can be built upon.

Agencies get paid thousands to brand you and tell you what you already know. Branding is merely an organization of your vision for the company and current clientele. Along with the confidence to move forward with a brand. You cant be everything to everyone, however people cant help but respect a company that believes in itself. Prove you do with your branding.