What does a prospect think of when he or she hears your brand name? That answer is your brand. It is more than a name, a design, or a symbol, it is the feeling your business evokes. Your brand is everything the public thinks they know about your business, the way it is perceived by those who experience it, including employees, investors, the media, and your customers. It is a perception, making it intangible. Yet, this tangible perception is probably also your company’s most valuable asset. So what is a brand? Discover the many elements that make it up, including your company culture, personality, identity, messaging, and website.
Company Culture
You probably already know that company culture is important to employees, but you may not realize it’s also important to your brand. If it isn’t aligned with your company culture, it can create internal discord, and customers will take notice. You may think that HR should be spearheading company culture while marketing works on branding, but really these need to be combined efforts. Aligning your culture and brand behind the same purpose and values will create one guiding force for your business, creating a competitive advantage. Combining company culture with branding is also how businesses can create brand ambassadors from their employees. Promote company pride with freebies and promotional apparel like shirts, hats, and mugs. Soon, the way your business operates internally will naturally spill out into what customers see externally.
Brand Personality
If your brand was a person, how would you describe him or her? Your customers want to see the humanity within your business. Excitement, sincerity, ruggedness, competence, or sophistication, your personality is a set of human characteristics that are attributed to your name, helping customers better relate to you. Identifying the human personality traits you want to associate with your brand will also help you solidify the experience you want to deliver to your customers.
Your brand’s personality is the foundation for building personal relationships with customers. Feeling confident in knowing this personality also plays a role in creating an effective brand voice and messaging. Once you define its personality, you can use that to make it identifiable to your customers through marketing, advertising, social media, and your website. It’s important to differentiate yourself from your competitors, making sure you stand apart in a competitive marketplace. Your Safeguard advisor has the expertise and resources to help you make the right statement for your business.
What was the first brand?
While branding is thought to have begun with the ancient Egyptians, in 1876, Bass Brewery’s logo became the first image to be registered as a trademark in the UK. The Quaker Company was one of the earliest to use a character on its packaging, branding, and advertising in the late 1870s. And Lyle’s Golden Syrup, first sold in London in 1885, has been recognized as having the world’s oldest branding and packaging
Brand Identity
It’s likely that when you think about your brand, the first thing that comes to mind is its identity, the visible elements of it, like the color, design, and logo. Just remember, its identity is more than just its logo. It’s a combination of all the visual elements, as well as the language used to define and communicate your brand’s essence. An effective and powerful identity should visually convey all of your defining characteristics, including its personality.
Brand Website
Your website needs to be a great reflection of your brand. Like it or not, a customer’s first impression of your business is most likely your website, which makes it a focal point. A well-designed and managed website will bring your brand to life with customers. Websites need to not only work on a desktop, but they need to be mobile-responsive, easily accessible to customers across a variety of devices. For small- and medium-sized businesses, websites remain one of the most impactful and cost-effective ways to reach your customers, and Safeguard can help. Your advisor has both the expertise and service to provide everything you need to deliver the right online branding experience to your target audience.
Safeguard is here to help you meet your branding challenges. Your advisor can help you create a strong, singular brand message and image. We’ll show you how to stand apart in a competitive marketplace. Contact us today to get started with your personal Safeguard advisor.
Key Takeaways
- Your brand is more than a name, a design, or a symbol.
- Your brand is everything the public thinks they know about your business.
- Your brand is made up of many elements, including your company culture, personality, identity, and website.
- Your Safeguard advisor is here as your brand advocate, helping you differentiate in a competitive marketplace.