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Effective Branding: The Must-Haves for a Memorable Brand

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Businesses like Nike, Apple and Coca-Cola have worked tirelessly to become the most iconic brands in the world. They have successfully connected with their audience and maintain an effective reputation through their brand, but what makes them legendary is how they make people “feel” when they think about their brand.

Effective branding is not simple, and it’s much more than just people recognizing your logo; it’s about creating a feeling that resonates. To create a brand that leaves a lasting impression, here are the must-haves as a part of your branding strategy.

A Defined Vision and Mission

A mission and vision statement are slightly different, but both deliver the same thing: a promise. A mission statement tells people why your organization exists and what your overall goal is, whereas a vision statement provides a crucial compass for future branding decisions.

The promise your brand holds will help you to figure out essential brand elements like your unique selling proposition and brand position. However, whatever promise you set, it’s only good if you deliver on it. If you’re not sure where to start, the next point will offer an excellent resource for you to define both statements.

A Well-Construction Brand Story

For those of you who have worked with us on messaging or copywriting, you know that we are huge proponents of StoryBrand. In most of his material in regards to brands creating their brand’s story, he states this:

“People buy products and services they understand the fastest and clearest. If you confuse, you lose.”

All stories are written to captivate human beings and reveal a well-worn path in the human brain. The best brands plant their products/services along that path to build a connection with their customers. Your brand story will not only demonstrate your value, but it will also allow customers to understand why they need you to solve their problems.

If you haven’t looked into StoryBrand and are interested in defining your brand’s story, we highly recommend starting there. Once this is established, you will be able to create all other written brand assets, including:

  • Mission and vision statements
  • A tagline
  • A value proposition
  • Your sales pitch
  • Marketing campaigns
  • Content marketing strategy
  • Website copy

Consistent Visual Components

Going back to the three brands we mentioned above, each of them is not only well known for their memorable taglines and ads, but their image as well. Image only plays a part in a well-rounded brand, but it’s definitely the first element people will start building a connection with. That being said, the four main visual components of a strong brand include:

  • A logo. As one of the most fundamental elements in a brand, your logo is the visual trademark that identifies your company. Logos can become a symbol of status (think of Mercedes or Rolex) and have the opportunity to visually stand for everything your brand believes in.
  • Typography. Just like your logo, the fonts you choose can impact the way people feel about your brand. For example, serif fonts convey a feeling of professionalism, and sans-serif fonts are more modern and informal. Typography plays a role in many other areas of your brand, such as your website, marketing materials, and emails, so choose your fonts carefully.
  • Color palette. People have an emotional connection with brand colors. It’s not an easy decision, but color theory can help you decide a palette to convey your brand through colors.
  • Imagery. While it’s important to stay consistent with your colors, typography, and other brand standards, defining the kind of imagery you’ll use in your marketing materials also plays a factor in your branding. Your visual pieces need to portray the same “atmosphere,” so people easily associate them with your brand.

A Personality

This one might be the most important of all the must-haves on this list. To create effective branding, you need to make sure that it embodies a personality that people can identify. It may help by identifying them as a person and asking yourself questions like:

Identify who this person is, what they value, and what sets them apart will build a strong connection with your audience.

Positioning your brand is another part of its personality, which will elevate your business to a point where it cannot be avoided. Set yourself apart from the competition, explore taking on a niche, and have your brand take a stand for something beyond profits. If you can successfully tie your brand to these ideas, you will excel and be remembered for more than your products/services.

Effective branding doesn’t happen overnight, and once all of these items are in place, it will take some time for others to catch on to what you’re all about. As long as you keep your brand consistent throughout all your marketing efforts, you will become a brand worth remembering.

To learn more about effective branding or how we can help you create your brand, contact us today.

About the Author

Brooke Desmond

Communications Manager
With a passion for all things digital marketing, Brooke aims to give a unique perspective on the latest trends and ideas in this ever-changing space.

View Brooke's Profile

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