Branding: What Is It, and How Does It Add Value?
When you’re talking about website or product design, marketing, social media or customer experience, the conversation always comes back to branding. But what is branding, exactly?
Beyond appearances
The most misleading definition of branding is probably the one most people know. In this understanding, a company’s “brand” is its visual presence, both online and offline. Think about the Twitter bird, the Nike swoosh or the famous Golden Arches. These logos are instantly recognisable and carry a host of associations, acting as shorthand for the brands they represent. No matter how often they’re updated, they always retain the key elements that make them iconic.
This definition of branding isn’t wrong, it’s just incomplete. Logos, colour schemes, typography and images are all powerful branding tools. Used consistently and well, they create a visual identity that makes your brand visible – and memorable – across a range of media and platforms. In other words, your brand’s visual identity is its calling card. It isn’t the essence of the brand itself.
So what is that essence? There’s no easy answer to this question, because branding encompasses so many aspects. Let’s start with one of the most fundamental.
Brand values
In the basic sense, brand values are the beliefs, purposes and priorities you decide on when you found your business or create your product. Do you want to make people feel cared for? Help protect the environment? Promote brilliant young artists? These are just some examples of the values that might inform your brand on a conscious level, including your visual branding.
But brand values are not just a theoretical concept. You might see your business as family-friendly, or sustainable, or accessible – but these values are not truly part of your brand unless they’re reflected in your customers’ experience. Effective branding means expressing your values across the board, from your corporate culture to your public messaging and your interactions with individual customers.
The relationship between messaging and action is a crucial one when it comes to the evolution of your brand. The promises you make to your customers define their expectations and set you apart from the competition. If you consistently meet or exceed these expectations, this builds a basis of trust. And trust is the foundation of a lasting brand.
Not only words
Whether it’s your website copy, your newsletter, social media posts or conversations with customers, the words you use are essential to building your brand.
This doesn’t have to be complicated. Clear, simple communication goes a long way when it comes to connecting with your customer base. If you know your brand values and remain consistent with them, then you’re already doing great work in meeting your customers’ expectations – and that’s an important factor in your brand’s success.
However, words also have great creative potential for building and communicating your brand. By finding your brand’s voice, you can tell a story that will draw your readers in. You’ll be able to speak directly to your target audience in a way that appeals to their needs and emotions. Voice is also a key aspect of your brand identity, setting a tone that tells your customers who you are and what they can expect from you.
Perception is everything
By now, it should be clear that your business’s brand is not just its visual appearance, its voice or even the values it projects. Branding is a perpetual process that’s founded on relationships – with customers and potential customers, with shareholders and employees, with partners, and even with the media.
The bad news is that you can’t control every aspect of the branding process. Any brand that attracts attention, whether positive or negative, builds a reputation over time. In that sense, brands emerge organically. Not even the best branding strategy can wholly determine how a brand performs, or how others will come to perceive it.
The good news, however, is that there is a great deal you can do to manage and influence your brand’s development. Well-defined values, consistent visual branding and clear messaging will all get your brand off to the best possible start. It’s also important to keep a strategic eye on changes in the market, emerging new competitors, and customer feedback. A well-timed brand refresh or even a complete redesign can help protect your business from becoming obsolete and ensure its continuing growth, winning you new customers.
What you see is what you get
Whether you’re developing an existing brand or building a whole new one, successful branding comes down to authenticity. If your brand’s online presence reflects the real experience you provide to your customers, then you’re not just appealing to the right target audience. You’re also making a promise you can definitely fulfil.
As an experienced brand designer based in and out of London, I work with businesses in the hospitality, culture, and food & drink sectors to create a current, authentic brand presence. One great example is Estella Tacos y Mezcal in Reno, Nevada. Each design element reflects Estella’s dynamic brand ethos, from the neon-yellow shooting star in the letter A – estella is Spanish for star – to the meteor flash of neon, like Estella’s tacos, made with bright toppings and pops of colour over a neutral base.
Estella’s sister business, The Jesse Hotel and Bar, required a different approach. This six-room boutique hotel is distinctive and modern, but it’s also rooted in the culture and history of the Nevada desert. With original artworks in each room, promoting local, regional and nationwide artists is also an important brand value. My design for The Jesse incorporated colours and shapes from the desert environment and simple, classical visual branding. It’s easy to apply across the board, both online and off, making the brand practical and adaptable. The accessible and welcoming website gives potential guests a taste of The Jesse experience.
Branding might be more complicated than it first appears, but it doesn’t have to be hard. If you’re looking for help with your brand design or redesign, or you have any questions about the process, just get in touch.
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