You decide it’s finally time to start your dream business, congratulations! Everything is ready to go, except people keep throwing the word “branding” around. You think this means you’ll need a logo, and you’re all set, right?
Wrong.
Your brand is more than just a logo.
So, where do you start? The best way to think about branding is by envisioning your new business as a person. What is their favorite color? What is their personality like? What is their purpose in life? What kind of people are friends with them? I can go on, but exploratory questions like these really help get to the core of who your brand is.
After answering these questions, you feel like you have a better understanding of your brand. With your launch date approaching soon, it’s time to get to work. After researching and trying to do the branding yourself, you realize you need help from the pros. Reaching out to a branding agency is the logical next step! This business is your dream, and you want to do it justice, so making this decision is the right way to go.
You shop around and find your perfect agency. They have experience in many different industries and have done branding projects in the past. Plus, there is mutual trust and understanding, which is key in a partnership! When they present you with a proof, you fully understand that your brand is so much more than just a logo. Each piece is essential to reaching your business goals and clearly defining your brand. You have received a mission statement, goals, tagline and tone of voice to help you, your employees and customers better understand your business's personality. The brand standards, photography direction, typography, symbols, patterns, dos and don'ts, brand elements, colors and finally - the logo you receive will help in creating a consistent and recognizable brand.
Feeling like you’ve met your brand for the first time, it’s ready to hit the market. So how will your audience find you? How do they know you’re launching soon? You guessed it. It’s time for social media and a digital presence. Branding translates across social media because every single post should be on-brand. Meaning the imagery and captions should be easily recognizable as your business and follow your brand guidelines. Each post brings you closer to reaching your audience and achieving your overall mission. Your branding agency will help you with these steps and run your accounts. In order to spread brand awareness about your new company, they will run social and digital ads. Plus, the numbers don’t lie - your audience is excited for your product to hit the market. Engagement is through the roof on social media. You’re even on the first Google page when people search for the product category. They’re practically lining up with their money in hand.
Your website is booming. You’re getting traffic, and people are exploring your site. Your branding agency focused on creating an easy-to-navigate site, and it’s successful. Everything about your website is centered around your brand's look, feel, and mission. Your audience knows exactly where to purchase your product, your brand’s story, social handles and interactive content.
Before your product even hits the market, you’ve already built meaningful relationships with your audience. They already trust you and are ready to experience your brand.
It’s launch day. And it's a hit.
Everything goes as planned, and some stores that carry your product are even sold out! People are sharing pictures and tagging you on social media. The website traffic is insane. You feel such an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. You’ve built your dream business, and it has succeeded.
You and your agency are thrilled. But it doesn’t stop here. Constantly monitoring and maintaining your brand is crucial for long-term success. Think about your favorite brands (Coca-Cola, Nike, and Starbucks are perfect examples), they clearly didn’t stop after launch day. Your agency proposes a plan moving forward to ensure your brand stays top of mind and relevant with your audience. You should expect your brand to evolve and grow over time, just like people do.
Now, imagine how it would’ve gone without getting help from a branding agency? It’s a different story, right? One that is likely less successful.
Branding is more than just a logo.
-Claire, Junior Graphic Designer
Want to learn more about branding? Some companies post their brand guidelines! Here’s a few examples to study:
https://creative.starbucks.com/
https://www.youtube.com/about/brand-resources/#logos-icons-colors
