Branding Process: The 7 Essential Steps to Dominate Your Market

Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by DesignerPeople

A spectacular brand is more than just a set of slogans and a recognisable logo. A brand is an entity that reflects your business or company’s values and forms a connection with your audience. It also serves as a promise of consistency that earns consumer trust and loyalty. Unless you know how to build a brand, you might struggle to make your products and services stand out amidst the competition.

In order to build a successful brand, you need a brand-building strategy first. A proper brand strategy will establish a clear direction for how your brand should develop. What another brand is doing may not work for you, so you have to tread carefully. Don’t worry, as we’re here to help you out with that. In this blog, we’ll cover the entire brand building process as well as share branding tips that will help your business thrive.

Why is branding important for a successful business?

Think of branding as your business’s first impression. And first impressions are everything, right? So, it’s pretty important that you do the branding right. Successful branding helps people remember your brand and know what to expect from your business. It sets you apart from others and can make your company more valuable. But if it’s off the mark, it could take a toll on your brand’s reputation.

Good branding helps people see your business in a positive light. For example, you can showcase how you benefit your customers and community through a good brand strategy. This further helps in bringing in new customers for your business. It can also make your company a more attractive investment due to its solid standing in the market.

5 Mandatory Questions to be addressed before going for brand building process

Before we jump into telling you how to build a brand, you need to ask yourself some essential questions. Addressing these key points will ensure your branding journey starts on the right foot. So, let’s begin.

1. What is the Purpose of Your Brand?

Every brand should have a purpose. It defines what you stand for beyond just making money. Think of the reasons for building your company in the first place. What is it that inspired you to start your business? Was it to create something that makes people’s daily lives better? Or was it to offer a more affordable solution than what was already out there? Answering such questions will help you define your brand’s purpose. Customers today are drawn to brands that contribute to the greater good, so having a solid brand purpose matters a lot.

2. Who is Your Target Audience?

Customers play a massive part in shaping what a brand becomes. You might put a lot of effort into branding, but at the end of the day, what your customers say and share about you matters the most. So, it’s of utmost importance that you know who your customers and ideal prospects are. Find out who’s buying from you and what makes customers return to you. Such insights shape your brand personality, values, and how you talk to your audience. Understanding your target audience also clues you in on choosing the right social platforms to find the best ways your customers can promote your brand.

3. What is Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

Next, you need to specify your unique selling proposition. It’s 2024, and chances are that you’re not the only one selling products in your category. There will be hundreds of other brands selling a similar product. So, ask yourself what makes your brand stand out from the crowd. Every element matters, from trivial factors to more prominent elements, like your company’s culture, lightning-fast service, green practices, or a commitment to excellence. It could also be the benefit your product delivers or its impressive performance. Figure out your USP and ensure it’s what drives your brand’s messaging.

4. How Will You Communicate Your Brand Message?

When you’re building your brand, one of the key things to figure out is how you’ll share your story with the world. Sure, your logo and visual identity will help, but is that enough? Your messaging should be such that it reaches the right people and sticks in their minds. Until and unless your brand personality and brand voice are correctly determined, your brand won’t be able to communicate cohesively and consistently. So, defining your brand’s personality and voice is important because how your brand talks shape the way you communicate with people.

5. What is Your Brand’s Long-Term Strategy?

Lastly, ask yourself what your brand’s vision is. Where do you see your company in the next five, ten or twenty years? Do you want to stick to its roots or branch out with new values? Figuring out your brand’s future path is essential. It also helps you plan your current actions and gets your target audience ready for future changes. With a clear long-term outlook, you can align your actions, decisions and strategies with your future business goals. It also lets you track how well you’re doing on that journey.

7 Essential Steps of Branding Process which every business should follow

Now, here are the seven essential branding tips that you should follow to take your business to the next level:

1. First and Foremost, Conducting deep research

Research is the first step to figuring out where your brand stands and where it should be heading to reach its full potential. Start by taking into account your company’s core elements, such as its vision and strategies. Conduct surveys to see what your employees, potential customers and other stakeholders think of your brand.

It’s also wise to do a competitive audit of your brand and its competitors. Check out if your brand elements, like the logo, colours and marketing materials, are serving their purpose. Also, see what your competitors are up to. It will help you highlight your USPs and reach the right audience.

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2. Develop your name, logo, tagline & other elements

The next obvious step is to develop your brand identity elements, which include your company name, logo, tagline, etc. Remember that branding is not a one-time process; it’s a continuous process that needs effort and consistency. To truly make your brand meaningful, you should live out what it stands for. If a brand element (like the logo design) isn’t resonating with your existing and potential customers, consider replacing it with one that connects better with them and aligns more closely with your company.

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3.Visual direction and creative experimentation

Once you have your brand strategy in hand, it’s time to focus on your visual elements to bring your brand’s vision to life. While you brainstorm ideas, it’s good to explore every option. Make mood boards and experiment with visual elements like colour palettes and typography to see which option works best for your brand. In this creative phase, it’s also valuable to collect feedback from your employees as well as the audience before finalising your designs.

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4. Establish your brand markers and guidelines

Starting with solid brand guidelines is the best way to ensure that everything from your visuals to your voice stays consistent. By setting the rules for your brand’s voice, writing style, colours, logo use, imagery, and fonts, you’re preparing yourself to stay on track with any new campaigns you launch. Basically, your brand guidelines are set up to make your brand memorable by appealing to the senses, like sight and sound. They also ensure that your brand always looks sharp and consistent.

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5. Set up a personality and brand voice

Your brand’s personality is crucial as it sets you apart and attracts your ideal customers. It should represent your company’s unique voice in every possible interaction on your website, social media accounts or emails. Choose a tone that resonates best with your audience. Then, create a simple style guide to make sure your brand sounds like the friend your customers want to talk to. It doesn’t matter whether you’re keeping your tone casual or formal; what matters is that it remains true to your brand and consistent across all platforms.

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6. Building points of communication between businesses and their consumers

Now, you need to develop mediums or touchpoints to showcase your brand’s identity. These can be a range of elements, like your website, brochures, signage, product design, packaging, company vehicles and team uniforms. It’s about ensuring your brand’s look and message are clear and consistent everywhere. Every item needs to reflect your brand’s values, work well, whether seen up close or from a distance and engage all your potential customers.

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7. Provide consistent messaging

Once you have a solid brand strategy in place, the next important step is to make sure it comes across clearly in every way customers experience your company. Your brand should shine through in everything from advertising to customer service. Also, make sure your employees are fully on board, as they’re the face of your brand. Get them to understand and embrace your brand truly. That way, they can effectively pass on its values and message to every customer they interact with.

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Conclusion

I hope our guide on how to build a brand will help you create a brand that customers love. Keep all the different aspects of your brand consistent and engaging to form strong connections with your audience. By following the branding tips we shared, your brand will successfully stand out in the market.

Need help in branding your business? We’re on hand to help you out. Our team of brand design experts can build your brand from the ground up or refine an existing brand to reach its full potential. So, get in touch with us today!

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Author: Anush Malik