The Essence of Brand Development – Part 2

What Is Branding?

There is a large difference between a brand and branding. A new logo, typeface, website, etc is not part of developing the initial brand idea – those are branding activities. You can’t do branding until you have a differentiated, relevant brand idea on which to base your branding activities.

Branding is how you go about establishing your brand’s differentiated meaning in people’s minds. Branding is about signals – the signals people use to determine what you stand for as a brand.

Have you established a differentiated meaning for the brand? What makes your brand unique? Is it a difference people care about? Do enough people care about the brand difference that the brand can turn a profit? Can the business strategy support the brand’s difference? These are all questions to ask before you think about developing any of your brand’s touchpoints because they involve the brand idea. Only after you have a strategic plan together based on these questions can you move on to creating brand signals such as a new website, social media platform, print campaign, or advertisement.

Branding is the creation of signals that convey what your brand stands for and establishes its difference in people’s minds. A brand is the idea. Branding is the transmission of the idea.

What Is Brand Identity?

“Products are created in the factory, brands are created in the mind” – Walter Landor

While brands speak to the mind and heart, brand identity is tangible and appeals to the senses. A logo is the point of entry to the brand. Brand Identity is the visual, verbal, and tactile expressions of the brand. You can see it, touch it, hold it, etc. On an average day, consumers are exposed to 6,000 ads and no less than 25,000 new products each year. It is now more important then ever to create strong, differentiated, and relevant brands.

Why Does It Work?

Brand awareness and recognition are facilitated by a visual identity that is easy to remember and immediately recognizable. Visual identity triggers perceptions and unlocks associations of the brand. Developing a consistent, solid brand identity is essential to create triggers – folders on a mental desktop – in your customer’s minds.

When is Brand Identity Needed?

From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep we experience 6,000 marketing messages. Every company needs to differentiate itself from its competitors and gain greater market share. Every company also needs to be distinctive. Examples where brand identity experts are needed:

  • New Company / New Product
  • Name Change
  • Revitalize a Brand
  • Revitalize a Brand Identity
  • Create an Integrated / Consistent System
  • When Companies Merge

Why Invest In Brand Identity?

The best identity programs embody and advance the company’s brand by supporting itself in every touchpoint of the brand and becomes intrinsic to a company’s culture – a constant reminder of its core values and its heritage. The mark is the pinnacle of a branding pyramid; recognition fuels comfort and loyalty and sets the stage for a sale. A stellar identity demonstrates rather than declares a unique point of view, from the interface of a website to the design of a product to the retail sales experience. It is important to invest in a brand identity because the only way to differentiate your products or services in a brand soaked marketplace is to create a unique, dynamic, and relevant brand identity and positioning iniatatives.

A Necessary Commitment.

A good identity does not guarantee success. An effective brand identity is tied inextricably to management’s desire to nurture it. A new brand identity program signifies the beginning of an investment of time and capital, not the end. Perhaps the most important characteristic of a sustainable identity is taking responsibility for actively managing the asset. A common mistake is assuming that once a company has a new brand identity, the hardest work has been accomplished. In reality the whole process is just beginning, and the hard work is ahead. At FiveSeven Studios, we are committed to a comprehensive brand development process, and we are looking for clients who are just as committed and motivated to growing their brands as we are.

Branding Imperatives.

  • Acknowledge that we live in a branded world.
  • Seize every opportunity to position your company in your customers minds
  • Communicate a strong brand idea over and over again.
  • Understand the customers. Build on their perceptions, preferences, dreams, values, and lifestyles
  • Identify all touchpoints / Identity key touchpoints
  • Use brand identity to create sensory magnets to attract and retain customers
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3 Misconceptions About Branding for Small Business
August 30th, 2010

I firmly believe that the best thing small businesses and organizations can do to become more successful is to embrace and implement a focused brand development strategy. Unfortunately, there are too many businesses and organizations that either don’t understand branding, undervalue branding, or have misconceptions about how branding can help their specific situation. I find [...]

Branding for Small Business – An Overview
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Branding and brand-building are vital components of any business’ success, but what about small business? Is creating a different, relevant, powerful brand identity really all that important for small businesses and organizations? Learn why branding is vital to the success of any small business in this overview of Branding for Small Business.

Branding – Cost or Investment?
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How do you view your brand development initiatives? As a cost? Or as an investment? Learn why it’s vital to the growth of your brand and success of your business to view your brand strategy as an investment.

3 Keys to Succesful Branding for Small Business
August 28th, 2010

In order to achieve lasting success for you small business or organization you must develop an integrated, focused brand development strategy. This article informs you how to employ three key branding strategies to help grow your brand.

Branding Barrier: How to Brand with a Small Budget
August 20th, 2010

Let’s face it, times are tight. It’s hard enough for small businesses and organizations to keep the cash flow going in a thriving economy, let alone in a difficult one. I’ve covered the importance of viewing branding as an investment, rather than a cost, but when finances are strained, your expenses and your investments seem [...]

Applicious – A Brief Review of iTunes 9
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I just downloaded the new iTunes 9 today after it was featured at today’s Apple event. Apple made some subtle, but I believe needed changes to the interface, particularly to the iTunes store, and I just can’t help but comment. This won’t be a lengthy post detailing all of the new features of iTunes 9…you’ll have to go elsewhere for that. This is just a quick review from a branding and design perspective.

We’ve All Been Here…
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The new Facebook 3.0 mobile application went live yesterday and for the most part is very well received by its user base. The update features a lot of changes, most notably a redesigned home screen with icon navigation. But what makes an update like this to arguably the most popular social networking application so well received?

Why Social Media Matters And How to Use It – Part 2 (Service Brands)
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In the first part of this three-part series on Social Media we covered a brief explanation of what Social Media is, and why small businesses, organizations, and freelancers should utilize social media initiatives to help build their brands. In this article we’ll define more specifically how to use social media based on what type of brand or business you manage and offer some tools and tips to optimize your social media initiatives.

Why Social Media Matters, and How to Use It – Part 1
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Social Media. Two words which really define the most recent movement on the internet, and for the most part business in general. Even my grandmother knows what Twitter is…maybe…but the bottom line is there’s no doubt social media has taken and is continuing to take the web, tech, and business worlds by storm. But this isn’t about rehashing what’s been said about the social media movement. The purpose of this article is to address how small businesses, organizations, and freelancers need to approach social media. Is social media for everyone? How can you apply social media to your business? Why is it so important?

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What insights, ideas, creative solutions do you bring to your clients that others don’t or can’t? In today’s economy more and more clients are shifting business away from traditional methods – what are you doing to capitalize on this shift in the market.

How to Align Business Strategy with Brand Strategy
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One of the key points we tell our clients at FiveSeven when working to develop their brands is to make sure they align their business strategy with their brand strategy. Most of the time the response we get is something like, “okay…so what exactly does that mean”? It’s a very important concept to not only understand, but also employ, so I want to talk briefly about what it means to align these two strategies, why it’s important to do so, and how to make it happen.

Interview With Jason VanLue
June 16th, 2009

So, yes, essentially I’m talking to myself here, but I needed to fill the first post in the Interviews section and wouldn’t you know, even though I’m with myself every day I haven’t interviewed myself in a while! We’ll be posting interviews with well known designers, consultants, and business owners periodically in our Interviews section, so be sure to check back often. So here it goes, my interview with myself…

How Low Can You Go – Thoughts on the “Lowest Bidder Syndrome”
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One of my good friends is the Landscape Manager at SeaWorld in Orlando, and he recently shared an experience with me that made me laugh, but also made me think. A couple of weeks ago a team of irrigation specialists came to install a new irrigation system in one of the sections of the SeaWorld [...]

Making Business Decisions: How Will It Affect Your Brand?
February 18th, 2009

We make decisions every day. Some are easy to make, others harder to make. When it comes to running a business or organization, decisions are made for a variety of reasons, and based on a variety of factors. Sometimes decisions are based on financial factors, others on personal factors, and some just on a whim. [...]

Is Your Business Anti-Social?
January 12th, 2009

2008 was a very interesting year. 2009 is sure to be even more interesting. Given that we’re 12 days into a new year, I would hope that you’ve given some thought to what you want to achieve in 2009. I always love the turn of the year because it gives us a chance to look [...]

The Essence of Brand Development – Part 2
September 24th, 2008

What Is Branding? There is a large difference between a brand and branding. A new logo, typeface, website, etc is not part of developing the initial brand idea – those are branding activities. You can’t do branding until you have a differentiated, relevant brand idea on which to base your branding activities. Branding is how [...]

The Essence of Brand Development – Part 1
September 23rd, 2008

What Is A Brand? A Brand is a promise that links a product or a service to a consumer through a mental association that gets stirred up when the consumer interacts with various brand touchpoints. A brand is the perception of a product, service, experience or organization by the consumer, and can either be positive or [...]