Tips for Brand Development
Developing Your Brand
Developing a reputable brand name requires a big-picture approach that ultimately delivers a succinct message to your target audience. A provocative slogan and logo are two of the most important ingredients to solidify first. Complicating a slogan with too many intricacies may do more harm than good. It will fog the most important aspects of the message and could potentially confuse the target audience. Keep the slogan as short and concise as possible in order to leave an indelible mark in the minds of consumers. Many of the best branding tag lines have less than five words, ideally three. McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” and Nike’s “Just Do It” are great examples that validate this theory.
But, developing a great tag line or logo does not happen overnight. It requires a comprehensive self-examination of your brand’s core identity and values. Your brand is represented in virtually every decision you make and employee you hire. You want to develop a slogan that is memorable and leaves a mark in the consumer’s mind by presenting a striking image that evokes strong emotion. Make sure the message is meaningful to your business and your target audience.
Regardless of the specific direction you decide, it is important to lend credibility with a slogan and logo that incorporate customer expectations. Using literary devices such as alliteration, creative spelling, abbreviations, acronyms or metaphors can exponentially enhance the image of the brand. Make sure your slogan is as authentic as possible because the most powerful, productive slogans are those that truly illuminate the most important characteristics of your company’s fabric. If a company can successfully do so, its identity will shine through with its slogan and logo.
When developing a logo, companies need to make connections between the color design they choose and their customer’s sensibilities. Research can guide your decision making, but it takes an intuitive eye to be able to really connect with the consumers. Many color schemes will possess emblematic connotations that can lead to more conversions. Conveying the right image to the customer will undoubtedly usher in more sales. A powerful brand slogan and logo requires careful preparation and execution during the early stages in order to obtain long term profits.
Once your slogan and logo have been cemented, one of the key initiatives should be providing an interactive experience for your customer. Fostering relationships with consumers will bolster the humanization of your brand and enhance your abilities to make sales.
Nowadays, consumers are looking for brands to provide something more than a product or service. They are seeking a brand that they can identify with and a brand that can be ingrained in their daily lifestyle. Relationships are the most important aspect of a brand fully realizing itself. Nike has built a highly interactive community with Nike+, a forum for runners to share their experiences. Many other companies have followed suit. Everyday customer service simply isn’t good enough anymore. Personal conversations are required to establish a rapport between customer and company, which can produce the type of brand message you should strive for and the type of bottom line you desire.  Consumers find brands through searches, peer recommendations and reviews, which is more proof that relationships are what truly lead to brand awareness and conversions.
Ascertain your competitive advantages, develop a cohesive business strategy and communicate that brand consistently. Analyze your competition and understand what you can improve and how you can differentiate. Understand the value of your customers because some have higher value than others. Higher valued customers present greater marketing opportunities for you not only to sell to them, but for them to be an ambassador for your brand. The customer experience is what ultimately decides how successful a brand is.
One final element of branding to consider is copyright infringement. Protect the copyrights to ensure the legal components of your logo and slogan are solidified. When you invest a significant amount of time in a number of brand elements, you want to make sure your brand is safeguarded.
Finally, deliver the brand you promised. You must exude the identity of the brand you have worked hard to cultivate. Otherwise, you will be seen as untrustworthy. If you need help with branding, our NJ branding firm can help.
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