Hey, how are you doing? Good? I have been in the creative industry for a long time. And, you know what, I am not doing that good. Do you know why? Because I am tired of people thinking that branding is not creative & it doesn't require critical creative thinking.
Branding is a concept that is so important for a brand to execute, that if done incorrectly or not at all, then the chances of the brand failing in the market will skyrocket. Have you heard of that global brand that hasn't done branding? Neither have I. Because every single global successful company in the world has done it before doing anything.
So let's just take a step back for a second & understand what is branding.
Branding is a wide concept & everywhere it is defined differently. If you Google 'What is branding in marketing?' this is what you get 'A brand is an intangible marketing or business concept that helps people identify a company, product, or individual'. But did you really understand what it is from this definition? Probably not!
But to understand what is branding, you must understand what isn't? It is not a logo. The logo is a symbol for the brand. It is not the collection of impressions a brand makes on its customers. It is an emotion your product or service would make the customer feel.
Here is what it truly 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. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. — Seth Godin
This is one of the very few definitions that actually puts light on the concept of what branding actually is. It used to be about a logo, a tagline, a packaging design, but in today's time, it is a gut feeling your products will develop in the customer's mind.
So do ask yourself, are you doing this? Is your product/service able to achieve this? But, think that later on, I've got some more things I want to tell, so keep reading👀;
In today's age & time, everything is going digital, more & more companies are turning towards advertising digitally. So people are exposed to 100s of companies every day. Every brand is trying to convey something, every brand is trying to sell something. Thinking from the point of view of a customer, they get a lot of options to choose from but what about the companies that are trying to sell? It becomes difficult for them to do so.
According to Trading Economics, there are 185+ Million businesses registered. Just imagine how many would have come into existence due to the digitization boost over the past 2 years. So with all this competition, you have to have very compelling branding. And, by doing so you get the chance to move the ball in your court and control how people perceive your company. Here are some key points why branding is important to take into consideration so you don't turn a blind eye to them:
Branding helps you get the 'Aha, it's that' moment in the market. It makes it easier for people to recognize what your brand is & what it is offering. Because a company that hasn't done coherent branding won't stay in the mind of a customer for a long time. So if you have a unique logo, communication, messaging, and other visual elements that stand out then the chances of your brand being memorable are high.
The trust factor of your audience is what you want to build. However, it is very hard for companies to do that. Because fundamentally branding is a promise you are going to be delivering to your customers on which they can trust you. And if you are able to build trust then it will also help drive brand loyalty.
Like it or not, you will have to advertise. And the sooner you accept this fact & evolve your business goals, the faster you could come close to success. But for advertising, you would have to form a brand first. Align key branding elements with advertising goals. Because if you don't have your values & identity to represent, then there is a great chance you would fail to convert via ads. Embracing your purpose into your campaigns will increase your recognition & the chance of conversion, as the customer can clearly understand your brand.
When someone is working to fulfil a purpose they usually tend to work better. So branding can be a great asset you build to which all your employees look up to. So if your company has great branding, your employees will feel they are part of something & give their best.
Did you know the best place to see rainbows is in Hawaii? Alright, I got your attention, till now I told you what makes branding important, but how many brands actually do it. And, were they able to achieve anything?
Investing in branding for any business size be it a startup, a mid-size or large enterprise is vital. Because it truly aids the company to increase the revenue. It will help you keep your purpose crystal clear because if you don't do it, you might get lost after some time on to where the company is going.
Customers love the perception of living a great life with the help of your products or service. That is what triggers their need to purchase from you. It's not your product or service they shop for, it's the feeling they will get if they use your product or service. Take Nike for example, its brand ambassadors are mostly accomplished sports personnel like Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, etc.
So when customers purchase Nike products they want to feel like the sportsperson they see wearing Nike. It's pretty cool you know.
Branding is a great way to filter out necessary customers. The ones that understand your purpose, what you do and what you have to offer, will purchase from you. It allows you to get control of who purchases from you. Successful companies do branding research to niche down on who their target audience is.
Even during the toughest times, your brand will not sink but stay afloat. If the market were to get disturbed due to some reason or there are new competitors coming in, but if your branding is on the point you will not budge & always keep attracting customers.
So I think you get the gist of why you should do it. Branding is a creative process because it allows you to tell stories, inspire & drive purpose. And, this was the answer to the question, what makes branding creative? I can keep going about this topic but then you would be here all day, so let's keep moving. You might want to drink a glass of water; I'm about to state one of the most important aspects about branding.
Branding is a creative process. It requires a new way of thinking, every time, for everyone. But is it hard? Maybe not. It goes beyond just a logo & tagline & some graphics. That is why it's hard for people to understand. There are many things involved in creating strong branding.
The first mistake that is usually made is not creating a brand strategy (every business needs one). Because if you won't define the cores of why you do what you do then it will be very hard to pass that onto your customers.
And, as far as business is concerned the world is not your oyster. You have to define your niche audience and sell to those people. Because if you don't define who you want to sell to, you might spend your money selling a comb to a bald guy😂. Just kidding (it's true though)!
Making mistakes is okay! These are just some reasons why it is hard. And, even if you do all this right and many other things that come in branding, you still might make a mistake. Because it is a constant process. You can't perfect it, you can evolve it. Remember the first sentence of this section Branding is a creative process. This is exactly why.
In today's time, a person sees nearly 10,000 advertisements. And, we have an attention span of 8 seconds. So do you really think that people will listen if you don't have a compelling story? Probably not! Brands that tell stories are succeeding today, rather than just selling their products or service. And brands that successfully deliver their purpose of creating the company to people have a higher chance of success.
Imagine there are 2 companies A & B that create smartphones. Company A communicates very clearly that it wants to help you save time with fast phone functioning & wants to help you save your memories by providing a great camera & good storage. Whereas B has an even greater product but doesn't communicate what it provides. And, nowhere it states that it wants to help its customers. Who are you going to purchase your smartphone from? Definitely from company A.
So communicating what you do & why you do it is a puzzling process because people might misunderstand. It requires a precise & creative new way of thinking, so your brand can stand out in the market.
Branding will help you lay the foundation of your brand. And, be your ally till the end of time. It will help you define the perspective of how customers will see you & tell your purpose. But, it is a very important process. So if the right people don't do it then there are chances your brand will go off-road.
Let us take that worry away from you. We've done branding for so many brands & we would love to do it for you. But, if you want to do it yourself, knock yourself out, we're also happy with that. Just make sure of all the points are clear that are mentioned in this blog. In case you change your mind, drop us an email at connect@pulsaero.agency or connect with us on call.
After this call, you will get a clear understanding of the next steps that you need to take in order to build consistent communication & reliable marketing strategies.
This call is perfect for professionals who want to,
