Building a successful brand isn’t only about having a cool logo. It’s important, yes, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There are so many aspects to a brand, from the website, copy, taglines, marketing materials and advertisements, to corporate culture and how employees conduct themselves. These all form a vital part of a brand’s DNA.
Now, with this in mind, we’ve compiled a checklist to help you along as you build your brand.
Side note, if you’re reading this and realise that you can’t check one of these points off the list, then come and visit our Studio and let’s get that sorted!
- A Mission Statement
Never underestimate the importance of a mission statement. It provides a framework and a vision for your brand, defining your company, its objectives and its approach to reaching those objectives.What is your company most passionate about? Why does your company exist? Who does your company exist for? Your company’s mission statement needs to sum all this up in a clear and concise sentence or two.Essentially, your brand stems from your mission statement, so your logo, your tagline, voice, messaging and brand personality should reflect your mission.Don’t be vague. Customers want transparency. - One Phrase to Rule them All
Creating the perfect tagline is tricky. First, figure out how you want to be perceived and what emotional reaction you’d like your audience to feel. This helps to develop the right kind of words, tone and meaning that you would like to communicate through your tagline.Remember that once you’ve decided on a tagline, it’ll pretty much go on everything, so don’t hurry this step! - A Logo
First things first – hire a professional designer or agency with branding and identity design experience to help you build your brand’s logo!Don’t try and do it yourself. Microsoft Paint is not an acceptable medium for design. Professional designers will also develop brand guidelines to make sure that your brand look and feel is consistent. - You Do You
Stand out from the crowd, be unique! Don’t be a carbon copy of your competitors. Find interesting ways to communicate with your audience and speak (write) in your unique voice.Then, once you’ve found your style, be consistent!Ask yourself, “What am I trying to say to my customers?”
“What personality would my brand have if it were a person?” (e.g. approachable, humble, or bold and loud?)
“What do I want my customers to take away from interactions with me?”Then, before you rush off and write a whole lot of content in your new-found voice, listen. Listen to your customers. Are they Chatty Cathys or are they formal with a stiff upper lip?
When you know who your audience are, you know how to talk to them.Consumers and potential clients want to feel like you understand, genuinely care, and aren’t just jumping on bandwagons, so communicate and be YOU!“When you write like everyone else, you’re saying, ‘Our products are like everyone else’s.’ Would you go to a dinner party and repeat what the person to the right of you is saying all night long? Would that be interesting to anybody? Why are so many businesses saying the same things at the biggest party on the planet — the marketplace?” – Jason Fried - Keep Calm (and Call Coffee Creative Studio)
Patience is key. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your brand won’t be either. It can take years to carefully cultivate a strong brand presence. It takes time to build trust, but once your reputation has been established, you’re golden!*Disclaimer: you will run into problems, you will make mistakes, you will mess up a project, but that’s ok. You’ll learn from all of that, but most importantly, it’s how you deal with the hiccups that will make or break your growth. When mistakes are made, figure out a process or solution you can put in place to avoid making the same one again. - Spread the Love
Developing a company culture is core to developing a strong brand. People talk, right? You want them to say wonderful things about your brand. So, this leads us to our final point, put people first! Your brand is much more than the company – it’s the team of employees.That age-old saying is true: “People don’t do business with companies, people do business with people.” If your brand is built on strong relationships its overall reputation will be positive.Let’s be honest, your brand is defined by your customer’s overall perception of you, and if you’ve worked to build a positive image, they will have a positive perception.
Brand building is a part of our DNA here at Coffee, and we’re passionate about it. We get excited about this stuff and we love to figure out how we can make a brand stand out from the rest.
If your brand needs some oomph or a clear strategy, we really would love to help. So, pop us a mail, come visit us and let’s get creative!
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