So what the heck is branding anyway?
We’ve all heard the term “branding.” And we know it’s important. But what the heck is it?
Most websites and articles summarize “branding” by listing elements that make up your corporate brand, from your logo to your tagline to your product. And, technically, that’s accurate. But let’s look at things a little bit differently.
If I had to dumb branding way down, I would tell you that your branding is comprised of three things:
How you look
How you act
What you offer
Ultimately, these three components shape how you are perceived by your audience — aka “your brand.”
How you look
For the sake of simplicity, let’s humanize branding. Do you have a big, red mohawk or is your hair neatly coifed? Do you wear a turtleneck sweater or a tank top that shows off your tattoo sleeve? Do you rock Ferragamo or Crocs?
Much like how we style ourselves and choose our wardrobes, companies should think long and hard about the visual image they are putting out to the world.
For example, if you encounter someone with a slovenly appearance, you might assume they don’t care about hygiene or have no drive. That characterization might be completely unfounded based on their personality and work ethic, but as humans, we often judge a book by its cover.
Businesses that have poorly designed marketing assets are risking potential conversions. When designing your visual brand, you must understand what you are communicating via your visuals.
Certain colors evoke specific emotions. Orange creates a sense of urgency while blue is calming. And in certain cultures, colors have different associates. In Asian cultures, red is a symbol of luck and vitality. However, in America, red may be polarizing because of political associations.
Fonts communicate tone, as well. Serif fonts are interpreted as more serious than sans serif fonts. And sans serif fonts give off a sense of modernity. Some display fonts (like the infamous Comic Sans or Papyrus) communicate a sense of unprofessionalism. Disregarding your organization’s approved font list communicates a lack of unity and can negatively affect how customers and clients view your processes and work product.
And it doesn’t stop at color and fonts. Your photography, icons, illustrations, and video styles also contribute to your overall appearance. Defining rules for how visual assets are created is essential to creating uniformity.
How you act
Let’s stay at a human level — imagine a classroom setting. Are you the kid politely raising your hand when the teacher asks a question? Are you the kid yelling out answers? Or are you the quiet student who blends into the wall and keeps the answer to him or herself? There is no right or wrong answer. How you act should depend on the reputation and persona you want to give off.
Let’s look at how two jewelry stores chose to communicate:
The first billboard was purchased by a Cleveland-based jeweler, Alson. Billboards aren’t exactly cheap, and in this case, there is nothing particularly interesting or memorable about the ad. It’s predictable and lacking an innovative concept. Bringing it back to the classroom analogy, Alson is the overlooked kid who showed up to class on time but didn’t actively participate. He’s just there.
Meanwhile, Steven Singer made a clear strategic decision to act in an untraditional way (as far as jewelers go). Yes, they went for the “shock” approach to advertising, but the campaign also says a lot about their brand. They certainly aren’t stodgy and expected. They are the boisterous kid in the classroom who is unafraid to ask a thought-provoking question (while rudely interrupting his classmates).
Once again, there is no right or wrong answer. Each organization needs to determine where it should sit along the spectrum of informality. Just bear in mind that your words matter, and the delivery of those words matters equally. Not considering your tone of voice and messaging is a critical and grave mistake.
What you offer
Are you standing outside of a ballpark selling water out of a cooler? Or are you a scientist who invented an organic hydration supplement that speeds recovery? Both solutions have their place in the world — and a consumer base — but one analyzes these business models very differently.
When considering your offering, it’s important to identify differentiators in your model and ensure that those elements are carried through corporate messaging, the employees you hire, and all customer interactions — your product.
Ultimately, a brand is not just about words and visuals. Your brand is the sum of your organization’s parts. What you sell to consumers or the services you provide business partners will heavily shape your reputation.
If you or your organization is in need of branding support, GRAY GIANT would love to help.