Branding dates back to 2700 B.C., when Egyptians used henna to mark the hides of their livestock with a unique, weatherproof design. If an animal were lost, stolen or mixed in with another herd, the one-of-a-kind symbol identified the proper owner. A simple, effective practice to be sure, which is why it’s still in use today.
What’s not as old (or simple) is the discipline of branding a company, product or service in an ever-changing, crowded consumer and competitive landscape. If your brand finds itself "mixed in" with other brands, can the consumer readily identify you and what you represent?
In short, a brand is a promise to your customers, a story that’s updated with every single interaction with your product whether physical or visceral.
Building a strong, focused brand is among the most important and difficult phases of the marketing process. Some major corporations talk a good game about their own brand, but when asked, are powerless to express what it means and where it’s headed. Others micro-manage a brand to the point of paralysis — or worse, confusion. But even the least experienced brand managers among us know: you ignore your own brand at your own peril.
Compare it to successful parenting: agree to and establish a firm foundation for the brand; protect it from harm when it’s too young to defend itself; adhere to a sensible framework that’s flexible enough to accommodate change; and when it matures, have faith it will handle responsibility.
In other words, you’ll have achieved the Three C’s, the holy grail of branding:
And to arrive at the above, a brand strategy is paramount.
This roadmap results from taking a cold, hard look at your audience, the competition, your differentiators, and many other elements — then aiming your brand smack-dab at your objectives.
We can help you get there. How? By performing a Brand Lab wiith your brand’s stakeholders.
