Branding is a complicated business. Brand managers have the awesome task of creating a brand that makes an impact, that buyers can relate to and that ultimately drives conversions.
Not only that, but this brand has to be consistent across every touch point, from the tone of your website to your email signature.
Let’s take a closer look.
What is a brand?
It’s easy to think that a brand is all about visuals. Sure, the logo, web design and company colours do matter, and are one of the quickest ways that prospects and existing customers will identify you.
But branding also includes your business messages, tone of voice, atmosphere, your business community and social media posts. It should inform your sales script and your presence at trade fairs.
Creating a business brand is a bit like creating a character in a play. What colours does the character wear and why? What kind of language do they use? What’s important to them? What kind of people do they have in their social circle?
When a brand manager has identified this information, they can use it to create a colour palette and logo, as well as tone of voice and style guidelines. They can also start to build a community or identify likely leads, finding alignment between the company’s values and those of the customers. These might translate into worthwhile connections on social media channels or in the wider business community.
Creating a brand – a personality for your business – may sound like a lot of work, but the positive impact it has on your organisation makes it all worthwhile.
Why does brand consistency matter?
With your brand defined, the next step is to ensure that it’s consistent across every area of your business.
For your internal customers, i.e. your employees, brand consistency helps build loyalty and a sense of belonging. It also makes it easier for them to do their job – if the marketing team has a strong brand guide to work from, it’s easier for them to create effective marketing collateral. This could even mean a financial saving for your organisation.
Brand consistency is even more important for external customers. Why? Because brand consistency helps build brand confidence. Every time a prospect encounters your brand, the likelihood of them converting increases…but only if the brand is consistent. Every encounter is an opportunity to push your brand message, so it’s important that that message always has the same tone.
Brand consistency also helps build a sense of belonging. We can use brand consistency to build a community or engender loyalty among our customers. Having a clear brand voice makes your brand relatable – customers can get to know it like they get to know their contact in the sales team. Again, this only works if the brand is consistent. However, when does it work, it’s more likely to cement the customer relationship and maximise the chance they continue to buy from you.
Strategic marketing and branding from Digital Clarity
If you think your brand could be working harder, Digital Clarity would love to help. Our strategic approach to marketing and branding will identify strengths and weaknesses in your existing brand, before we put together a focused action plan to refine your brand and improve its effectiveness.
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If you want to know more, why not explore our other branding blogs?
Developing a Brand Roadmap to Business Resilience : Strategies for CEO and C-Suite Leaders
The Importance of Investing in Brand Marketing for B2B Tech Companies
What Nike Nike, Apple & BMW Can Teach Content Marketers
What Nike, Apple, & BMW Can Teach B2B Content Marketers – Digital Clarity (digital-clarity.com)
Building a Strong Brand in a Competitive B2B Market
Building a strong brand in a competitive B2B market – Digital Clarity (digital-clarity.com)