Now, more than ever, customers are judging a company by its overall branding. Signage, recognition and awareness are key to communicating with your customers - especially in a post-pandemic world.
So how do you ensure a top-notch, growth-focused brand identity, when your customer engagement is being done mostly behind a screen? It’s not just about your logo, but how your logo interacts with a multitude of elements to create an identity system for your brand.
Don’t let poor branding do the talking for your business! Let us help you get a better understanding of brand identity, and the importance it plays in your company.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR BRAND STORY
When it comes to your company, storytelling can be extremely powerful. Iconic brands such as Apple, Amazon and Coca-Cola are great examples of the power behind a brand story. There’s no denying that these legendary brands have been doing a great job at brand-driven storytelling, but how did they get there?
Create truth and trust in your brand story. It’s important to understand that a large part of building a credible brand is the story behind it. If your brand story is authentic, your brand will be as well.
A really good brand story shapes the reason for your company’s existence and connects with your customers. A great example is our client, Cheekbone Beauty.
From the moment you land on their website, it’s obvious that this Indigenous beauty brand exists to celebrate the history of Indigenous peoples. Their tagline Do Good, Feel Good, Look Good tells their customers who they are, what they’ve created and why they’re here.
BUILDING YOUR BRAND VOICE
A brand voice is all-encompassing. It’s the emotional response that your brand evokes when your customers are engaging with your content. This includes everything from the carefully crafted language and design assets to the tone and style of communication.
Cheekbone Beauty’s brand voice is warm, empowering and up-lifting. They connect with their customers through vibrant visuals and consistent, clean content. Breathtaking aesthetics combined with an exciting E-commerce experience makes it even easier for their website visitors to stand behind the several causes that Cheekbone Beauty supports.
It’s safe to say that each element of the website was supported by the conscious decision to bring visibility to Indigenous culture and its community. Whether you’re browsing online or engaging with Cheekbone on social media, you can feel the warmth of their brand voice.
How can this be accomplished? The secret ingredient is consistency matched with various branding exercises. At H&C Inc. our team of experienced digital marketers and designers can help guide you in the right direction to create a brand voice, driven by your personality.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAND STANDARDS
At the expense of sounding like a broken record, consistency is key throughout your branding process. The core of your company’s consistency can be created through colours, messaging and typography. In other words, your business needs a Brand Standards Guide.
To put it simply, brand standards are a style guide for your staff members, clients, partners and anyone who may need to represent your company. Elements in your Brand Standards Guide can include your company’s mission and vision statements, colour palette, typography, logo design, imagery, and tone.
ONGOING BRAND MAINTENANCE
Once you’ve polished your brand story, balanced your brand voice and beautified your Brand Standards Guide, you should be well on your way to making the perfect statement about your business. It’s important to remember that your company’s brand is a living, breathing piece of your business. Successful brand maintenance is a key survival factor for all businesses.
Connect with the H&C Inc. team today to ensure that your brand never falls behind! We will lead you through various branding exercises to understand and identify your brand story, build your brand voice and create standards that best represent your company.