What is branding?

As people, we all have an identity. We are recognized and differentiated by the way we speak, the way we dress, our gestures… The same goes for a brand that has worked well on its identity: you will know it by its branding. But… what exactly is this?

What is branding?

Branding is the process by which your business will become much more than a simple business, it will become a reference brand. In other words, corporate branding is the strategy we follow for our brand management. To differentiate ourselves from others, to leave a mark.

This is called strategic branding, which is the same, how to position yourself in the minds of consumers.

As you can imagine, building a corporate identity is therefore both a creative and a strategic process, which will provide your customers with a positive brand experience. And most importantly: continuously over time.

Objectives of corporate branding

At IDX Engine we believe that in order for brand management to be effective and your corporate identity to be totally relevant, you have to work on branding with your company’s objectives in mind.

The main thing is, of course, to position your brand above the competition. But for that you have to know:

What is your value proposition. Working on your corporate branding is not just about appearing, but about being. What do you offer that makes you unique and different from your competitors?

Know your business strategy in depth and that it can be transferred to your branding strategy. Both must be aligned, because they must pursue the same thing.

If your brand has personality. For example, if you do fun marketing, your brand should reflect that. If your business is serious, your branding should convey seriousness and trustworthiness… And so on, respectively.

If your customers perceive you as a human presence behind the brand. By this we mean that we must not forget that we are people talking to people. This should be noticed in your treatment and we assure you that your customers will notice it.

Elements to consider when building your brand

When the time comes to work on your branding, there are several elements that you cannot lose sight of.

The name

If you are just starting out, make sure you choose a name that represents you and cannot be misunderstood or mean something totally different in other languages or dialects. It sounds silly, but the first step should always be to search for that brand name you’re thinking of on the Internet, and see what comes up. It’s as simple as that.

The logo

It will be the first thing you will be identified by. It is important to take into account the typography and the colors we are going to use. The aesthetics of the logo must be in accordance with the tone and type of business you want to represent, but without giving up your imagination!

Communication plan

Above all, branding is about communicating. Whether through media, campaigns or social networks. And not only when we are talking positively. Communication is also very important when problems or reputation crises arise.

Know your competition

This is a constant in everything you do in the digital world. Depending on who you are up against, you must reinforce the different points of your branding strategy more or less as a priority.

Branding example

Let’s start with a few branding examples that as soon as I mention the brand to you, you will know who they are and even see their logos in your mind: Apple, McDonald’s, El Corte Inglés, Levi’s, Barbie… No need to say more, right?

But let’s now look at a slightly more detailed example: Levi’s.

This brand of pants was not born out of fashion, but to meet a need. Which is another thing you should keep in mind. Branding for the sake of it won’t work. You have to know what your market needs.

In these times we live in, sometimes it’s not so much that you need a product, but that you have an emotional need. But Levi’s is an example of how you can get from one situation to the other.

Levi’s Strauss came to the United States from Germany. His destination: San Francisco, which seemed ideal for him because of the gold rush and the needs of all the men who spent hours and hours searching for gold to own boots, pants and resistant fabrics.

And this was the seed that made his company grow and grow, and with it his brand. This was possible because they were pioneers, creating a brand from scratch of something that had not been done before. Later, they were able to redirect into new markets, such as the tough American cowboy market.

Their lucky break, however, came at the hands of young Americans who saw their pants and decided they wanted to wear them too. New target, new possibilities.

What followed was a good media communication strategy, which ended up turning Levi’s into an icon, especially when certain Hollywood actors started wearing them.

So, what have we learned from this branding example?

• Know your target’s needs: what is going to make their life easier?
• Offer something that no one else has or with advantages that only you can provide: why should they buy from you?
• Spread your wings: find ways to expand your market and reach more people.
• Make yourself known: the media back then, but especially social networks today, to reach more people.
• And to achieve all this, it is clear that you must know who you are and what you have. Join whoever can see your full potential and help you work on your brand, and go ahead!

Conclusion

With a good corporate identity strategy you will be able to enhance what differentiates you from your competitors, to take advantage of them. You will be able to position your brand in the customer’s mind. You will see results that will be maintained over time, since it is a medium and long term strategy.

And all this, of course, will make you sell more. Just ask yourself this question: before the same type of product, very similar prices, but product A is from a brand you know and product B from a brand you don’t, which one are you going to buy?

So if you have not yet worked on your corporate branding and you are thinking of doing it, don’t think twice, and don’t waste any more time! Contact us and let’s talk about how we can help you.

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