Why is Branding so Important?
According to the American Marketing Association, branding is defined as such:
“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”
In other words, branding consists of the visual and audible features of a brand that make it who it is. When I say who, I mean that intentionally. A brand develops their own personality through the decisions of color, tagline, logo, packaging etc. This personality is used to target a specific audience with the goal of generating sales and growth. To create this unique personality, it is important to understand the primary factors of branding: individuality, perception, and loyalty.
Individuality
Creating a brand that is individual from competitors is vital to generate sales and growth. This is especially important when the brand’s product is very similar to other products on the market. When a customer looks at a wall of beauty products, where will their eyes go first? What is most recognizable and familiar to them? Color and design choices will often contribute to an aesthetic and eye-catching packaging. This contributes to strong branding which will help your business stand out from the crowd. Forbes Magazine emphasizes the importance of individuality in branding writing:
“A business with elements such as a distinct logo, attractive colors and other visual elements will be much more memorable (to a consumer).”
Creating an individualized and recognizable brand will promote a positive impact on any business or product.
Perception
As we have learned from many a PR crisis, brand perception is directly correlated to company profits. Credibility is extremely important when trying to build consumer trust with a brand. A clear and professional looking brand further promotes the credibility and trust that a company needs to be successful:
“Branding gives companies a chance to let customers see the business for who we really are. This is the chance to be honest and open about what this company represents.”
Branding allows for the consumer to observe and identify what your business is about and helps you attract repeat customers.
Loyalty
Attracting a customer once is not going to allow your business to grow. The effects of branding will allow the fostering of brand loyalty between a brand and its customers. One of the most important parts of any business is getting your customers to come back. What is it that keeps your customers coming back for more? Yes the product must be great, but the branding of the product must be even better. This is what gets more people to try your product, thus allowing more people to come back for more.
It should also be noted that branding has become an important part of fashion and status. A great example of this is in Lululemon products. At first, someone might just see a normal pair of workout clothes, but once you see that "U" shaped logo, you immediately want a pair too. This further emphasizes the importance of branding in the modern world. 99 Designs brings attention to brand loyalty in their blog “The Importance of Branding” stating:
“When you unite customers around their needs and your values, the connection ensures brand loyalty, which ultimately lead s to brand longevity.”
Brand loyalty is not only important for the customers, but also the employees. Employees should feel as though they are a part of a family and enjoy representing the brand. When employees like where they are and what they are doing, that further promotes the business as having great customer service, and employee welfare.
Hi! My name is Kristin Ardese and I am a professional Graphic Designer and Marketing Strategist. I hope that by sharing some of my expertise, I can help offer valuable insights and build an engaging community.
