This post is the beginning of a post series entitled ‘Things I’ve Learnt About...’. I hope to use it to further my own learning but also to teach people things I’ve learnt about various media and career topics.
So, we begin with branding and brands. A few weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with the following thought in my head: brands and branding are not the final destination, but a journey. This I feel underpins my own creative mission over the last few months in the form of ‘ofbeth’ – it has been a journey but it will never finish. This is now becoming even more prevalent as I begin to think about consultancy and maube becoming a marketing consultant.
Definitions
I’m currently three quarters of the way through a document that is sort of a mini dictionary that I plan to unveil as a resource in the not too distant future. However, until then, I will state what my understanding of brand and branding is and quote a few people who have given their views on what they think the term means.
Mine
Brand - a set of marketing and communication methods that help to distinguish companies from their competitors and creates a lasting impression of them to their customers.
Branding - when powerful meanings or associations are attached to products and includes work on the reputation and imagery of the company.
Others
‘Personal branding [is] what people think about you or remember about you once you leave the room.’ (The Science of Social Media Podcast)
‘Branding itself is a comparatively recent process evolving from the essential need for manufacturers to distinguish their products and services from the commodity sectors within which they operate. [...] A brand is defined as a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or service as different from that of other sellers. A brand name may identify one item, a family of items or all items of that seller.’ (Tony Yeshin, ‘Advertising’, 2011)
‘It’s being yourself but the best version of it!’ (Jennifer Holloway on the Goal Digger Podcast)
‘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, 2009).
Creating a Brand
All brands are different but they all include the same elements – a logo, colour palette, slogan, specifically chosen fonts, style and tone of speech and/or writing, a website and a selection of social media accounts. These elements can all be tied together and presented in the creation of a brand guide document. However, before any of that can be decided on, the brand must have a name and a mission – WHY it is being produced in the first place.
Though my own brand was created on the basis of renaming my social media accounts on a whim last year, I have furthered the WHY through thinking about my niche and unique selling point (USP). This began even earlier on in my professional development planning in the formation of a personal SWOT (my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). I would recommend that if you are planning on producing your own brand, then thinking about and coming up with the niche, USP and SWOTs are a really good place to start.
My Brand ‘ofbeth’
Right now, my brand consists of a name, logo, WIX website that includes a blog, Twitter account, Instagram account, my LinkedIn and media kit. I know that this is a lot but there is still more that I could include – email marketing, analytics, a podcast, videos, speaking on panels or at talks... There is also the possibility that my brand may change as my career unfolds but, as my sleep brain noted, it’s a journey, not a destination!
In terms of how I created my branding, I have formulated a brand guide presentation on Canva which includes the following: a brand overview; vision and mission; brand personality; brand voice; chosen design elements and how to use them and; contact information/links. I’ve already put my media kit up on my LinkedIn profile but I may publish both to you, my audience, as resources once I’ve gotten my email subscription up and running.
Questions to Ask When Creating a Brand
What do you want your ideal client or customer to think when they first see your branding?
Why are you choosing to use certain colours, fonts, graphics and imagery?
How is your brand different from other businesses/individuals in your industry?
Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter?
What is your unique selling point/proposition?
What is the mission of your brand? What are its values? What is its future?
My Tips!
Create a Pinterest board for inspiration.
Learn how to use online tools such as Canva, WIX and, if you have access to or the money to buy them, Adobe software.
Be creative but also legible and accessible friendly.
Know what the biggest trends are in terms of design.
Make design decisions based off of and related to the reasoning of your specific brand.
Start writing a blog or creating content.
Keep a log of your branding progress and understand that more needs to be done!
I hope that this post has helped those of you with your own brands to have a rethink and those of you who do not have a brand to get started! Let me know in the comments what your brand is or would be.
Beth x