Many audiences and even some business owners think that the concept of branding begins and ends with a logo. While logos are certainly an important aspect of your business—logos are visible, timeless, and encourage customers to immediately recognize your product—a logo alone is not a brand. A brand is much more comprehensive and encompassing than simply a logo.
A great logo does not insinuate a fantastic brand or company, but a great brand can boost a logo to mean something more! So, what exactly is a brand? A brand is a deep-seated, automatic sense about a product, service, or company. To craft a strong and memorable brand, your business needs to fulfill three components of branding: the big idea, the promise, and the reputation.
The first two components are completed internally. A big idea is what sets you apart from the competition, giving your business a unique selling position that forms the foundation of your brand. For example, the big idea behind a line of skin care products could focus on the innovative ingredients used. Next, the promise outlines how your company will attain that big idea for customers. The promise for the aforementioned skin care line may focus on the proven science behind your big idea.
While the first two components are internal, the final component is external and comes later on in the process. The reputation of your brand depends on how well your company delivers on its promise and big idea. Ultimately, brand is not what you say it is, but rather, what everyone else says it is! Therefore, one of the most important aspects of branding is providing strong customer service and high quality products and services under your company name.
Reach Beyond Marketing will be the first to tell you, branding is no easy task. It takes years of experience to be able to craft a brand that doesn’t sound pre-packaged while still standing out from the competition. However, by partnering with branding experts, your business will see firsthand the difference between a meaningful, powerful brand and just a creative, fun logo that will come to define your business.