A is for Audience
Research your target audience, what are their needs and how does your brand meet them? If it meets their needs consider how can you continue to keep them interested. If needs aren’t being met think how can you refocus your brand to match them more.
B is for Brand
Continue to analyse your current brand and all touch-points - consider what is working and what could be better. Is your current brand successfully attracting the right audience and meeting the outcomes you aim for? Has the audience needs changed? If your brand is no longer effective consider the benefits of a rebrand.
C is for Cohesive and Consistent
Consistency is key - creating a cohesive and successful brand identity. Decide upon the foundations of your brand and apply them across all print and digital promotional work.
D is for Differentiators
Companies that offer something that few other do are more valuable to their customers; do you have a Unique Selling Point (USP) that will set you apart from the crowd?
E is for Engage
Once you have a clear understanding of your demographic ensure that your brand matches their interests and desires. Work out what your audience wants and tailor your brand and content towards them.
F is for Familiarity
People like familiarity, so try to keep things simple and consistent, don’t stray too far from your company’s values and brand essence.
G is for Graphic design
Graphic design is an important part of branding; for your brand to be successful it should have a strong visual identity that presents the company appropriately. This will allow the audience to immediately understand what the company offers.
H is for Human Element
Whilst it is important to present your brand in a professional manner - don’t loose the human element. A real personality delivers a familiar and reassuring side to your brand that people will feel comfortable with.
I is for Image
Your image is the way your audience perceive your brand; the emotional value that
it has to the consumer and it’s market position. Your brand image can be developed over time through the use of advertising campaigns and marketing materials. Alternatively you can rebrand in order to focus on a different audience or appeal to a wider demography.
J is for Jingle
A jingle is a short and catchy tune or song used for advertising purposes, not all brands need a jingle but it is representative of that fact that your brand isn’t just about the visual aspects. It’s an experience which can encompass anything from sounds, smells and taste to how your brand makes your audience feel.
K is for Knowledge
You understand everything there is to know about your industry and your business – use this to your advantage. Offer advice to your audience, this will build trust and develop a relationship between your brand and the consumer.
L is for Logo
Your logo mark is one of the key contributors to a strong visual identity. It’s a simple but important visual insight that should be representative of your brand and cohesive with the rest of your identity.
M is for Marketing
Marketing across all platforms is an key component in brand awareness. The more interactive you make a marketing campaign, the more memorable your product or service will be to your audience. Simply ‘pushing’ out messaging doesn’t work any more you must respond and interact with your audience.
N is for Name
Your brand name is essential to your company – finding a unique, memorable name is often a challenge but it’s important. Avoid generic names such as ‘solutions’!
O is for Original
It is unlikely that the services or product you offer will be completely unique and original - but your approach can be. Try to capture the audience’s attention, do something that they haven’t seen before by being bold, brave and thinking outside the box.
P is for Personality
If you brand were a celebrity or well-known person who would it be? This may sound like a childish activity, but it will help you to define the key characteristics you want your company to portray and give you an idea about the tone of voice and key values of your brand.
Q is for Questions & Research
Do your research, make sure you fully understand what your audience want by asking questions, conducting surveys and narrowing down your search points.
R is for Recognisable
Staying relevant and remaining recognisable is important for success. To make your brand recognisable ensure that you have a set of brand guidelines that you refer to when producing new marketing materials and touch-points.
S is for Social Media Strategy
Social Media is a key marketing tool and definitely something that all business types should invest in. Being active on social media can increase your brand awareness, increase traffic going to your website and help you to build new relationships, as well gaining an insight into what works for your audience. However, it is important to define your strategy and ensure that the content you post is relevant to not just your brand but also your audience interests.
T is for Tone of Voice
Defining your tone of voice is one of the first aspects to consider when branding your company – it’s important to present the business and address your audience using a voice that’s genuine. If the business is serious and assertive ensure it’s voice matches that experience.
U is for Understanding your aims
What’s your desired outcome (simply selling more isn’t enough) and track your progress to ensure that your aims are being met. With a website you can set-up goals, with a physical shop measure visitors.
V is for Visual Identity
Your visual identity includes; brand name, logo, slogan/strapline, colour palette and overall branding that is used to present your company and services. It is basically everything visual that’s connected to your brand and must reflect the company, product and services that you offer.
W is for Website
Your website is a huge part of your brand, it’s a way of interacting with your audience and keeping them updated, it’s important that your website is coherent with your brand, user experience friendly and regularly updated. Think also about how they are visiting your website - all sites must work well on mobile.
X is for UX – User Experience
UX is everything your audience experiences when connecting with your brand, this includes things like, tones of voice, imagery, video content, brand identity, colour palette and lots more. All the above should be established in the early stages of branding and should be applied throughout your brand.
Y is for You
Any good brand starts with one good idea, but in order to make that brand a success you need a team strong team around you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people who can support you - a good creative agency can deliver exceptional return on investment. Remember that you have to speculate to accumulate.
Z is for Zero to Hero!
Transform your brand from Zero to Hero by using our A-Z Guide for Branding!
If you would like any guidance on branding your company or any of the topics briefly discussed above - feel free to contact us. You can email [email protected] or give us a call on 01732 743 455 and ask for Matt or Paul.