A brand is the core of your business. It’s what makes you unique. Your brand DNA is a story of where you came from and where you’d like to go. It includes language, colors, imagery, and design. All of those things together make your brand identity.
A brand is important because it is what connects to your customers emotionally.
An article from CustomerThink.com states, “Harvard Business School professor, Gerald Zaltman says that 95% of our purchase decision making takes place subconsciously. Despite widespread agreement amongst neuroscientists that our conscious rational mind plays a minor role in decision making, why do our sales messages to buyers focus almost exclusively on facts and figures?”
Your brand identity is how your audience perceives you. It is the face of your business. Without comprehensive, well-defined brand identity, your audience might not understand who you are and they may shop elsewhere.
Your brand is what makes you stand out from the crowd and differentiates you from others who are doing or selling the same thing.
Your brand identity is the product of effective branding work. And it is no small task to develop a succinct brand.
Brand identity includes:
- Visual Brand identity
- Brand Personality
- Brand Voice
- Brand Values
Together, these four components create the look and feel of your brand to the outside world.
Here are some questions to ask yourself, when building your brand:
Who is your ideal customer?
Defining who you want to serve is crucial. This will help you create a voice that resonates with them.
How do you solve a problem?
What problems do you solve? Your customers don’t come looking for your company because their lives are perfect. Usually, there is something you can do for them. Your brand identity should instantly communicate how to solve these problems. Do you offer Peace of Mind? Workplace efficiency? Regardless of how your brand connects with your customers your ability to solve problems should be at the core of your brand identity.
What kind of personality do you have?
Are you a rebel? A jester? A nature lover? A busy mom? Defining your personality helps create your brand language. Believe it or not, many companies have brand guidelines including words they can and cannot use!
How are you different?
If you are a computer company — how are you different from other companies selling a computer with similar features? How are you better, smarter, trendier, or easier than your competition? What is your major point of difference? Figure this out and you will be on your way to great storytelling.
What is your story?
Storytelling is important in branding because your story is different from anyone else. It is yours and yours alone. Customers want to know who you are, what you stand for, and what makes you unique. Brand stories are an important component of branding. This includes both your literal history such as how and why you were founded and the story of the role you play in your customer’s life.
Developing a successful brand can help your brand sell itself by communicating directly to your prospects without the need for a salesperson to intervene.
The experts at River Avenue Digital are well versed in the art of branding. Set up your free initial consultation today!