What Does Branding Actually Look Like?

As I am sipping my coffee, my favorite brands that come to mind (atm) are Starbucks and Krispy Kreme Donuts… and how each of them make me feel…. satisfied. Sorry, back to the subject at hand. The brand is not your logo or the brand name. They exist objectively; people can see it. But the brand is what your client thinks of when he or she hears your brand name. So really it is an emotional connection and as humans that’s how we function – yes we are all emotional.

Establishing that connection with your brand means that your business has a unique and confident voice, that it is able to communicate fluently with its target audience, and that it successfully established trust as well as anticipation with the audience.

A brand is every interaction with and marketing practice of a name or design that identifies and differentiates one business, product, or service from another. A brand embodies the positioning, the messaging and communications, the visual design, the target market, the voice, the marketing and promotions, the presence, and the experience any individual has with your business, product or service online, offline, or in person. Your brand is the experience people have when they come in contact with you or your business.

The art of creating and maintaining a brand is a job in itself and sometimes it is necessary to change or revamp it to keep relevant. You want your brand to be a positive experience, one that they will remember. Keeping relevant shows your clients that communication is what your brand is all about and that you are listening. And bonus word of mouth/social testimonials that will bring in more clients that also will be loyal to your brand.

Ok here is where my nerdiness is going to appear. I LOVE Apple products and am a very loyal repeat customer. Confession: I have a long-term relationship with the brand hah! They have captured my heart. Purchasing Apple products gives me a sense of having made a smart decision, and also makes me feel excited and comfortable with my purchases. So good job Apple for making your brand a vital can’t live with out you a necessary part of my life!

As a business it is crucial to do a little introspection and find out if your brand is really voicing the right message to the right audience because it is those “long-term relationships” that nourish your brand!

If you’re business is struggling with branding, contact the team at Midwest Marketing! We have the team that can help build those long-term relationships and ultimately build your brand.