Brand Building: How to Build a Brand

Many mistakenly believe that a brand is nothing more than a combination of a business name and the associated logo. The truth of the matter is, these are just core elements that play a contributing role in business branding. A Brand or the term “Branding” describes several components that both reflect the purpose of the business and aids in the marketing of that business.

In this guide, you will be introduced to the main components of branding and strategies on how to successfully construct the brand of your business.

What is a Brand?

To successfully build a brand for your business, you must first understand exactly what a brand is and what is consists of. In short, it is how consumers perceive your business. It is that which they acquire when interacting with your business. It is the impression that you are capable of controlling, as well as the impressions that you are unable to control.

A brand is a marketing concept. It is that which allows consumers to identify your business and the goods and/or services that you offer. The brand shapes the perceptions of consumers on the business. Most brands utilize identifying markers to assist in creating their identity in the marketplace. It is a component of your business that is highly valuable and will provide you with a competitive edge over similar businesses in your industry.

If you need to know more, read our full article about what a brand is and why you need one.

What Makes a Brand?

A brand of a business is the collective impact or the unique and lasting impression from that which is directly seen, heard, and uniquely experienced by consumers who have interacted with the business. To successfully brand a business, you are managing the overall effect that the goods or services of that business are having on the customers.

The elements that make a brand include an identifier, a promise, an asset, a perception set, and the “mind share” that stays in the mind of the consumer. The mind share is created based on the experiences of the consumer and their expectations for the future.

What are the Phases of Brand Building?

To successfully build a brand for your business, you will go through a 3-phase process. This includes the strategy, the identity, and the marketing. Below, we have outlined these phases with a brief explanation of each:

1. Brand Strategy – In this phase, you will work to outline what makes your business and that which you offer different. You will develop trustworthiness. You will focus on becoming likeable by the consumer and establish yourself as a memorable business in your industry. In short, the strategy of a brand outlines your purpose, the promises that you make to consumers, and how you will solve the problems of those that have an interest in your goods and/or services.
2. Brand Identity – This is the way that you convey the information from the brand strategy to the public. It includes utilizing visuals, various types of messages, and experience. The elements of your brand identity include the logo, color, fonts, patterns, icons, the design of your website, your content, the forms of advertising that you utilize, and your packaging. It must be consistent throughout the branding process to stay fresh to the consumers that you are seeking to attract.
3. Brand Marketing – This is the way that your business will highlight and make consumers aware of the products and services that you offer. It connects values and voice to an audience that you are targeting. Popular marketing channels for brand building include your website, SEO content marketing, marketing on social media platforms, marketing through email campaigns, and even paid advertising strategies such as PPC.

What is the Golden Circle?

The Golden Circle is a brand-building strategy is utilized by Simon Sinek of the Optimism Company. They teach businesses how to differentiate their brand from other business brands.

The Golden Circle strategy includes three parts. These include the “What”, “How”, and “Why”.

• The “What” outlines that which you offer your customers.
• The “How” outlines that which makes you different from your competition.
• The “Why” is at the core of the Golden Circle and outlines why you are passionate about that which you are doing and why your business currently exists.

Simon is an expert on business branding. He offers an intelligent and relevant stance on business branding.

Simon shows us that consumers do not make a purchase based on what you do, but WHY you do it.

Businesses should understand that it is not necessary to conduct business with every single person that has a need for the products and/or services that they offer.

The true purpose of your business should be to conduct business with those consumers that have the same belief system as you.

If you use the Golden Circle strategy, you will quickly find that brand building takes on an entirely new dynamic.

How Do I Build Brand Identity?

Brand identity is all about perception. In order to succeed in brand awareness, the brand identity that you develop is essential. The following 4 components will help you achieve success in building brand identity:

1. Your Mission – You must start by identifying the mission of your brand. Remember, customers do not want to hear about your mission to generate profits. They want to know why you have created your business and the goals that you have.
2. Unique Value Proposition – This identifies what sets you apart from others in your industry or your competition. It outlines how you will meet the needs of those you serve and how what you have to offer is unique.
3. Visual Identity – This is the logos, colors, patterns, and all of the other visual aspects that create the persona of your brand. Remember, what you use on your website should be used on all pages and aspects of your business – from newsletters to social media pages.
4. Increasing Recognition – This is the process of getting your brand identity out in front of consumers. This is done through marketing techniques. Examples include building your website, creating SEO content in your blog, and connecting with consumers through social media campaigns.

What is a Brand Personality?

A brand personality outlines the human-based characteristics as carried and exhibited by your business. If your brand has a “personality” of its own, it will instantly connect on an emotional level with your target audience. It makes the business “relatable” to people – real people. In establishing brand personality, consider the following 3 elements in order to succeed in the endeavor:

1. Your Audience – You must know and understand your target audience. The manner that you present your business and communicate to your target audience must reflect both WHO they are and WHAT they expect from you.
2. Audience Engagement – It is relatively easy to display personality through that which you write. The next step is getting your personality across in how you engage with people. You must ensure that the way that you interact with consumers reflects the overall personality tone that you want to relay.
3. Tone Consistency – Finally, it is imperative – once you find your personality – to be consistent with it on every platform, site, and in every way that you engage. This includes online activities and offline activities. Remember, your brand is an entity. The tone that you have across all platforms must be consistent in reflecting the personality of that entity that you have created.

Is My Business Name Important?

When building a brand, your business name is critical. You should place a strong emphasis on your name as this will be the core identifying component of your business. The name that you choose will have a direct impact on all aspects of your brand building – the logo, the domain, the way that you market, and even your trademark registration. There are many types of names that you may choose from, but it must be one that cannot be imitated and is unique to that which you offer – in terms of both your products and services.

The options that you have included making up a unique name, or reframing a word that is completely unrelated. Examples of these include “Pepsi” and “Apple”. You may use a suggestive word or a type of metaphor. You can describe the business in a literal manner – such as “The Jewelry Store”. You can also take words, remove letters, and come up with a completely new word like “Latr”. You may also utilize acronyms in order to establish a longer name or simply connect two words to create one word – like “Pin-interest”. The choice is yours!

So, what’s next? Now that you have a handle on building your brand, learn what to do once your brand is built.

Contact Us Today

Brand building is fun and exciting, but it can be a challenging endeavor. If not done correctly, it could lead to negative consequences for your business. We here at Brick Road Media can assist you in establishing your brand. We also specialize in building websites, creating SEO content, blog posts, assist with social media campaigns, and MORE! If you would like to learn more, contact us now!