7 Important things you need to do to build a strong brand
by Snehal Ullal Goel — Oct 13, 2023
Building a brand is a lot like perfecting a recipe that’s attached only to you, and no one else. Sure, you need the right ingredients. But you also need the ideal techniques, coupled with listening to your mum’s instructions and taking in your loved ones’ reactions once they taste the dish, to make it consistently better and memorable — leaving your dish’s fans asking for more. — Snehal Ullal Goel
Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash
Whether you’re a commercial business or a non-profit, establishing a strong brand that is consistent and memorable is more crucial than ever. A powerful brand not only sets you apart from your competitors, it also resonates with your target audience on a deeper, and sometimes personal level.
A strong brand evokes trust, loyalty, and credibility. But what does it take to create such a brand that stands the test of time? In this blog, we unravel the important elements to build a strong brand identity.
1. Get to know your market: Before you even begin to build your brand and name it, it’s important to understand who your target audience is, and what needs can you address or problems you can work to resolve through your brand offering or service. A thorough understanding of this will help you identify opportunities and gaps in the market, which you can leverage through your brand communication strategy.
2. Study your competition and peers: The saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” rings true, especially if you are in an industry that is saturated with brand offerings, products, and services similar to yours. So analyse what your competitors are doing well and where they fall short. This will give you valuable insights into how you can differentiate yourself and offer something unique to your customers.
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3. Frame your value proposition: Once you are clear about points 1 and 2, work towards what your brand stands for. Clearly articulate what makes your brand special and why customers should choose you over others.
A good starting point to help you frame this statement is this template:
“Our [product/service] is [category of industry] that [benefits] for [target customer] who [needs or wants X]”
Your proposition statement should be concise, compelling and focused on solving customer problems.
4. Develop your brand’s persona: Remember that customers prefer interacting with faces — not brands with nice names or colours — because it’s more relatable and personal. Ask yourself: what is the personality of your brand? Is it serious or playful? Professional or casual? Straightforward or loves puns? This will shape how you communicate with your audience across different channels.
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5. Create a strong visual identity: Now it’s time to get down to defining the look and feel of your brand. Design a logo, choose colour palettes, unique typography, etc, that visually represent who you are as a brand. Remember to maintain consistency in these elements to help establish recognition and build recall among your consumers.
6. Craft an authentic brand voice: What does your brand sound like? Decide on the tone of voice for all communications — whether it’s friendly, informative, humorous, or authoritative. This will help to further build trust with your clients and consumers of your content.
Photo by Patrik Michalicka on Unsplash
7. Build positive associations: These associations could be made through efforts such as advertising campaigns, organic communication, and even ambassadors such as known faces or even loyal consumers or supporters. This will help create a favourable perception of your business among its target audience and potential new clients too.
By following these steps consistently over time, you can create a strong brand that resonates with people while differentiating yourself from competitors. As you progress in building your brand, it’s essential to regularly evaluate its performance and make adjustments as needed. Market trends change, and consumer preferences evolve — staying relevant requires continuous effort.
Remember that building a strong brand takes time — it’s not an overnight process. Be patient but persistent in crafting every element of your branding strategy while keeping customer needs at the forefront, always.
