Your brand identity is what makes you recognizable to your customers. It is the face of your brand. A brand identity comprises of logos, typography, colours, packaging and messaging. It reinforces the reputation of the brand, attracts new customers and keeps existing customers feeling warm and fuzzy. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, now, more than ever before, a strong and recognizable brand is imperative.
So ask yourself: Would your favourite shoe brand be as successful if they kept changing the logo? Probably not. If you want to keep your brand strong or make it stronger here are a couple of valuable points from Tyra Goosen at Promovate, a leading branded promotional gifts & corporate gifts company in South Africa to keep in mind. How To Build Your Brand.
Personality
I have a strange personality. I come across as a bit off-Standish to people I just meet. It’s not on purpose, it’s a defense mechanism that I somehow developed to hide the fact that I am cautious and somewhat shy when I meet new people. I fold my arms a lot. After the first conversation, people quickly realize that the “package” (me) isn’t off-Standish at all. In fact, I am completely the opposite.
Your brand identity is the visual representation of your company’s personality and values. Ensure that the way you portray your brand is the message that you want to promote your business. The best way to do this is to ask, “If my company was a person, what would they be like?”
I don’t want people to think that I am off-Standish and rude. I want people to think that I am friendly, likable and approachable. So, I have failed as a brand. Less arm crossing and more smiling going forward!
You don’t want the same to happen to your brand. Giving out a pen with your logo on it that breaks the first time your customer writes with it is going to give your brand a negative message. Your brand will appear cheap and inferior. If you gave a good quality pen the message would be completely different and positive.
Consistency
With all the various marketing platforms available, it’s extremely important to be consistent with your brand. If you are going to use your logo on a black background on your pens, notebooks and business cards, then you shouldn’t use a red logo on Facebook. That is going to confuse your customers and your brand. It really baffles my brain how companies do not maintain consistency with their logo’s. If you have a corporate identity stick to it.
I know it’s a little tricky when your logo is full color and you are told that you cannot have your logo printed in full color on a pen. Yes, there are print limitations for everything, so what I can advise is to stick to your corporate identity where possible. If you do need to deviate, then make sure you always deviate the same way. Be consistent in your deviations. If you are going to print your logo in 1 color on promotional gifts and clothing, then pick a color that works on light backgrounds and one that works on dark backgrounds (white really works the best) and stick to it. Be consistent.
Differentiate
The main point of creating a brand and brand identity is to differentiate yourself from your competitors. I don’t think I need to explain this, but I am on a roll. Corporate clothing is such a great way to distinguish yourself in the market. If you have reps that see clients, then kitting them out in golf shirts with your logo will differentiate them from the competitor who is perhaps sending their reps out in plain clothes. Perhaps you and your competitors both have blue logos and you know that the competitor wears blue shirts, you could pick grey with your logo in blue. That way you will look different.
Create a brand identity that is creative and sets you apart from the others. Don’t be a sheep. Sheep get chopped up and eaten and the rest made into jerseys.
Brand awareness
The more places your brand is seen, the more brand awareness you will create. The more brand awareness you create the more memorable the brand. Think of your brand on your building, posters, flyers, business cards, pens, notepads, lanyards, mugs…. I could go on with all the products we supply but we are not here for that.
If your brand is seen all over the place, potential customers and existing customers will “see” you more often, and you are thereby creating brand awareness. So next time they need your service or the product you supply you should be top of mind. It’s a numbers game. I am not good with numbers but even I get this one.
Building Trust
A brand grows and succeeds if people trust in it. Your brand identity can help you build loyalty as it allows customers to make a connection between the product and the company. If you offer a consistently great product or service, they will associate this with your brand and BAM! You have a trusted brand!
If you sit back and take everything that I have said in, you should hopefully get the point that I am trying to make. Namely, Build Your Brand!
To conclude
Budgets are tight, the economy is not great and lots of companies are in survival mode. If you don’t spend money on some form of marketing material your brand is going to be out of sight and out of mind. That, in turn, is going to impact your business and that is not a great thought.
Promovate offer several cost-effective promotional gifts and clothing options that we can brand with your logo and Build Your Brand up in these rough times. If you have a budget let us know and we will do our best to offer you items within it. Let’s get through tough times together!
