Do We Really Know What a "Brand" Is?

 

Think about every single product that you use daily. Let’s take your phone for example. In recent times, a phone is an indispensable resource that is with you through all times. Our question to you is, what brand of phone are you using? Apple? Samsung? Xiaomi? Vivo? 

And, why THIS brand?

If you’re thinking about good features, value for money, great camera, good memory and other characteristics that are typically related to a phone’s performance then you are attributing values to the brand itself. That’s exactly what a brand is all about. Brands are companies initially who have put in time and effort to create an image of themselves in your mind.

Let’s make it simpler. If you think about Apple, what is the first thing you can think about apart from the new Iphone 14? It’s a high-end premium brand and if you have anything Apple then you’re regarded to have class and quality. That is what a brand is and what they take years of work to achieve.

How can we define a brand?

In marketing terms, a brand is a name, it is a product, a symbol, or even a feature that distinguishes one company from another. There are thousands, nay millions of brands around the world and the way that they portray themselves in the minds of their consumers is what sets them apart from one another. We all know what a brand is but the branding part of it, i.e. the process involved in turning a company or a product into something exponential that encourages consumers to interact with it is all that matters in a company.

How to get started on branding as a newbie?

If you are just getting started on branding for your company, here’s a roadmap of checkpoints that you wouldn’t want to miss:

➣  Define what your brand is all about

Clear communication on what you are about. Evaluate who you are as a brand. What is your vision i.e. what are your steps to achieving a goal in the foreseeable future? Ponder over them and clearly make a compelling statement. What is your mission through establishing the company i.e. what are you trying to achieve on behalf of your customers and with your brand. The way that you define your purpose of being a brand is very important for you as a company and for communicating to your customers.

➣ Who are you targeting?

Who do you want to sell to? Who is the ideal person who will be using your product? Basically, what are the demographics of your ideal customer? Knowing who you are going to be selling to makes a great impact on how you are going to communicate to them and build a lasting impression and relationship with them. 

➣ What makes you different from your competitors? 

There might be hundreds of companies that are going to be selling the same product that you are planning to sell. What makes you different from the rest of the companies? What is it that customers can say is different about you compared to everyone else in the market. Is it the pricing that you offer? The extra customer support services in the end? The added benefits with each product? List out your Unique Selling Points and make sure to stick to them for a longer brand retention. 

 

➣ What’s your origin story?

Origin stories always drive emotion from those who know about it. The way in which you communicate your origin to the world can be your driving factor for defining your brand. Most brand stories form the base for branding and it may also be the main reason for the selling of products. Take Apple for example, their brand story and how they came about has been a constant inspiration for a long-lasting legacy. Origin stories are meant to inspire and cultivate a “we” feeling between customers and the company.

 ➣ Define your roadmap for branding and stick to it?

Similar to the saying - “Rome was not built in a day”, branding also cannot be done and left alone in a short period of time. Branding is a long-term process and requires a commitment to the process. If you are new to branding, make a long-term goal and then break it up to short-term plans with ways of achieving it. A brand with a plan is the first step to achieving the “image” that you want in the minds of your prospects and customers.

In Conclusion

A brand is all about the amount of effort that companies put into their image to portray themselves in a competitive market. It’s a bond of everlasting trust between companies and their prospects and takes years to make. Now that you have a basic idea of what branding is all about, we’ve compiled some case studies on branding that are worth the read.

We at DigikoreDigital are experts in assisting companies reach their ideal targets when it comes to all digital marketing services. We provide web development, branding, digital marketing, and core marketing-related services that are bound to help your company achieve its long-term and short-term goals in a giffy. For more information, write to us at contact@digikoredigital.com.