Branding is the process of creating a brand - this generally includes two main parts; the brand strategy and the brand identity. The strategy is a promise that a business makes to their customers while the brand identity conveys the strategy through tangible assets.
Establishing a clear and strong strategy and identity for a brand is important for any business. Let’s explore 4 reasons why you should have an intentional brand for your business.
1. Reaching and finding your target audience
An important part of brand strategy is defining target audience personas. These are specific people that you want to target your product / service to. Sure, your products may have some reach outside of this audience but what you really want is to create a brand that this niche group of people will LOVE. 74% of consumers avoid advertising (1), this means that advertising alone is not enough to convert consumers into your customers. You need to have a strong brand presence and create trust. Having a brand that doesn’t resonate with your target audience doesn't do you any favors, you need to be intentional with your brand. You can only do this if you know your audience and the best way to target them. (2)
2. Strong visuals are important in attracting customers
92.6% of consumers put visual factors as the most important when purchasing a product (3) and less than 15 secs are spent on a website (4). This shows how important first impressions are. When a prospective customer lands on your website, you only have those few seconds to make an impression, or if they pass by your store and take a quick glance inside, how will you set yourself apart to make sure they choose you?
Imagine there are two cafes side by side, both offer coffee, cakes and sandwiches but one is a clean, modern and beautifully decorated space with an easy to read and pretty menu at the front of the store. The other looks a bit older, not much care is put into the way the place looks and there are some old menus on the tables inside. Which one would you be more attracted to? Us humans are very visual people and when it comes to choices, we are naturally drawn to something that looks good. Ensuring that your business has an attractive brand identity is an important aspect to drawing in customers.
3. Turns your business that you love into something that others will too
When you create a business, it’s your baby. You’ve poured time and so much of who you are into the creation of your products or delivering a service that you love. You want your brand to successfully convey this to the world. We can do that through the messaging (strategy) and the visuals (identity). And of course you want to be able to look at your brand and love every aspect of it. When you have a beautiful brand, that makes you happy just looking at it as well as clarity in terms of delivering your business’ message to the world, this helps you to be able to keep things consistent across all channels, fostering trust and recognition with your customers.
4. Forges a connection with customers and in turn loyalty
The most important quality that consumers expect from brands these days is to be human - both in purpose and means of connections and relationships. 86% of consumers say authenticity is key in deciding which brands they support (5) Transparency and consistency in your brand message as well as staying true to value and building genuine relationships are all important when it comes to authenticity. Brand consistency is known to increase revenue by 33% (6). You can be consistent with your values, messaging & imagery by making sure you apply them across all channels. (7)
One of the best ways to get new customers is through referrals, if consumers know that a brand or service can be trusted through their friend, they are more likely to purchase and this kind of marketing is more influential than any ad that marketers may put out. Having a consistent and solid brand strategy in place gives higher chance of word of mouth referrals and reviews rather than marketing alone. Once a consumer is able to trust your brand, you have a higher chance of converting them into loyal patrons rather than one time customers.
Recap
4 reasons why having an intentional brand strategy and brand identity is important
Helps you to find and reach your target audience
Strong visuals are important in reaching new customers
Turns your business that you love into something that others will too
Forges a connection with customers and in turn loyalty
Sources
1 EDELMAN
2 DELOITTE
3 THE DRUM
4 CRAZY EGG
5 STACKLA
6 EDELMAN
7 LUCIDPRESS
8 BYNDER
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