Why brand matters
Let’s start with some common misconceptions about brand. It’s not a logo, it's not an identity, it's not a colour, or a product or even a social media account with millions of followers!
What is a brand?
There are many definitions of what a brand is.
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Or the well known and simple
“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”
A brand is made up of many parts and one of the biggest elements is the stories behind the brand. (hence choosing the name The stories we tell). However it's not quite as simple as just telling a compelling story. Because brands are not owned and controlled by the storyteller but by their audience.
“A brand is a person’s gut feel about a product, service or organisation. It’s not what YOU SAY IT IS it’s what THEY SAY IT IS”
In the modern world people have what feels like infinite choice and more information about the goods and services they buy than ever before. This means Brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.
Why branding is so important
Every business large or small needs to be able to tell their target audience who they are, what they do, what makes them different and why they should care! Most markets are pretty homogenous and without something that positions, differentiates and communicates your offering effectively, your products and services can blend in and go unnoticed.
“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business”
A strong brand can help you stand out from the crowd, be memorable, and create loyalty. More than ever people tend to buy based on trust. Building trust takes time, is intentional and can be lost without good brand management. People naturally group themselves into tribes, you find a solution to the needs of a particular tribe and communicate it well and your messages will spread by word of mouth.
With a strong foundation brands can grow and extend their offering into new markets products and services. When this is done well customers respond with open arms but done badly it can alienate customers.
“A product can be quickly outdated, but a successful brand is timeless.”
For some business owners it comes naturally and they can instinctively identify their why, how and what then communicate this to the right people in the right places without too much effort but for the majority it’s hard work, time consuming and methodical to build a great brand as well as requiring a lot of creativity.
You can develop the most beautiful brand with professional photography and catchy straplines but this is just the start of the story. Real brands live or die in the execution. It’s the boring bits, covering all customer touchpoints, the detail, the consistency that really takes a brand from strength to strength.
“Your brand is a story unfolding across all customer touchpoints.”
Getting it right
Collaborating with the right people can make all the difference. There are many specialists who can really focus on delivering your brand in their particular niche, whether it be social media managers, SEO experts or graphic designers. But first you need a solid strategy.
That’s where I come in. If you need a safe pair of hands who will help you launch, transform or execute your brand alongside a team of specialists whilst working as a part of your team then please get in touch.
