So My Brand Isn’t My Logo? What Is A Brand Exactly?
18/06/2019✿inUncategorized

So often we hear ‘brand’ and for each of us it brings up a different meaning (like all words really). Let me be very clear, your brand includes but is not solely; your logo, your colours, your slogan, your mission statement or your business card.

A brand is the emotional experience your customers have with every single touchpoint of your business. Every customer that comes into contact with you, your business, your team, your products or services is experiencing your brand.

Image courtesy of Lisa Fotios - Pexels.

#truthbomb: If your customer experience doesn’t match the way your business describes itself to the world then your brand is in hot water – no matter how ‘pretty’ your logo is.

The starting point to any great brand is to work on the relationship with your customers by putting them first.

Imagine walking past your favourite retail store and window shopping. The displays are beautiful, the new season’s range is out and it’s just such an amazing label that you fully support.

The problem we see is when business owners don’t see their brand through their own windows on the outside where the customer stands.

Sure, you might be thinking, well what possible control do I have over my brand’s reputation if it ultimately relies on the customer’s opinion of their experience?

You gain control back over your brand the moment you choose to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and truly look into your own business’ window. Changing your mindset in order to win and keep these customers has to do with the understanding that your brand isn’t driven on what’s solely in your customer’s heads, it’s also driven on what’s in their hearts too.

Once you decide to work on the relationship with your customers and put them first, you can then begin creating the tools that support your brand’s impact, from colours to fonts to websites and so on.

YOUR AUDIENCE

We are in business because there’s a problem that we can solve for our audience. Our customers have needs and problems to solve and you’re here to solve them, but the trouble is, do you know who they are in order to solve them?

Your brand needs to identify your target audience based on your niche! If you specialise in an anti-ageing skincare range, safe to say your target demographic aren’t 18-25 years old (let’s hope not, eek!).

Once your customer profile has been clearly identified, you can then confidently address those struggles with your amazing products and services (by the way, your social content becomes damn clear and easier to create regular, quality content by knowing this too).

EXPERIENCE

How your customers feel and are treated when they come into contact with your brand is extremely important. What your brand puts out there on social media, print media and your website must reflect how your customer experiences your business at all touch points.

If there is a mis-match with what you ‘perceive’ your business as versus what it truly is, your customers are likely to come away disappointed and tell every living soul about it.

For example, if you post to your business’ Instagram and pinch pictures off Pinterest portraying a high-end, beautiful, luxurious looking spa then a new client walks in with high expectations – they see your spa hasn’t had a fresh coat of paint in 10 years. Not only have you lost a sale and probably a loyal client, but also brand trust, authenticity and credibility (which means you won’t be in business for long).

Make sure what you are portraying your brand to be in the media world, matches in real life too.

PERSONALITY

Your business isn’t actually about you (shocking! I know), it’s about your audience. The key thing to remember when building relationships is that you’re building them with another person. We interact with humans because we want to feel that human connection, your brand is no different.

Your brand’s personality is a set of human characteristics and values that are associated with your business’ name. Why would we do this? To evoke an emotional connection within our customer’s minds and create brand loyalty.

Think about your ideal customer and their personality – what is it like? What types of personalities are they drawn to? Adopt these characteristics for your own business, people will relate to your brand far better through connection and authenticity. Show the world the humans behind your brand, the personality, meaningful conversations, celebrate the wins, listen and respond to every single inquiry, DM, comment, tag – everything.

STORY

Bring everything together and share it with your audience, that is; your values, personality, history etc. It’s not just your personal story of how you started your business, but also the one of where your brand is headed and how it has a positive impact on your customer’s lives now and well into the future.

A brand story thinks beyond tangible products and services, think about how you can continue to build your story so that people want to care and in turn this creates raving fans and brand advocates.

This is a game-changer in making your brand stand out in any market (not just the crowded ones). Having a strong brand story helps to convey purpose, activate emotion and drive continued customer loyalty.

IMAGE

Branding is not a brand, it is the visual elements that represent the four points above. The image that comes to mind when someone thinks about your brand and the emotions associated with those visuals are based on the interactions and experiences someone has with your brand.

Why is this important? It influences past, present and future customers and instantly recognisable brands not only have great, professionally designed imagery, but the recognisable imagery becomes recognisable from the customer’s overall emotional experience.

It takes tender love and care, time and consistency to build a strong brand and whilst that seems like a daunting task, it is so worth it. It’s never too late to start, even if you’ve been in business for over a decade, there is no better time than today.

Ready to make your brand bloom? Click here to get started.

It’s time to turn heads for all the right reasons

LET’S BLOOM THIS THANG

You make people look and feel gooood. So do we.

Digital Bloom is a sassy li’l visual branding studio that helps evolving hair, beauty & wellness brands turn heads for all the right reasons.

What do your brand colours *really* say about you?

Baby, you were born to bloom

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia on which we live and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and acknowledge their ongoing connection to this land, sea and community.

You make people look and feel gooood. So do we.

Digital Bloom is a sassy li’l visual branding studio that helps evolving hair, beauty & wellness brands turn heads for all the right reasons.

What do your brand colours *really* say about you?

Baby, you were born to bloom

Look Book
Your Path
Media
About
Blog
Shop
Take Our Quiz
Let’s Chat

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia on which we live and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and acknowledge their ongoing connection to this land, sea and community.

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