Your Brand is More Than Just a Logo

Your brand is more than just a logo and a tagline. It’s a promise to your customers that you’ll consistently deliver value.

What does your brand stand for?

In your industry, who are you competing against? How do you differentiate yourself from the competition? Are you unique or merely another option?

Branding is more than just a logo, tagline and website. Your brand is the sum total of all your marketing efforts, including product development, social media engagement, content marketing and public relations. It’s what leads customers to choose you over any other option in the marketplace.

Brands that recognize market trends and respond to consumer activity get ahead. Your brand must evolve gradually and strategically over time. Strategic planning isn’t simply a good idea; it’s essential to success.

If you’re an entrepreneur of any kind, you need to take branding seriously. Your brand is your business. Whether you intend to create a lifestyle business or simply make money and move on, what you do with your brand is the key to success.

Many people think of branding as synonymous with marketing. But while they are related in that they both help establish a presence for your business, branding is more than just advertising. In fact, most people have no idea how much time and effort goes into establishing a brand identity.

For example, when was the last time you shopped at a company’s website? Did you take note of its design? Its color scheme? Its ease of navigation? All of these factors contribute to the overall perception of your company.

Today’s consumers are more aware than ever before—and they have access to more information than ever before. They’re smarter and savvier than previous generations, so you need a smart marketing plan that addresses their demands and interests if you want your business to succeed. And that starts with the basics: knowing why branding matters, who needs it and how it works.

Branding is the difference between a customer who says “I like your product” and one who says, “I love your product!” Yet many business owners resist investing time in the crucial first step of developing their brand.

That’s because they’re focused on their products and services to the detriment of their brand. It’s understandable. Your customers care about what you can do for them more than why they should choose you over someone else.

But without a strong brand, you’ll be another option in a sea of options. And no one will remember that you exist.

An emotional connection

Successful brands understand the importance of building an emotional connection with their consumer.
Tapping into the human psyche and creating a bond is what sets apart strong brands from the rest of the pack.

The most successful brands focus on both the rational and emotional aspects of branding. They appeal to consumers on a logical level by offering products that are desirable, functional and understandable. But they also appeal to consumers on an emotional level by forging connections through appealing to customers’ emotions. This is why some brands seem to stand out from the crowd: Apple, Harley Davidson, Coca-Cola, Nintendo, and Nike, for example.

These brands provide consumers with more than just a product or service; they offer an experience that goes beyond function. And because emotion plays such a big role in decision making, it’s important to understand how to create a brand that resonates.