6 essential elements that every outstanding brand must have

You’ve probably heard it before, but I’m going to say it again as it is such an important part of branding that everyone needs to remember. Your logo is not your brand, writes brand strategist and design expert Debbie O’Connor.

Your brand is your reputation. It is what others think and say about you – not simply what you say about you. Your brand is that gut instinct people have about working with you or not. As you can tell, it’s an important part of your business, but one that is often overlooked once the logo has been designed.

The challenge is to ensure that what you are saying about your business is what the client experiences. Having the word ‘fast’ in your business name and then taking days to quote, doesn’t bode well for your reputation. What you say, what you do and ultimately how you make people feel, will help customers decide what they think of your brand.

6 essential elements that every amazing brand must have

To craft a rock-solid brand strategy, you need these six essential brand elements to help you create a brand that your customers will fall in love with.

1. Brand personality

This may sound like a strange question, but who is your brand? If your brand were a person, what would it look and sound like? What language would you use and how would you make your customers feel?

Having clarity about ‘who’ your brand is, is critical if you want to connect with your customers. Developing a brand with personality will attract and resonate with the right type of clients. Subconsciously they will get a better understanding of ‘who’ your brand is – not simply what you do.

We like to use the 12 Brand Archetypes developed by psychologist Carl Jung as a great starting point.

2. Brand purpose

Simon Sinek summed this up so well in his famous TED Talk, ‘How great leaders inspire action’. People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it.

What is the purpose that drives your business each and every day? And if it is simply to make money, then you will never be able to build a brand. You will simply have a business that is transaction-based. What does your business do that drives change in the world, improves it, supports people or the environment?

There are so many brand purposes your business could have. Look at your key values and align them to your purpose.

3. Brand promise

A brand promise is more than a slogan. Most businesses focus on their vision and their mission which is great, but it’s all about them and not about the customer.

The brand promise flips the focus and addresses a key pain point of the client and promises something that goes to the core of their desires, needs or wants. It’s something to be shared amongst your team, your supporters and your customers. It is something that is always at the forefront of what you do and remains the primary focal point.

You may fault in other areas of the business or drop the ball every now and then, but if you consistently deliver on your promise you’ll be amazed at how many people will forgive the other oversights.

4. Brand identity

This is the part of branding that most people are the most comfortable with and understand. Your brand identity is the visual representation of your brand – your logo, colours and fonts. It’s the type of imagery you use, the language and tone of your brand voice and the way that you like to communicate with your customers.

The design of your identity relies heavily on the personality of your brand. For example, if you are the ‘Rebel’ brand personality such as Harley Davidson you have a very different look, feel, tone and way of communicating than if you were Jeep, who is the ‘Explorer’.

5. Brand culture

Brand culture influences our perceptions, behaviour and how we interact with others. The culture of the brand needs to start from within. Hiring staff that fit in with the company culture, ensuring that everyone is properly trained, that they understand the brand values and can uphold and deliver on the promise each and every day enables a strong brand culture.

If you create an engaging brand culture where your team feel valued and appreciated, they will become your biggest brand ambassadors. Your brand culture can also turn you into an employer of choice which will result in you getting the cream of the crop when it comes to staff.

6. Brand experience

Your brand experience is your opportunity to create a memory for your client. A memory that they can take with them, share with their friends and be a trigger at the time of purchase to again come to you. Your brand experience is once again built off your brand personality.

If you are the ‘Entertainer’ personality such as Who Gives a Crap then your brand experience will be very different to Quilton which is the ‘Caregiver’. Think about how you want to make your customer feel and then create an experience around every touch point in the business.

This article was first published on Flying Solo, read the original here.

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