6 Most Important Questions in Branding
Posted by Jaci Russo
Branding might be the most misunderstood term in the business world. There are lots of business words and phrases that are incomprehensible, but they are mostly accounting terms. Branding is different because so many people think they know what branding means. But they are wrong.
Often, branding is confused with a logo. People think that the icon, the identity, the image, the typeface is the same thing as the brand. I think the best analogy I have heard is, that’s like saying the hood ornament is the same as the car.
The logo is an important part of the visual identity. But it is only one piece in a very intricate web of touch points. More important than how the visuals look is what they represent, the strategy of the message that the visual is communicating.
Graphic designers, by nature, don’t like to think about the strategy or the science of it. The art is what is important to them - how it looks.
Most marketing efforts are flawed because companies focus on advertising instead of branding first. How can you broadcast a message effectively if you don’t know who you are talking to and what you should be saying.
Most branding efforts are flawed because people aren’t asking the right questions. Branding is about beginning with the end in mind. Instead of the typical logo question, how should it look, branding begins with a whole other series of questions:
- Who is the company?
- What makes it great?
- Who are your target audiences?
- How can you connect emotionally with your audience?
- What “mental real estate” is yours to own?
- Where will the company be in 5/10/20 years?
These questions obviously go well beyond the color and typeface of the logo. They go a long way to defining the company and product. Any decisions regarding the identity, marketing and advertising strategy of the company that were made without a comprehensive brand assessment and plan is a guarantee that there are brand disconnects.
The brand plan goes well beyond the guidelines for how to properly implement the logo in a 2 color and b/w version. The brand plan goes far beyond how much white space should appear around the logo and the options for the vertical and horizontal display. The branding process is crucial to really make the business grow.
Razor Branding uses consumer insight to develop initiatives that form emotional connections with consumers. These connections build brand loyalty and advocacy - the goal of all advertising and marketing.
photo by Mark Brady
