The Ultimate Guide to Branding in 2021

Building your brand is about more than just creating a company name and a logo; it’s about more than just offering a product or a service. Building a brand, or “branding” your company, is about telling a story and then reaching customers based on emotion. While branding takes intention and strategy–and therefore a lot of work for a company–it can be very effective when done well. Here’s a basic overview of branding in 2021–

What Is Branding?

Branding refers to developing a set of features, colors, symbols, emotions, stories, or/and other characteristics that represent your company and product/service. When branding is done effectively, the image or name of the brand will automatically trigger a reaction and tell a story for a customer–think of Coca-Cola or Nike. Simply saying these brand names automatically triggers specific thoughts and emotions. 

Why Does Branding Matter?

Branding matters because it gives your company identity. Without brand recognition and connection, customers and potential customers won’t have any reason to feel anything about your brand. According to data from Nielsen, nearly 60 percent of shoppers stated that they buy from brands they already know, and over ⅕ said that they bought a product because they like the brand.

How to Create a Brand 101

So, how does one go about creating a brand?

The process starts by getting really specific and granular about your company’s purpose or mission. Writing a vision statement or value statement can help with this. Not only should you identify your values and what you want your impact to be, but also your specific goals. You should also get really specific about the story your brand will tell and the emotions that you want your customer to experience when they interact with your brand. Should using your product feel empowering? Enabling? Charitable? Intelligent? Convenient? Necessary? 

Once you know what your vision and mission are, the next step is identifying your target audience. This is important because your brand needs to resonate with your target audience–if it doesn’t, it won’t be effective. 

Finally, once you’ve done both of the above, you’ll want to start developing visuals based on your vision and your audience. Last, you’ll need to start developing content that captures your story and resonates with your audience. 

Work with a Branding Professional

Effectively developing a brand is an ongoing, iterative process that won’t happen overnight. At NUVEW, our digital marketing professionals can help. Whether you’re at the early stages of brand development, need help with visuals, or want content marketing services, we have you covered. To learn more, reach out to our experts today by phone or online.