Branding: Much More than a Logo
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Much has been written about branding. Everyone’s got their own take on it. At Fleming, we believe branding is one of the most important processes a company can engage in. This is how we see it. Simply put, branding means creating an identifiable entity that makes a promise of value. Your company’s brand is your company’s face to the world. A brand is not the products you sell or the services you offer, it’s about what comes to mind when someone thinks about your products, your services, or your company. As Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos says “it’s what people say about you when you are not in the room.”
Branding is about creating an impression, not only in the minds of customers but in the minds of employees, shareholders, vendors, and the communities in which your brand lives. At its best, a brand communicates your company’s core values - and delivers on them. Having a clear set of core values and envisioning the impression you want your company to make is the first step of an effective branding strategy.
While your brand is communicated by your name and logo, this is just one of many ways in which your brand ‘speaks.’ Your brand is the sum total of a customer’s experience with your company and touches all aspects of your organization, including your product packaging, advertising, website, lobby/office space, customer service, management, sponsorship agreements, community initiatives - and, of course, the product or service itself.
Because your brand represents everything about your company, successful branding requires consistency and repetition. A consistent image, consistent message, and consistent customer-experience reinforced across as many ‘touchpoints’ as possible will work to build a strong, recognizable identity in the minds of your customers and clients.
