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Written by
Rik Mulder
Creating a unique position in the mind of your target audience. It is every brand's ultimate dream. Branding offers the opportunity to make this a reality. After all, your brand must stand out, appeal to the right target group, have the desired brand identity and image. Steps that have to be gone through one by one in building a rock-solid brand. What exactly is branding? Why should you start branding? And what are the different types of branding? We are happy to explain!
Before starting a branding journey, it is always good to take a step back. After all, building a strong brand is no easy task. Questions to think about are:
The term branding comes from the English language and literally means ‘branding’. Cows used to be branded for the purpose of farmers knowing which cow belonged to which farmer. Projecting the branding principle onto the marketing landscape, you could say that by establishing a brand or company name with a clear logo and/or corporate identity, you are branding a company.
The above explanation is ‘slightly’ too brief. In fact, branding aims to bring value to your brand and thus increase awareness. It stands for the appearance of your brand, the feeling the brand evokes in the public and the image they project for themselves of your brand. So branding is not the same as brand identity, where you flesh out the visual identity. In fact, brand identity is one of the outcomes of a branding process. Within branding, questions such as:
Branding is also primarily not about selling products or services. The consequence of good branding is that you market your products or services more easily.
Branding has evolved over the years, focusing on both internal and external. The different forms of branding have also grown. Different forms of branding are:
In personal branding, you see yourself as a brand. Especially with the advent of influencers, personal branding is more relevant than ever. In addition, celebrities, experts and artists are examples of people who use personal branding. From the philosophy of personal branding, you take a focused look at yourself, your ambitions and the (marketing) strategy you want to use to achieve your goals. As with other forms of branding, it is important to distinguish yourself from competitors and make this visible. The unique qualities you possess yourself (read: authenticity) ensure this distinction.
Corporate branding is the most well-known form of branding. Virtually every company does corporate branding. Think of a clear logo, a recognisable corporate identity or a distinctive culture. Corporate branding helps consumers choose a product or service from the full range on offer.
Corporate branding is not limited to a particular brand or name. Branding can include multiple touchpoints. such as a logo, customer service, employee treatment and training, packaging, advertising, stationery and the quality of products and services.
Internal branding refers to internally establishing or positioning your brand. Through internal branding, employee behaviour is linked to the external profiling of the organisation. You aim for employees to deliver in their behaviour what a brand promises. Internal branding can be approached through two ways, namely: outside-in and inside-out. Outside-in: translate the external brand inwards; Inside-out: build the external brand from the internal organisational culture.
Employer branding – also known as the employer brand in Dutch – relates to obtaining an authentic and distinctive preferred position in the memory of (potential) employees. The goal of employer branding is to attract the right colleagues.
What exactly branding is and what types of branding there are is clear by now. But why should every company use branding? In other words; what are the benefits of branding? We would like to list this for you.
What exactly branding is and what types of branding there are is clear by now. But why should every company use branding? In other words; what are the benefits of branding? We would like to list this for you.
Today, being unique is almost an impossible task. Almost everything you come up with already has a competitor in the market. And this is precisely why branding is so important! After all, branding allows you to stand out from the competition. The product or service you want to market may be almost identical to that of the competition, but the way you connect with your target audience makes you stand out from the competition.
Consistency and recognition (point 3) are two points that are close together. Consistency is essential for people to continue to understand you as a company. Whatever channel your brand becomes visible on, the target audience should feel they are dealing with the same brand. If the branding differs per channel, this causes confusion.
Branding creates recognisability and this, in turn, creates trust and loyalty among customers. By keeping the look and message consistent, your brand is more likely to be recognised. The ultimate goal you want to achieve through branding is for a customer to see at once that something comes from your brand. For example, when they scroll through their social media timeline. By being consistent in the message and look, you create recognition among your target audience. Not only will you stand out, the target audience will also become more comfortable with your brand, making them more likely to make a purchase. You can build this up by being and staying present with your target group in a consistent way. Social media is a great example of this, but a newsletter works great too!
Today, the range of different brands is bigger than ever. As a result, people today are looking for different reasons to buy from you. The emotional connection a potential customer has with your company then makes the difference in whether they choose you or not. This is because the emotion a brand brings with it creates more trust. As a result, they may or may not follow through to a purchase. Not only are they more likely to buy from you, but they are also more likely to recommend the brand to others.
Solid branding not only provides external guidance but also provides internal direction. It is easy to go in a certain direction with blinders on and stray from your original goal. A clear branding strategy also keeps you focused internally. Your branding helps you be and stay strategic.
Do you want to get started with a rock-solid brand? Or do you want to rebrand your current brand because it no longer reflects reality or what you want to convey? We are happy to be there for you and turn every building block around. That way, we will come up with a branding that seamlessly connects to your motives and that makes you stand out from the competition. Not quickly and thoughtlessly, but ‘bit by bit’. Contact us without obligation.
