04: Building a Brand
What is a Brand?
Let’s get one thing straight: a brand isn’t just your logo or packaging design. Sure, those things are important, but branding goes way beyond that. It’s how you and your company show up in the world and how people view your actions, your values, your products, your mission, and your vision. Your visual identity is simply a shorthand that helps customers easily identify all the other meaningful things you’re doing in the world.
So, let’s dive deeper into what makes a brand and how you can build one that truly resonates.
The Essence of Branding
Branding is like putting a stamp on something to claim it as yours. Back in the old days, farmers would brand their cattle to show ownership. Today, branding is about staking your claim in the minds and hearts of your consumers. It’s about making your mark and ensuring that mark stands for something valuable and memorable.
Leonard Grape, founder of The Vineyard branding firm for CPG brands, puts it this way: “Brand for me is the overlap between the science of emotional buying and the hierarchy of human needs.” This means your brand should connect emotionally with consumers and address their needs, from basic necessities to higher aspirations.
Emotional Connection
Research shows that 95% of consumers make purchasing decisions based on emotions rather than logic. So, if you want your brand to cut through the noise, it needs to connect with people on an emotional level. Your brand is the personification of your product or service, enabling you to form that vital emotional bond with your customers.
Take Liquid Death, for example. They sell water, the most commoditized product out there, but their branding makes it exciting. By packaging water in tallboy cans and branding it with a rebellious, edgy image, they’ve created a cult following. It’s not just about hydration; it’s about belonging to a fun, irreverent community.
The Hierarchy of Needs
Your brand should also align with the hierarchy of human needs. At the most basic level, this means your product needs to fulfill a practical need. But to create a lasting brand, you must go beyond that, addressing higher-level needs like belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Think about how your product provides value not just on a functional level but on an emotional and psychological level as well.
The Four Quadrants of Brand Development
Leonard Grape outlines four key quadrants for developing a strong brand:
- Audience: Know exactly who your audience is. This goes beyond demographics and psychographics. Understand their beliefs, mindsets, and needs. For example, if you’re targeting health-conscious millennials, what are their specific pain points and desires?
- Positioning: Define your unique selling proposition (USP) and value proposition. Why should customers choose you over competitors? What unique benefits do you offer? Positioning is about carving out a distinct place in the market that sets you apart.
- Character: Develop your brand’s personality. Are you fun, serious, rebellious, or nurturing? Your brand’s character should be consistent across all touchpoints, from your messaging to your customer interactions.
- Identity: This is where your visual elements come in – logo, color scheme, typography. Your identity is the visual shorthand that encapsulates your brand’s essence and makes it easily recognizable.
Essential Elements of a Brand
Building a robust brand involves more than just developing a logo. It includes:
- Naming: The name of your brand should be memorable, easy to pronounce, and relevant to your product or service.
- Positioning Statement: This defines how you want your brand to be perceived in the marketplace.
- Values: The principles and beliefs that guide your brand’s actions and decisions.
- Mission Statement: A concise statement that defines your brand’s purpose and objectives.
- Tagline: A catchy phrase that encapsulates your brand’s promise or key benefit.
- Packaging Design: The visual and functional aspects of how your product is packaged.
- Brand Identifying Elements: Logos, color schemes, typography, and other visual elements that make your brand recognizable.
- Trademarks: Legal protections for your brand’s unique identifiers.
- Sustainability: Practices that demonstrate your brand’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Tactical Tips for Building Your Brand
- Consistency is Key: Ensure that every touchpoint – from your website to your packaging to your social media – consistently reflects your brand’s character and values.
- Personal Storytelling: Use personal stories to build an emotional connection. Show the human side of your brand, whether it’s the founder’s journey or customer testimonials.
- Focus on Key Touchpoints: Don’t spread yourself too thin. Focus on mastering a few key platforms or channels where your audience spends the most time.
- Do the Unscalable: Sometimes, it’s the small, personal touches that make the biggest impact. Personalized emails, handwritten notes, or surprise freebies can create loyal fans who rave about your brand.
In the end, a brand is about creating a meaningful connection with your customers. It’s about showing up consistently, authentically, and in a way that resonates on a deep, emotional level. By understanding your audience, positioning yourself uniquely, developing a strong character, and maintaining a cohesive identity, you can build a brand that not only stands out but also stands the test of time.