What Are The 7 Benefits Of Branding For Your Business?
What is a Brand Strategy?
Marty Neumeier said it best: “A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.”
It’s a first impression — like when you meet someone and instantly click. Your brand is how your business shows up to the party and lets everyone know what you bring to the table.
But putting your best foot forward is easier said than done. Aesthetics matter (we are all about a pretty logo and a cohesive color scheme), but a brand that isn’t backed up by strategy leaves people wondering who you really are under the surface.
That’s why, as a branding agency, we’re committed to a holistic approach.
I hear ya, Purveyor, but what does that actually mean for my business? Why should I care?
Brand strategy and creative services are our bread and butter, so branding this is what we think about day in and day out — and we’re here to answer your questions.
So what does a good brand do for you and your business?
1. Creates Clarity
Your brand is the throughline through your business. That’s why our foundation is strategy. The process helps you define what your business is and why you do what you do. You, your team, and your customers will know who you are — and who you're not.
Once your business has boundaries to work within, you can create messaging and an identity that won’t confuse your customers and onlookers. Instead of letting each new wave of fads and trends knock you off center, you’ll be able to stand firm because you have already pinpointed and defined your values and goals. Building a strategic brand foundation means you can make decisions that make sense for your business.
2. Builds Trust
According to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report, 81% of consumers across the globe said they need to be able to trust the brand they buy from. In a world of endless options, your customers want to know they are supporting a trustworthy business.
Having a strong brand will help build confidence in your product or service with potential customers. This means your brand strategy needs to span across your messaging, positioning, design, collateral, and any other touchpoints — from a physical space to your online presence. Showcasing your internal values in the marketplace in a clear, cohesive way lets people know they can rely on you to provide quality goods and services.
3. Separates You From the Crowd
Shelves are crowded and online spaces are even fuller, so every company is fighting to be heard. Whether you call it differentiation, recognizability, or memorability, what a strong brand really gives you is a strategic way to stand out among other similar products and services.
Like a personality is to a human, branding is the personality to a company. It’s your first impression, and it should show your uniqueness. What makes you different from your competitors?
Whether it’s digital or on a store shelf, your creative direction and visual identity need to be easily recognizable and difficult to forget. And consistency is key – after all, consistent presentation of a brand has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent. You want your customers to see your brand and say, “Wow, they really get me.” And then remember that feeling everytime they see you.
4. Increases Customer Loyalty
It’s true what they say about word-of-mouth being one of your most powerful assets — after all, we’ve all been the unpaid advertiser telling a friend about a favorite brand.
The more a customer feels like they know you and like you care about them, the more likely they are to turn into brand advocates. That’s why branding takes the long game. It assumes repeat customers are more valuable over time than one-off transactions.
When you put forward a consistent and authentic brand, your customers are more likely to support you when you launch new products and services. As you become the obvious trusted choice, loyal customers will bring their friends and family along too. Which (of course) translates directly to your bottom line.
5. Guides Public Perception
In today’s environment, your customers are better informed than ever before. Branding enables you to have better control over how the world views your company, and it lets you optimize based on customer feedback. That means that if you don’t like what’s being said, this is your opportunity to play Don Draper and “change the conversation.”
By creating a strong brand, you get to control how people perceive your business. Whether helping you preemptively build goodwill with your customers or guiding you through times of crisis and bad PR, your brand gives you the foundation to show up authentically while maintaining a consistent and strategic identity.
Leaving your public appearance up to chance is no longer a viable way to do business. Your brand is your best line of defense to ensure you’re not leaving your company vulnerable.
6. Guides Internal Decisions
While there are tons of public-facing benefits to a strong brand, it’s not all about how things look on the outside. Knowing who you are as a business (and who you’re not) is your team’s best tool to work efficiently and effectively.
Whether you’re working on a piece of new collateral and need to be able to quickly find your style guide, messaging, and design elements or you’re considering a business development decision and need to gut check that the new direction is strategically aligned, your brand identity is where you start.
When your whole team knows what you’re about, how you show up in the world, and how to find everything they need to get the job done, it’ll save time and keep confusion at bay. Doing this on the front end means you’ll be on brand and aligned with your customer base in every decision — from design minutia to business expansions and everything in between.
7. Builds Up Your Team
From morale to retention to recruitment, every business spends time and energy thinking about how to keep their people happy. But once the basics are in place, it can be hard to know what will take things to the next level.
That’s where brand strategy comes in. By creating a foundation that helps you define your goals and values, you can clearly communicate to your team who you are and how you work. After all, your identity doesn’t just shape your relationships with customers — it also shapes your internal culture and gives your team the tools they need to stay at the top of their game.
Bringing in the best talent (and keeping it around) means being a company your employees can be proud to work for. Because you know who you are, they’ll know what they’re doing and how to do it, but they’ll also know why — which, for many people, makes or breaks a job.
Brand isn’t an Afterthought
Even if you’re not prioritizing your brand, your customers and your team are. Your brand is at the heart of your business strategy, and investing in it is your best path to strategic and sustainable growth.
Now that we’ve covered the why and you’re ready for the how, fill out this handy form and let’s get started. We’ll walk you through all the steps to build a brand you’re truly proud of.
We’ll leave you with one last Marty Neumer quote before we go (can you tell we really jive with him?), “Branding is the process of connecting good strategy with good creativity.”
Let’s get to work on building you a good brand.