Has anyone ever asked you to “Google” a topic to get more information? How about if you need a “Kleenex”? Most people would agree that they’ve heard this in conversation before; however, notice how you’ve likely never been asked to “Bing” a topic or if you’d like a “Puffs” tissue for your nose. This may have nothing to do with quality, but everything to do with branding.
Now, Google and Kleenex have brand names so popular, they’re widely referred to in place of the actual service or product itself. While it’s not likely to get to this level of popularity (brands actively try to distance themselves from becoming a genericized trademark), it’s still important to ensure that you have a memorable brand. It’s not enough to have the perfect name for your business that you can plaster on products, social media, and your website; you need to create a unique brand identity that will make your company stand out from your competition.
Here are three steps you should take that will help you discover and create your brand identity:
Craft a Mission Statement
You need to know what your main objectives and goals are for your brand. In addition, figure out what values and beliefs you want your brand to uphold. What is the purpose of your company? What is important to your brand? How do you want to conduct business? Make sure to be as specific as possible and craft a mission statement. Think of it as a set guideline and use it when making decisions to see if what you want to do is “on brand” or not. While your brand values don’t necessarily need to be in your mission statement, it’s necessary to make note of what they are and to have them be clear for your employees and customers.
Create a Consistent Voice
Your goal is to have one brand identity, not multiple. It’s very important to decide on what tone or voice you want your brand to take on and ensure that your brand stays consistent with that tone on all platforms, including your website, social media, all promotional materials, and anything else that you are putting out for your customers to see. Figure out what key messages you want to send to your customers and make sure they complement each other. While a consistent tone is important, with whatever key messages that you choose, you want to be sure that you are varying up the ways you get them out, whether this be through the language or platform.
Design Your Look
When you start to create your website, logo, or promotional materials, you want to be sure that it will make sense with your company, mission statement, and voice. Even when it comes to your office environment, you want the same feel and look that aligns with your vision for the company. You should think about how you want your brand to be portrayed to your target audience. Dive deep and figure out specifically who your target audience is and keep them and their interests in mind as you create your brand look.
If you keep in mind your core audience, values, purpose, goals, and voice – you will be on your way to creating a strong brand identity.