A brand is a voice and a product is a souvenir.
~Lisa Gansky
Branding is a tool to convey the right idea of your business. At a minimum, it will introduce your product or service to the world; at maximum, it will build a loyal army of customers, who will advocate your brand 100% free of charge 24/7.
Why is it so important? Let’s say you have an amazing business. A brilliant one! But nobody stands in a line to buy your services. Why? Maybe, people, who should be buying it, don’t have a clue of what you’re selling. Maybe, you attract the wrong customers? Or maybe, you haven’t yet built the right branding strategy to give your business a good push.
Investing into branding means taking steps towards being recognized on the market, gaining credibility, and attracting customers aligned with your company’s unique goals and values. This is a long shot but let’s start with the basics. Here are 3 key elements of branding that you have to set up right now.
Mission Statement (Goals and Beliefs)
Any business out there is more than just a product. It’s an idea, a promise to make the world a better place. Clearly put onto paper it is called a mission statement, in other words- company’s goals and beliefs that define their strategies.
DOs.
To increase engagement rate among the customers and employees show them that they are dealing not just with a company that sells something, but a community that is about to bring a positive change.
As an example, Apple Inc.’s mission statement currently sounds like this:
By claiming to be technological frontiers, the best on the market the company appeals to our desire for excellency. Naturally, we want to be among the leaders, and if reaching there means buying a product, we are ready to stand in a line. However, mission statement doesn’t always mean wild promises. Bringing a positive change to the world can be as simple as providing a high-quality car repair for a fair price. If your customers appreciate the mission they will contribute to it.
DON’Ts.
Regardless of how important the mission statement is, a vague and overly general mission statement would be as useless as the absence of one. Put it through a little verification- if your mission statement is applicable to any other business in the same niche, rewrite it. Make it concrete or don’t bother at all.
Voice (Style of Communication)
Just like every character in a fiction book has his or her own voice, each company should communicate with their clients in their own corporate style.
DOs.
The main criteria in selecting the tone of voice should be your target audience. Narrow it down to one single individual and imagine in all the details: age, gender, occupation, hobbies and interests, etc. Adjust your words depending on who you are talking to and speak their language. If it is a young audience, use slang, if elders, be respectful. And of course, make sure your readers and listeners understand the message without getting confused.
Now, what to do if you are not familiar with your audience? The answer is simple- eavesdrop. Read your customers (or at least your prospects) comments and reviews, listen to what they say and take notes, then talk to them in the exact same manner. You can even use the exact words and phrases to make them feel like you are on the same page.
You can make your corporate voice so recognizable that no logo will be needed. Each piece of text can be written in dozens of styles: formal, quirky, arrogant, folksy, easy-going, pushy, funny, depressing, threatening… the list goes on and on. Have a look at this sound example of employing a corporate voice by a Swedish company ‘Oatly’:
DON’Ts.
Inappropriate tone of voice will harm your business and turn away the prospects. So be constructive and realistic when choosing one. Too much creativity will sound odd on a law firm website but can skyrocket the sales for a skateboarding park.
Visual Content (Logo, Fonts, Email Signature, etc)
Among all that diversity of content, images are what people’s eyes grasp first. And the second you hooked their attention might be your only chance to convey the right message.
DOs.
The purpose of your company’s visual content is to promote the product. When future entrepreneurs catch start-up bug they inevitably start working on visual content, and we are not just speaking about the logo here. Just as your outfit is not complete without details, your branding is not complete without corporate color palette, family fonts, email signatures, and much more.
With the right implementation your company’s visual content can alone increase converting rates. Just think of Tiffany & Co. who turned their color into a trademark in 1998. And now think about every chunk of information you send and broadcast and how it could be advanced by wrapping it in a neat package of graphic design. Even a simple thing such as an email deserves a visual upgrade. You don’t go to business meetings without a business card, then why should you send corporate letters without a proper email signature? As a little practical advice, here is a link to website where you can make your own free email signature.
DON’Ts.
Trying to fit too much information into a small space will look overwhelming and unprofessional. Stick to simplicity. And don’t forget to ask yourself what design will be the most appreciated among your audience.
