Most consumers associate a brand with their very own preferred products or perhaps companies. But how does it actually come about that there are companies or products that are perceived as a brand? The crucial process for customer recognition is branding.
By definition, branding refers to the development of a brand towards its own identity. The customer recognizes the brand as such and, in the best case, associates positive characteristics with it. Branding is therefore also an important marketing tool, because a brand usually ensures trust and sales in the long term.
The basis for successful branding
Some marketing agencies advertise their services with the promise of making a product or company a brand. They refer to their service as branding. In terms of the branding definition, however, such an agency service is only half the way to successful branding. Of course, the agency can work with an experienced designer to create an attractive corporate design with an unmistakable logo.
And of course, the agency can also achieve an increase in awareness through its expertise with appropriate measures and campaigns. However, the process of the customer ultimately linking design and campaigns to a service or product is done through the perfect interlocking of several influencing factors.
At the beginning of the branding is the company itself. Its corporate identity is made up of three components. The first point is corporate behavior. It refers to the actions of the company. This action has a direct effect on the second influencing factor, corporate communication, such as marketing.
For example, the philosophy and values of the company may be conveyed through appropriate marketing measures. The third decisive factor of corporate identity is the corporate design, which also includes the company logo. Only when all these three factors mesh ideally can a corporate identity be established, which is ultimately the prerequisite for successful branding.
The customer’s perception
Branding can be planned, but it doesn’t follow a pattern. Because whether the branding measures work or not is decided neither by the company nor its logo or its extraordinary marketing strategy. The customer has the last word! Only if the customer gains a positive overall impression from all measures may he develop trust in the company. And only if the corporate identity is authentic and perfectly conveyed by a product, a product can also become a brand.
A good example of the product as a brand is Coca-Cola. Every customer thinks of the soft drink when looking at the logo or when calling the name and not of the beverage manufacturer “The Coca-Cola Company”. It’s different with companies like Amazon, IKEA or Apple. Here, the company is the brand itself, and each customer has their own associations in mind. You might think that the difference lies in the versatility of the companies’ portfolios. But at this point, the marketing measures that are directly aimed at a single product actually have a more decisive influence.
Summary
If you want to build your own brand identity, you shouldn’t spend your energy solely on an appealing logo design or corporate design. Branding is a process. A convincing corporate identity or a credible brand identity are just as important as an appealing design. In addition, the focus should always be on the customer. Companies as well as their products or services must be convincing in their entirety. Trustworthiness, authenticity and credibility are the top priorities for sustainable branding.