A successful brand is what makes a company memorable. It is a set of defining features to use within your marketing – drawing in customers and telling them exactly what your company is all about.
But just what are the key ingredients that go into building a brand? There are many different features that can make up a brand from radio jingles to mascots.
However, some features are more vital than others. Below are 5 of the features that every brand needs.
Message
At the core of every successful brand is a clear brand message. This message will elevate your branding and tells people who your target audience are, what your values are and what your USP is.
Common brand messages include helping to save the planet, offering the cheapest prices or offering the best quality.
Many companies find a slogan or tagline to summarise their brand message. For example, until recently Asda used ‘That’s Asda Price’ to market its uniquely low prices. It’s worth noting that slogans are not essential to your brand, and that you can convey your message through other brand ingredients.
Name
A brand name is clearly very important, and yet many business owners don’t put much thought into it. The best brand names are snappy, distinctive and in line with technical SEO best practice. It’s vital that your brand name is not trademarked by any other company and that it is not offensive in any way.
A brand name can be used to communicate your brand message. For example, Spotify gets its name because it helps customers ‘spot’ new music, while Zoom gets its name because it aims to make communication fast. However, you don’t have to use words that convey your brand message. In fact, some brand names are made up of completely random or even made-up words simply to be memorable (such as Google, Kodak and Oreo). By working with a brand naming company, you could help invent a brand name that is successful.
Logo
The logo is probably what most people think of when they hear the word ‘brand’. It is an important part of visual branding that can help to make your company more professional and memorable. A prominent logo can also help to bring a sense of consistency to all your marketing and documentation from flyers to emails.
Logos typically contain the brand name. However, sometimes a picture or a symbol or an initial can end up becoming the logo (such as Apple’s apple logo, Nike’s ‘swoosh’ and the McDonalds ‘M’). Many logos help to convey the brand message and they often contain the brand colour scheme. In recent years, simple logos have become increasingly more favourable as they are easier to display on a small screen than highly detailed logos. A graphic designer could help you to design a logo.
Colour scheme
Using a certain colour throughout your marketing can also help to provide consistency. Notable examples of brands that use a specific colour throughout their market include Cadbury (purple), Coca-Cola (red) and Apple (white).
Just which colour should you choose? Different colours have different psychological associations and it’s important to consider this when choosing a colour. For example, blue is associated with calmness and trust and is often used by tech companies and financial companies. Green meanwhile suggests freshness and nature and is used by many eco-friendly brands and organic foods companies.
Tone of voice
A final brand ingredient that is often overlooked is tone of voice. This is the language you use in your marketing – which could range from your social media posts to product packaging. The right tone of voice can help to communicate both the brand message and the formality of the brand, and could include using certain words or phrases. Copywriters can be hired to help you come up with this tone of voice and channel it.
A tone of voice is sometimes conveyed through the voice of a mascot to add more personality. Examples of brands that have developed distinctive tones of voice delivered through a mascot include language-learning app Duolingo and real ale brewery Hobgoblin. Such tones of voice are less popular with B2B companies as they can make a brand seem too informal or childish, however there are exceptions that have been very effective such as Mailchimp.
Conclusion
By incorporating these 5 ingredients, you are almost certain to come up with a winning brand. Marketing companies can help you to come up with these brand elements and put them into action effectively. It’s worth noting that you can rebrand your business at a later date if you feel that your company is changing and your brand no longer reflects it.