Building a Strong Brand Identity
Brand identity receives a lot of press these days. People are increasingly – and rightly – focused on what their product stands for and the value that it adds. The trouble with branding is that it’s given rise to an industry that often hides the ball out of a reflex toward self-promotion and protection. Brand strategy is not brain surgery, and consultants would be wise to focus less on the “mystique” of their craft and more on enabling and empowering clients to get the job done. Building a strong brand is an important and ultimately straightforward process, requiring adherence to a few basic guidelines and an openness to hearing what your public has to say.
Here are some branding basics, as we practice them at ETCH:
- Be consistent. Communicators often [understandably] want to redo and renew, but repetition is critical for message penetration, and your audience is not as tired of hearing the same thing as you are.
- Get creative. Too often, people build brand by mimicking success – imitating competitors’ messages because they feel tried and true. Don’t get stuck on being safe: You won’t stand out, and you’ll lose a chance to convey the authenticity that makes a brand sing.
- Know your market. You have something your target audience wants and needs. Identify and articulate that. Your people are out there – embrace them, and they’ll find their way home.
We've included some branding that we've created below. Click on any of the images to learn more.
