What is a brand and how do I build and manage it?
Your brand is so much more than your company name and logo. It is a set of expectations and associations which fuse together to make customers feel a certain way when interacting with your company. Branding is knowing what you stand for and bringing it to life in everything you do. There are a number of different techniques and approaches outlined in the resources below, from thinking of your new brand as a living person, to defining your brand’s mission statement, brand values and tone of voice. Once you have your brand guidelines in place, then – and only then – can you layer it with brilliant design.
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WHEN: You are about to start any branding activity.
WHY: It takes 20 second to read but the insights last forever.
WHAT: A micro blog post (eight short sentences). Summary: keep your promises.
OTHER: Seth Godin has published a number of books on Marketing including This is Marketing.
WHEN: You have not started working on your brand and want some inspiration from a real-life business.
WHY: Seeing how to set out strict guidelines on how customers will interpret your brand will streamline all elements of your business.
WHAT: A short article written by an entrepreneur launching a premium product on their branding journey.
WHEN: Your business has evolved and your brand no longer serves you well.
WHY: Decide between a rebrand (significant effort and resource investment) and a brand uplift (to be done every two years or so).
WHAT: An article written jointly by entrepreneur who rebranded and the design agency who made it happen.
WHEN: You are ready to jump in and prototype your ideas. Particularly useful for businesses fronted by you as a person, rather than a company brand.
WHY: Forces you to think about your customer, their pain points, and what you stand for as a brand.
WHAT: An energising five-day online programme to build your own brand by Pat Flynn. Day 1 is relevant to all businesses, but the rest is only useful if you want to build your own website.
WHEN: You need to name your business.
WHY: There’s no magic formula, but following a structured process will encourage a better outcome.
WHAT: Video and article featuring recommendations on how to approach picking a name.
WHEN: Your brand is online; it has a website, active social media and is receiving independent reviews.
WHY: Give yourself the tools and guidelines to maintain a positive reputation online.
WHAT: Short article that links to further resources covering six ways to pragmatically protect your brand, including managing negative reviews, tracking when you are mentioned on the internet and how to offer a high level of customer service online.