When people see the Starbucks logo, they immediately think about warm, rich coffee. Similarly, when they see the BMW logo, they imagine a smooth ride and associate the car with ultimate luxury.
This is what branding is all about!
If you are an entrepreneur, then it’s important to understand the difference between two of the biggest terms used in advertising — brand identity and branding.
Branding is intangible. It’s what your customers feel when they see your brand’s logo or product.
Brand Identity is tangible and appeals to the senses.
What Branding Involves
Any branding and creative design agency will tell you that when it comes to branding your product, you need to look at several elements, which include:
- Brand Assets – Colours, fonts, design, etc
- Brand Association – Anything people associate your brand with
- Brand Awareness – Familiarity of brand with customers
- Brand Personality –trustworthy, innovative, friendly, etc
- Brand Positioning – How customers see your brand as compared to its competitors
- Brand Promise – Your brand’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
- Brand Values – Your company’s decisions and behaviours
- Brand Voice – The message that your brand spreads
By combing these elements, a digital design agency in London is able to come up with creative branding techniques that make your product stand out in a crowd.
Now that you know what branding entails, let’s have a look at a step-by-step guide of branding techniques that will help you draw more people’s attention to your brand:
Step #1: Redesign Your Logo
The first thing you need to do is redesign your brand’s logo. Your logo should be unique enough that the moment a person sees it, the first thing that comes to their mind is your product. For example, McDonald’s iconic logo is recognizable all over the world and is associated with happy meals and burgers. The simple logo of Coca Cola is associated with the best beverage in the world. The circles of an Audi immediately conjure up feelings of luxurious seats and a smooth drive.
Some of these brands like Coca Cola and McDonald’s have come a long way from their starting logo. The designs have changed greatly but the feelings associated with them remain the same. So a changing logo will not make you lose your brand’s identity. So, play with colours and designs to add something to your existing logo and make it more prominent.
Step #2: Introduce Your Brand’s Archetype
An archetype is an example of your brand’s image that resembles someone or something. This idea of branding was introduced by Carl Jung. He theorized that since humans use symbolism to understand complex concepts, a great way for brands to form a connection with their audience would be to address their desires. The top twelve archetypes are:
Desires
Archetypes
Happiness, goodness, optimism
The Innocent
Seeking a connection or a feeling of belonging, down-to-earth
The Everyman
Courageous, bold, inspirational
The Hero
Rule breaker, craves rebellion
The Rebel
Finds inspiration in discovery, risk, travel
The Explorer
Imaginative, inventive
The Creator
Loves chaos, controlling and stern but organize and responsible
The Ruler
Wants to turn dreams into a reality
The Magician
inspires love, passion, commitment and romance
The Lover
Compassionate, nurturing, protective and generous
The Caregiver
Likes mischief but is full of humour and fun
The Jester
Thoughtful mentor, wisdom
The Sage
If you are in the initial stages of branding, then hiring a naming agency London will allow you to find an archetype that ties every branding services with a nice little bow. You can use these archetypes to create your brand’s message so that people can better relate with your brand.
Step #3: Create a Catchy Brand Slogan
Previously, slogans used to rhyme and had simple words that would allow customers to remember a brand. Even if they forgot the name, they would hum the tune and then recall the brand’s logo. This is how your brand becomes memorable! Today, only a few brands use slogans and that too in a musical note. Take McDonald’s slogan, “I’m loving it!” as an example We bet that you sang it, didn’t you? And that’s the power of a musical slogan!
Step #4: Focus on Your Product’s Packaging
This step comes under brand management and allows you to work on your branding in a unique way. Let’s assume that you sell ketchup. You have different packaging designs like squeeze bottles, sachets, pouches and simple glass bottles. Do any of the package designs have some kind of element that matches your archetype and the logo? You want your customers to look at your product and recall what your brand is all about. This is why it is important to use the right colour and art on the package so that customers start associating every other similar design with your brand.
Step #5: Push Your Viewer to Promote Your Ads
Want to spread the word about your brand? If you are looking for a way to imprint your logo on your target audience’s mind, then the best way to do it is to nudge your viewers to promote your brand. For this to happen, you need to create content that specifically targets a niche. Since the advertisement will personally speak to them and might even work in their self-interest, the customer will share your ad on all the social media platforms they are on.
These steps cover the branding of a company and its products from the initial phase. Remember — the stronger your logo and archetype are, the more people will be attracted to your brand. This is because these two elements will speak to them deeply and build feelings of trust when they purchase your product. So don’t forget the power of branding and use the tips mentioned above to draw more people’s attention.
Richard Kearsey is a digital designer at Emerald Colour – a creative design agency in London that offers various services, like website design, animation, bespoke exhibition stand design, etc. He loves creativity and enjoys experimenting with various design techniques for both web and print. He also enjoys sharing his thought on the latest design trends and upcoming marketing ideas.
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