When I ask people what they know about branding, they usually come back with one of four things: company name, product name, logo, or slogan. Those are all right answers and important parts of branding. They’re also easy to get wrapped up in and get excited about when it’s your company, but your brand is more than just a name, logo, and slogan. It’s all the things you stand for as a company.
As people come across your social media pages and website, they should be able to understand your brand’s core tenants and how those beliefs guide your actions. There are a lot of ways that you can support them through this process, like using colors to evoke specific emotions, being consistent in how you talk about your company, and creating supporting and informative visuals.
Once people begin to understand your beliefs, they’ll start learning what they can expect from your company. You’ll have the opportunity to show them the values you align with, the lifestyles you endorse through the products and services you sell, and how your beliefs will make a difference in their lives.
Understanding what they can expect from your company will help them learn how they’ll be treated as a customer. If you focus on showing them how you’ll make a lasting impact in their lives, they’ll better understand what it would be like to become your customer. With so many options for products and services available, the customer experience often becomes the difference between you or your competitor getting a sale.
If you focus on making the beliefs, expectations, and experience in your branding clear, you’ll show people why you’re important, how you’ll make their lives better, and what they’ll really get when buying from you. That’s powerful because modern consumers want a good story to go along with their purchase—and a story that’s unique to your brand gives you an advantage over your competitors.
About the Author
Serial entrepreneur Jeremy Szechenyi is co-founder at Design Swell, which provides strategy, marketing, branding, and education.
Learn more about Jeremy and his entrepreneurial journey?
Read our interview: CT Serial Entrepreneur Shares Experience, Tips, and Advice
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