There isn’t one set recipe for success when it comes to creating a great brand, but there are certainly some guiding principles worth following.
Here are Rock Solid Marketing’s 7 best tips for great branding (which by the way, we implement and/or promote in our own branding services!):
Keep it Simple
Don’t overcomplicate your brand or you’ll risk confusing people. A simple brand with a clear design and message leaves less room for misinterpretation and alienation. Simple things are also easier to remember, and brands are no exception.
Be Unique
Want to catch someone’s attention? Don’t be like everyone else – stand out in some way. If you can manage to do something different with your branding, you’ll not only get people to take notice… you’ll also get them to remember you.
Stand For Something
What is your brand’s mission statement, theme, or tagline? If you stand for something compelling, people are more likely to connect with your brand when they stand for the same thing.
Interact With Your Audience
Once you’ve established your brand, it’s important to interact with your audience. The easiest way to do this is via social media. Whether your brand is on Facebook or Instagram, whichever social media platforms you’re using, make sure you engage with your followers by asking questions and replying to all comments and inquiries. As your social media presence grows, you’ll find yourself building an engaged community around your brand comprised of people who support what you’re doing and will champion your brand to outsiders.
Perfect the Customer Experience
Every single interaction someone has with your brand should be a positive experience. No matter what the scenario – be it an inquiry, purchase, or complaint – you should endeavor to have every customer walk away from it feeling good. If you perfect the customer experience, your customers will want to keep interacting with your brand and having more experiences like it.
JetBlue excels at using Twitter for customer service.
Connect Emotionally
There are a number of strategies you can employ so that people emotionally connect to your brand, many of which we’ve already mentioned in this article, such as: appealing to multiple senses, making them feel good, interacting with them, being trustworthy, sharing values with them, being admirable and inspirational. When people are emotionally connected with your brand, they become brand advocates.
As Robert Brunner says: “A designer must take the values and assets of a company and transform them in a special way that connects with people emotionally.” Make sure your designer understands your brand well enough to make this happen before hiring them for their branding services.
Be Consistent
Whatever you do, just make sure you’re consistent with it. Inconsistency sends a mixed message about your brand, which dilutes great branding power you’ve garnered. People like brands they can depend on, and consistency is dependable.
