Three Tools to Help you Define your Brand
Although a logo can be the symbol of a business, it is not the entirety of a brand. Branding strategist David Brier explains, “Branding is the art of differentiation. Branding is the way that consumers identify and experience a product, service, or person, from the look, taste, feel, and sound—a brand is all of those multifaceted parts.”
Hubspot says “A brand identity is made up of what your brand says, what your values are, how you communicate your product, and what you want people to feel when they interact with it. Essentially, your brand identity is the personality of your business and a promise to your customers.”
Ask yourself How do my competitors look and feel? What’s their brand’s personality? A good brand helps you stand out to your customers and gives them a good reason to choose you. According to Brier, here are three tools you can use:
Do a competitive audit: to help you understand the industry you're in and where you fit. A competitive audit asks these questions:
Is anyone already solving the problem I aim to solve with my product or service? If they are—are they solving it well or poorly?
How crowded is the space? Define your top competitors.
How can I differentiate my product or service?
Do a visual audit: this audit analyzes what the competition looks like so you can differentiate yourself.
Ask yourself: How do my competitors look and feel? What’s their brand’s personality
Do an internal audit: Define and write out your vision and mission.
Hubspot states, “Creating a memorable brand requires consistent use of type, color, images, and language, but it's worth it. When consumers instantly recognize who you are and what you stand for all based on a logo, you've become more than just a name and a symbol.”
Since branding is the image customers have of your business, you’ll want to take the time to define it - before the market does it for you. That way, your company's image will be what YOU intend. Complete these steps and you're on your way to building your brand. Even if your business is not a product or service but a person, these directions will work equally well.
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