Branding

However, as branding becomes a mainstream practice and concept, it also risks being widely misunderstood. Branding is not simply about creating a logo, strapline and graphics to ‘paste’ onto a company, country or person. A ‘rebrand’ will not instantly change the way that an organisation or entity is perceived or behaves. A brand encompasses the perception of it and its reputation, as well as its tangible ‘look and feel’. It relates to the behaviour of a company as well as to the customer experience of it. Its impact is quantifiable. The brand itself applies both within and outside of an organisation – to customers and employees. Successful brands are those that are dynamic and adaptable, that are able to evolve as markets change and audiences segment. A brand is not simply about looking good....

A brand strategy is critical to determine the direction for the brand. A strategy should detail areas such as understanding the brand’s audience, its market (including competitors) and should also integrate with the vision of the company. A company may also commission research into audience needs and experiences of the brand.

The strategy will feed into the brand development stage, which involves creating a look and feel for the brand, including the brand language (often referred to as its ‘tone of voice’) as well as the logo and name. An entire rebrand such as a name or logo change may not be necessary, but changing the visual aspects of the brand can reinvigorate or modernise it....

A critical part of brand execution is defining how to best communicate the brand. Branding agencies should play a key role here, by developing a communications plan for the brand’s ongoing presence ... A communications strategy should cover both the employee and external communications execution for the brand....

Any sustainable organisation needs ongoing brand management as part of its business. Branding is not a short-term, quick-hit process – a brand must be managed from its inception and throughout its lifetime. The launch is only the start.

This text has been extracted from:
The Fundamentals of Branding by Melissa Davis
It is reproduced with kind permission from AVA Publishing