What is your brand’s target demographic? Every brand in existence has a specific group of people they want to appeal to, in order to influence and inspire. To do this, your brand needs to communicate the identity and core values behind your business. Without demonstrating your truth, a brand is essentially an empty shell and cannot effectively resonate with anyone other than on a surface level.

But, why is this so important? Branding is all about perception. How people perceive your brand can be the difference between making a purchasing decision or going in another direction. The most effective brands yield great power because the way they are perceived by their audience has allowed them to trust the company behind the brand. In turn, this company has established a relationship between them and their audience.

Once a brand has been certified as authentic and trust worthy in their audience’s mind, the company then has the power to affect their purchasing decisions and identity.

Remain consistent

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to your brand is that remaining consistent is vital. This is true for your design, photography, typography, personality, tone of voice and so on. If you have got to the point where your audience is invested in your brand and you send out a conflicting message; this will not only confuse them, but it may also weaken their trust in your business.

Even if the reality behind your brand is different from your audience’s perception of it, make sure you are flexible and listen to what they have to say. Branding exists just as much in a person’s mind as it does on paper and onscreen. If you are constantly battling with people’s perception of your brand, compared to what you think it should be, this mixed messaging will only serve to weaken your overall message.

Live your brand  

If your brand champions sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint and saving the planet, yet, your business is a major contributor of harmful emissions in the environment, these values won’t stand. If you don’t live your brand values, you will eventually get caught out and lose any credibility you had. Furthermore, rather than making your brand’s stance black and white, it’s best to base your standpoint somewhere on a spectrum so your company isn’t as much of a target for scrutiny.

Your brand needs to exist just as much in the physical world as it does in people’s minds, so ensure you live and breathe your brand values within the four walls of your building. Create a company culture which works together as one to ensure every employee is on the same page and champions your values.

Understand the value of your brand  

Why should your brand matter? Think about what your brand is and the value it brings to people’s lives. It is important that you understand what sets your brand apart from the competition and why people should choose your offering. Make sure that you are different but good different. The kind of different that people have been hoping for or didn’t know they wanted until now. Once you have marked out your territory and established your brand as a frontrunner for your product or service, it’s time to grow your brand through innovation.  

At Skein, we are branding experts with a strong network of freelance designers, developers, copywriters, marketers, photographers and animators. We will collectively help your business to create a strong brand identity and ensure this communicates effectively across both printed and digital collateral. To talk to us about a project, get in touch here.

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Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash