Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small, retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.
Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors’.
Who You Are
Who you are should be based on who your target customers want and need you to be.Are you the innovative maverick in your industry? Or the experienced, reliable one? Is your product the high-cost, high-quality option, or the low-cost, high-value option? You can’t be both, and you can’t be all things to all people.
Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company’s products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. An obvious example of this is Coke vs. generic soda.
6 Reasons Brand Identity is Important
1. Creditability
A brand that establishes your company’s face, and maintaining consistently over time, develops credibility among its competitors and trust among its customers.
2. Company's Mission
Creating an identity for your brand, you give it something to stand for — giving your company a purpose. First you must give your brand an identity before a company mission statement can be created.
3. Brand Identity
A brand identity makes your product memorable and an authority in your marketplace.
4. New and Existing Customers
A brand identity attracts people who agree with what your brand has to offer. Consistent branding gives customers a sense of belonging. A good product generates customers, but a good brand generates advocates.
5. Consistent Advertising Presence
A brand identity becomes the template for everything to include an advertisement for your business — whether that ad is in print or online.
6. Your Logo
Your brand’s logo is the “face” of your business. A logo’s contribution to brand identity is when viewed — it immediately tells the public this is your company.