What is the Purpose of Branding?
If you’re paying attention to the marketing experts in your field, then I know you’ve heard a million times that your business needs branding. But have you ever wondered exactly WHY branding is so essential to the success of your business? There’s a lot of psychology behind the ways and reasons humans connect to things like businesses, and how that connection influences the way they respond. Do they become a customer, tell a friend, or leave a review? The branding is a key determinant of all of those outcomes. However, it’s important to know that while branding does include your visual identity, it is so much more than just a collection of color palettes, fonts, and a logo. Branding contains multiple elements that work together to grab the attention of your ideal customer, get them to engage with you, and influence them to tell others about you. Let’s discuss three of these key components.
Branding Philosophy
Branding philosophy has to do with the “why” or underlying messaging and beliefs that the branding seeks to promote. Why does your brand exist and do what it does? Brand philosophy is infused across your entire organization. It dictates how you interact with your clients, yes, but it also dictates the tone of interactions with stakeholders, vendors, and your internal team, too! Philosophy is the mindset and approach behind your brand identity. It brings depth and authenticity to each interaction with your client and ideal clients.
A great example of this is Patagonia. They’ve built their business around their commitment to the environment and their dedication to environmental activism. This is not only reflected in their customer-facing marketing, but it’s proven in their operations and manufacturing practices, business model, environmental advocacy, and long-term planning. Their branding philosophy informs each aspect of their business, allowing them to pivot and evolve as needed while staying true to the essence of their brand.
Branding Principles
Branding principles, then, are the “how.” How do we take this philosophy forward? What actions do we commit to? Asking these questions allows brands to be strategic in the way they connect to and grow with their audience.
Some examples of branding principles include:
Customer experience-focused
Relevant products and services
Transparent and reliable
Clear and consistent
Community-driven
Branding principles are the blueprint for building a strong business with a positive brand perception! They greatly contribute to the “know, like, and trust” factor that creates loyal customers who come back time and time again.
Branding Strategy
If the first two are the “why” and the “how,” then branding strategy is the brain that puts the first two into action. Branding strategy is the plan that takes you from point A to point B and beyond, through every phase of growth! Strategy includes communication plans, identifying your ideal customer, market and competitor research, brand voice and story, and the measurements by which you will track the success of all of the above. Strategy is the 360-degree approach to making sure all your clients, audience, and stakeholders know who you are, what you do, why you’re doing it, and how you’ll continue to make it happen. There are many different ways to approach strategy, and it does not have to be all trial and error. Hiring a professional like me, at The Tipton Creative based out of Ashland, KY, takes all the guesswork out of creating a brand.
Ready to let me guide you through the process and help you create the branding that the business of your dreams deserves? I’m here to help. Let’s chat!
