Brand Identity Your Step-by-Step Guide To Brand Building

By David Cox

What's the first image that comes to mind when you think of your favorite brand?

 

Do you want your brand to have a standing chance to be positioned at par with your competitors, or even exceed them?

 

Has it ever crossed your mind what big brands like Apple and Coca-Cola did (and have been doing) to be where they are now?

 

Are you still uncertain if your brand is even strong enough to convey your image and build a presence within the market?

 

The problem is that businesses are saturated, making the point of entry harder to penetrate because of the stringent competition.

 

In fact, 59% of consumers prefer to purchase new products from brands they know due to their familiarity with their existing products.

 

Despite this, there is a way in--whether you are just starting your business, or you want to revamp your existing brand.

 

And it all starts with one thing in mind...

In Your Step-by-Step Guide to Brand Building, you will discover:

• The #1 mistake marketers make when it comes to building their brand's identity
• The 9 pillars of brand building you need to know in order for your brand to succeed
• A breakdown of how you can build a brand with a strong presence, even if your current one is flopping
• The how-to of competitive analysis, with a tried-and-tested framework template
• How altering this one aspect of your logo will affect how consumers perceive your brand
• The secret to connecting your consumers to your brand, boosting their loyalty towards your products
• The crucial steps you need take after building your brand to maintain status
• Bonus: Case studies on big brands—what they are doing right, and how they got past the hurdles that blocked their path

And much more.

 

By establishing a strong brand, you will have the most valuable asset your business can possess.

 

In 2019, Coca-Cola's brand value reached a whopping $80.83 billion dollars, and it was first established back in 1886. That's the power good branding will grant you.

 

When you have an established name, the possibilities and opportunities are limitless, yet it can only become a reality if you are equipped with the right tools and knowledge.

 

Stop testing strategies with your eyes closed--implement the ones that are known to work for you, rather than against you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alan Newton
• Release date: Apr 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215970874

Book preview

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Star of the Show

What Is a Brand?

What A Brand Is Not

What Is Branding?

The Psychology Behind Branding

The Nucleus of a Brand

Chapter 2: The Making of a Star

Step 1: Identify the Purpose of your Brand

Examples of Brand Purpose

Step 2: Conduct a Competitor Analysis

Step 3: Identify Your Target Audience

Buyer Personas

Step 4: Create Your Brand Mission Statement

Examples of Mission Statements

Step 5: Identify the Benefits You Offer

Step 6: Formulate a Brand Voice and Tone

Defining and Using Your Brand Voice

Step 7: Make Your Brand Personality Unique

Brand Personality Examples

Steps to Defining Your Brand Personality

The Importance of Brand Personality

Step 8: Build a Brand Story and Hone Your Brand Messaging

Craft Your Brand Messaging Framework

Examples of Brand Messaging

Don’t Skip Ahead

Chapter 3: A Star is Born

Step 9: Creating a Logo

The Importance of a Logo

The Elements of a Logo

Logo Checklist

Step 10: Crafting a Tagline

Step 11: Cross-Platform Integration

Step 12: Consistency

Ready To Take on the World

Chapter 4: Drawing in the Limelight

Website Creation

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Social Media

Other Methods

Creating Campaigns

Chapter 5: The Glam Squad

Team Structure

Marketing Team

Creative Team

Public Relations Team

Performance Team

Web Development Team

Internal Marketing

Ways to Encourage Your Employees to Participate

Company Culture

Chapter 6: If That is the Case

Large Brands who Resolved Issues with Good Branding

Apple

Hermes

Toyota

Brands Who Have Aced Social Media

Southwest Airlines

Comcast

Ford

Starbucks

Sun Microsystems

Brand Case Studies that Underpin the Value of Storytelling

Visa

WaterAid

ITV

Microsoft

Ikea

Manchester United

Other Brand Case Studies for Inspiration

Black & Decker

Quickie Manufacturing

Etihad Airways

Comedy Central

Fiat

Gillette

Maybelline

The Case for Case Studies

Conclusion

References

Image References

Introduction

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.

Seth Godin

A business has so many elements to it that it's easy to mistake one for another. When you are trying to build a business, though, it is vital to understand the elements that make it up. As the world has entered an era in which information is widely available, we have a large number of options available to us, and everyone wants everything right now, one aspect of business has become vastly more important than most others—brand. The concept of a brand has become more popular and more widely used but, in most cases, the true definition of a brand has b een lost.

It is also important to understand that a brand is not just for businesses, it is also an important consideration for individuals who wish to represent themselves as entrepreneurs or influencers. During the time I spent working in marketing, I came to understand how deeply a brand affects business and how important it is in marketing products and services. A brand, when done well, can be one of the most powerful assets that a business can own. When a brand is not crafted correctly, though, it could also be a business’s own worst enemy. This is why it is so important to understand what a brand is and what a brand is not. In Brand Identity, I would like to provide you with a solid foundation for your brand building journey. Whether you have already worked in brand creation before, or even if you have absolutely no knowledge around the concept, I will walk you through the steps you need to take in order to build your brand.

I was born and raised in the United States and received my Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Alabama. I started working as a copywriter soon after leaving college and did that for about five years in the advertising agency space. Having completed my Masters in Marketing from my alma mater, I went on to work as a marketing strategist in another ad agency for 15 years. During these two decades of work in the advertising and marketing space, I had the pleasure of working in a wide range of brand-related spheres including initial baseline branding, rebranding of businesses, and the implementation of marketing strategies. My journey through the world of branding, watching businesses grow and bloom under the power of a well thought out and well-executed brand, inspired me to share that knowledge in this book.

You have likely heard the phrase, People buy from people. That is absolutely still true but as our interactions with the world have evolved, people now also buy from brands. When brands are created correctly they can be just as personable as a human being. When prospective customers think about a well-constructed brand, they will get a sense of what that brand represents just as they would if they were thinking about a human being. People also buy due to familiarity, though, and this is why it is so difficult for new brands to break into markets where there is an already well-established brand. When consumers are working with limited disposable income, the loss experienced from an underperforming product is magnified. As a result, such consumers will be hesitant to risk purchasing a product that may not live up to the hype created in marketing. Interestingly, in order to avoid losing money, they would prefer to spend more on a product that they are familiar with as they know it will meet their needs. When launching a new product that does not have a strong name it is vital that extra effort is put into ensuring the product is perceived as good value for money in order to assure the customer that they are not wasting their hard-earned money.

In Brand Identity, I will focus on understanding what exactly a brand is, and of course what it is not. This knowledge is the basis of understanding and building a brand. I will also provide you with information on the unifying elements that create consistency among all the components of brand building in order to translate those components into one powerful brand.

Besides discussing the elements that make up a brand, we will also follow each step that is required to build a brand. From the very roots of the purpose of your brand, all the way through to consistent application in various marketing channels, we will explore each and activity wholly and completely. Once we have got you to the point where your brand is built, we will focus on how we get your brand from inside your head or on your computer, out into the world so that it can start interacting with your audience. We have also included an entire chapter on case studies which will help you put the techniques you learn into practice by seeing real-world examples.

I have found that many resources on branding provide the reader with a lot of theory and not many examples. I have, therefore, made sure that Brand Identity is different in that respect. For every piece of theory or technique, you will be provided with at least one example, and in many cases, several examples. This, really, is the best way to deeply understand the brand-building process and how to apply it to your own brand.

Whether you decide to read the entire book first and then start your brand building journey or if you prefer to apply as you go, it doesn’t really make a difference. Use the resources provided here as you see fit but do make sure that you apply them.

Regardless of where you are in your marketing career or business, by the time you are finished reading Brand Identity, you will have a simple approach to follow in order to get started on your brand building journey.

CHAPTER 1

THE STAR OF THE SHOW

In order to understand how to build a brand, we must first learn exactly what brand is and also what it is not. You may