Let's talk about Branding

Branding is an integral part of marketing.
I like to think of branding as developing the "personality" of a brand.

A customer's reactions, responses and emotions are directly connected to how they perceive you as a brand. These perceptions could be based upon many things, stemming from previous experiences they have had with your brand, or possibly experiences they have had with other brands within your field.
And when we think of brands as personalities, we come to understand that they need a life and a story that captivates the customer and makes that person loyal to them. Customers buy brands that they can identify with on some level, and for this reason developing a brand personality is crucial to attracting and retaining customers.

Developing a brand personality can be tricky. First off, how do you want your customers to perceive you? Do you want to be seen as serious, playful, edgy, serene, reliable, professional, rebellious, magical.........? The list goes on and on, and every factor of a brand's persona affects the customers perception and response.

Here is a list of several factors that may need to be considered when developing a brand personality:

Name
Logo
Tagline
Colors
Font(s)
Spokesperson(s)
Advertising Placement
Pricing
Packaging
Distribution channels

When you think of your favorite brand, consider the fact that all of the aforementioned items affect your perception of that brand, and this is not unintentional, marketers work hard to make this happen. When it comes to the big, well known brands, each and every nuance of a brand's image is thought out and designed to best target its intended audience.

So on a small entrepreneurial level, what can be done to make sure that your customers are perceiving your brand the way you want them to? For starters, ask a few trusted friends for their honest opinions about your logo, website, color choices, etc. Do lots of research, look at ways brands you admire project themselves. Try to look at your own brand from a objective viewpoint and think of how you would react as a customer. Be professional, no matter what image you want to portray, be it rebellious or playful, or serious and serene, there is a certain amount of credibility gained through clean logo, packaging and web design, and professional and engaging content and conversation. Personal style is not necessarily unfavorable, but be aware of how others may perceive you. And the number one rule: listen to your customers. Find out what they think of you and determine whether this matches up of what you think of yourself. If not, then something needs to change.

Branding is a fascinating and deep topic that has been explored from not just business and marketing perspectives, but also from psychological and sociological perspectives. What works for a brand can vary regionally and internationally, and a multitude of other factors can come into play that also change customer perception. While some argue its a science, many perceive it as an art. Whatever it is, its a necessary and important part of successfully running a business.