Branding is what a brand promises to its clients. Branding is done using a symbol, logo or tagline to create a presence for the brand in the minds of people. It informs them what extra edge a brand has over its competitors .Overall it builds a perception of the brand. Branding gives us an idea about the brand. It says whether a brand is reliable, high cost or high quality and henceforth defines the target audience too. Logo is the foundation of a brand. The website, packaging and promotional materials all should integrate the logo and communicate your brand. Brand strategy delivers on your brand messages.
There are several categories of branding. Umbrella Branding is used when a company uses a brand name for two or multiple products. All products use the same means of identification and have no additional brand names or symbols attached. Co Branding is the presence of multiple brand names or corporate logos in one website. Individual Branding is the marketing strategy of giving each product a brand name that is unique in its own way.
The brand strategy is where you advertise, your distribution channels and what you communicate visually and verbally .Consistent and strategic branding allows charging more for the brand than what unknown brands provide to customers. The most obvious example of this is Coke versus a generic soda. For example Coca-Cola today can easily charge more and consumers will pay that higher price only because of its brand equity. Perceived quality or emotional attachment adds value to a product. For example, Nike associates its products with sportspersons so that people associate the same feeling they have for the sportspersons as they have with Nike. Defining your brand is like self exploration. It can be discomforting. One needs to know company mission, product features, and qualities people would want to see in your product.
Case studies of brand improvement: Microsoft had to prove to an audience that its browser was exciting enough. So it created an animated story. After watching the film the viewer was able to contribute ideas by a new interactive and interesting hub. Industry research suggested that Visa brand catches people’s attention for few seconds, so it created a campaign where the brand would generate interactive content designed to motivate people to dine shop and travel using small duration videos and images. This campaign uplifted the brand.
Research about the requirement of your clients is important. To create a good brand it is important to create a great logo and make it visible everywhere. Branding exists everywhere depending upon the brand’s response to clients and the corporate social research activities a brand gets involved with. The Company has to create a voice that reflects its values. It should explain if the brand is friendly, informal or conversational. Tagline is equally important in establishing the brand image. It should be catchy. People should remember it and it should reflect the essence of the brand. Hence brand standards should be made for marketing materials. Similar color schemes, logo placement, look and feel has to be used. It need not be fancy but consistent. Being honest to your brand is important else client would not come back if promises made are not delivered. For proper branding, consistency is also one of the most important factors; otherwise the brand will fail sooner or later.
