Brands need to distinguish themselves in a cluttered market. This is difficult to do when the competition is high – how do you look unique in such a saturated market? While you may think spending a lot of money on marketing and PR is what will propel your brand into the limelight, this typically isn’t the case. Top brands use strategic brand management tactics.
Brand management is when you create a perception of your brand that resonates and connects with your target audience. It is how you craft an image that is associated with your business, helping with your marketing and adding value to your brand name. You have to monitor and maintain your brand reputation.
How can you start building and improving your brand?
1. Brand name
Your brand name is your company’s primary identity; it is also the first introduction your consumer will have with your company, so you want your brand name to resonate with them and reflect your unique selling point.
Firstly, you need to trademark your brand name. Owning the rights means you can stop competitors from stealing your brand or any other unauthorized use of the name that could damage your brand. If you need help with owning your domains, reputation management companies can lend a hand.
Your brand name will need to be consistent across your social media pages. It needs to be present on your website, in your website domain, and your social media pages – consistency will help your consumers discover you and remember your business. Having your brand name spelled differently on your website domain and your social media will cause identity issues and distrust.
2. Logo
Your logo will embody the representation of your brand. How your logo looks will impact how your consumers view your brand and this can impact whether or not they decide to do business with you. Speak with a professional graphic designer and work with them in creating a logo that resonates with your brand and your company’s ethos.
3. Color palette
Colors can cause an emotional stir in people. If you are an eco-friendly company, then having a green logo will reflect your environmentally friendly nature.
4. Packaging
Does your business sell a physical product? The packaging is crucial to your branding campaign as it reflects your business, associates your product to your name, and can be the first impression someone gets from your brand.
Make your packaging exciting without compromising on your brand’s core messages. You should also make your packaging as sustainable and minimal as ever, as many companies are coming under fire if they have unnecessary packaging associated with their products.
If your company doesn’t have a physical product, you should focus on the theme of your website, social media profiles and marketing materials. Make sure that there is a consistent look and feel across platforms.
5. Have a style guide
It can be easy to lose sight of what your brand is supposed to represent, especially if you have many sectors, designers and new co-workers coming on-board. The best way to keep your brand management on point is to have a style guide on hand.
Your style guide should include everything from the size of your logo for certain social media pages and packaging to the exact color type and name, and the typography used – this is also the best place to include any images or language that cannot be used and should be avoided.
