What do you think of when someone says the word “branding?”

Or if someone were to ask you, “What do you do to get your brand recognized?”

To successfully answer these questions, one must know what branding is and how branding can impact your business either positively or negatively.

Strong branding is essential to brand recognition and is vital to the success of your business. For a start-up venture, this is, even more, the case. Branding goes far beyond merely having a memorable logo (although that is indeed part of your brand). Branding increases the value of a company, provides employees with direction and motivation, and makes acquiring new customers easier.

So, what exactly is a brand, and how can Bianca Frank Design help you to create a brand for your organization?

In short: Your brand is everything. The brand associated with a business represents the sum of people’s perceptions of a company’s customer service, reputation, advertising, and logo. When all of these parts of the business are working well together, the overall brand tends to be healthy; however, when one or more of these elements are weak, the brand and, therefore, the company could suffer.

Creating and marketing a memorable and successful brand on your own can be challenging. This is even more so the case when you, the business owner, are trying to market, advertise, and build brand recognition, all while trying to run your business and maintain customer service and your product moving. For these reasons, choosing a professional like Bianca Frank Design in Anchorage, Alaska, for your business branding needs can make the process of building your brand easier and even more successful.

Why is a Strong Brand Valuable?

A strong brand is valuable for several reasons:

1. Branding Improves Recognition

Think of companies you know simply by their logo. Think of businesses such as Nike, Starbucks, Buffalo Wild Wings, McDonald’s, and Mercedes. These companies have been around for a while, and in most cases, a customer would not need the words associated with the logo to recognize the advertised company. The logo your company puts forth as the center of its advertising is essential to building brand recognition.

One of the significant components of a brand is indeed the logo. The logo often becomes the face of the business because it is the element of the company that people immediately recognize. It can also help to separate one business from another. For example, there are many four-door sedans on the road that look remarkably similar; however, their logo helps to set them apart in the eyes of a customer.

Your logo design needs to be simple enough to be memorable (and easily inserted into your marketing products) but powerful enough to signify the impression you want your company to present.

2. Branding Fosters Trust

Customers are more likely to purchase products from a business that appears legitimate and polished. Also, those businesses that present a vision of reliable customer service, employee satisfaction, and product integrity are more likely to see a more extensive customer base. All of these elements of a business can grow or decline due to how you market your brand to your customer base.

Additionally, your branding spreads to all aspects of your companies, marketing, and advertising. This includes your website and social media feeds. Your website needs to include robust content that addresses the questions your customers have about your product or services. Your website should feature the same look, feel, and colors of your logo (if not the logo itself) to further reinforce the sense that your business is reputable and an expert in your product or service area.

3. Branding Supports Advertising

Another vital component of your brand is advertising. There are several critical elements to running a successful advertising campaign. If you are not familiar with these, reach out to Bianca Frank Design in Anchorage, Alaska. She can help you to understand how elements of an advertising campaign such as the medium chosen and demographic targeted can help build your brand.

Adding your logo to various marketing materials such as pens, mailers, newsletters, or other items you may choose to “give away” with customer orders is another form of advertising that can get your brand noticed. For example, if your company sends out a free pen or keychain with every order you ship for a month, those pens are likely to get into the hands of both current and potential new customers.

Potential customers will see the items in use and ask questions about your business. This can lead to more business and further brand recognition for your company. This is the cliff notes version of how branding can support your advertising campaign.

4. Branding Increases Financial Value

Companies that are publicly traded on a stock exchange are typically valued at many times the actual hard asset value of the company. Much of this value is determined due to the branding or brand recognition of the company. This is because a strong brand often guarantees future business over the long term.

Whether a company is in the position to borrow funds for expansion or leading up to an initial public offering, being perceived as more valuable to potential investors will make the process more beneficial for the business owner. Where investing and financial value are concerned, the more dedication a business puts into building its brand recognition and brand value, the stronger the financial return on its efforts will be.

A unified and consistent brand generally means a company is or will be better positioned for any future expansions or operational changes and improvements it wants to make in the future.

5. Branding Inspires Employees

Sometimes employees need more than just the day-to-day at work. Employees come into work each day and often seek something to work towards in the form of a goal or achievement. When employees better understand the mission statement of a business and why that business does what it does, they are more likely to share pride in the company’s goals.

In addition, they are more likely to feel motivated to help the company work towards achieving the business goals that are communicated to them. Having a strong brand can be akin to using the company logo as a rallying call that employees and management alike can get behind.

6. Branding Generates New Customers (and often holds on to existing ones)

A robust and dependable brand can also help a business get those coveted word-of-mouth referrals. Your brand and logo are the secrets to making this possible. Think about it. Would a current customer be able to tell a potential one about that fantastic coffee shop on the corner if they couldn’t remember the brand of the shop?

The ability for customers, new and old, to have your business on the tip of their tongue when someone asks for advice or a referral is essential to building your brand. The most profitable businesses (of all sizes) have one crucial thing in common; they have established themselves as industry leaders through a strong brand. They are the “go-to” company people mention when someone asks, “Where should I go for…?”

If you are a new business looking to build your brand or even a business that has been in the game for a while and is looking to reestablish or reinvigorate your brand, look to Bianca Frank Design in Anchorage. We will work with you to develop the vital components of your brand necessary to ensure recognition within your customer base. The idea of building your brand from the ground up can be daunting and undesirable. Let Bianca Frank Design help you get your brand out there!