Brands are everywhere we look. At this point in history, recognizing a brand is second nature to many. Further, effective brands can take on a life of their own, influencing our society in ways that individuals typically couldn’t.
Still, behind every brand is a team of people who worked continuously to build it up, adapt it over time, and solidify its impact. As brands grow more prominent in our lives, central guidelines for building a brand have emerged.
The five essential elements of building a brand are: identity, values, messaging, audience, and positioning.
In today’s blog, we will go into detail about each aspect of building an effective brand, as well as some useful ideas to consider when building your brand.
Identity
Brand identity is likely the first thing you might think of when considering what’s most important in building a brand. And you’re not wrong – establishing a strong identity for your brand is arguably the most crucial step you’ll take, not to mention often being the first step taken in the process.
Identity is something everyone can understand, as it is human nature to have and recognize a sense of personal identity. That’s also part of why having a unique identity for your business is so necessary.
When developing your brand’s identity, consider these points:
- What visual aspects convey your brand’s purpose?
- How can you stand out from others – visually, verbally, or otherwise?
- How do each of your brand identity elements coincide with each other? (HINT: being cohesive is key).
Values
Developing brand values is typically the next step to take in building a solid brand – after establishing an identity. Sure, your brand’s aesthetic is certainly vital to making an impression on your audience, however, your brand’s values are what people look to when deciding how they feel about your brand.
Brand values are much like personal values. They are a brand’s core beliefs that spread to many aspects of its operation, including employee relationships, means of production (regardless of the “product”), and how a brand interacts with its audience or competitors.
When identifying your brand’s most influential values, consider these points:
- What is the overall goal of your brand?
- And can what be consolidated from that into a mission statement?
- What impact do you want to make – on your audience, your industry, etc.?
- How will your values guide the way your brand operates?
Messaging
Brand messaging has a lot to do with the communications that your brand sends out. Often attributed to the tone your brand uses on social media and other communications. Messaging refers to the way you present your brand to others and is sometimes coupled with the term “brand voice,” since words – written or verbal – are the key here.
And, the types of messaging that your brand relays can be considered a part of your identity as well. TIP: You’ll find that a lot of the aspects of building a brand mix with each other in this way.
When drafting your brand’s messaging, consider these questions:
- What differences are there between your external and internal communications strategy?
- Do you have a clear vision for how you want your communications to sound?
- Are you listening to your audience – and analyzing your competitors?
Audience
If you work in marketing or the many other industries that require a customer base, you’ve probably heard the words “target audience” thrown around. In terms of building a brand, discerning your audience is key to your brand’s success.
As we know, reaching audiences (and gaining loyal customers) are the only ways that brands can be successful – it’s how the world of business operates. More often than not, brands won’t just start communicating their visions to anyone – or worse, everyone – they have specific individuals or groups of people in mind.
When deciding who your brand’s audience could be, consider these points:
- What kinds of people need your product or service?
- Who would be most impacted or benefited by what your brand does?
- Is the problem you’re seeking to solve for your audience already being solved by another prominent brand?
- How can your approach out-compete that competition? – Which leads us to our final element: positioning.
Positioning
Brand positioning, our final essential element of building a brand, is one that can potentially get forgotten about along the way. Especially when first establishing a brand, it is easy to forget about all of the other brands out there – and how they can affect your overall success.
The gist of brand positioning can be summed up in a few open-ended questions: how does your brand fit in, or stand out, amongst other similar brands in your industry? And further, how can you let your target audience know what sets you apart from the rest?
When determining how you want to position your brand, consider these points:
- What makes you unique? This ties into multiple other brand elements, such as identity and voice. Creating a strong brand identity that is distinct from others in your industry is a great place to start.
- Be authentic: Your audience will more than likely want to know whether or not your brand has verifiable authenticity. Ensuring that you are truthful and credible in what your brand is putting out is vital to your longterm success.
- Don’t ghost! Just like the social media no-no of “posting and ghosting,” your brand needs to prioritize consistency in order to make it. Making a splash at the beginning of your brand’s journey is all fine and good, but continuing to show up for your audience afterward is even more important. Consistency and quality are key.
Finding Success in Building a Brand
While these elements are widely considered the starting points for building a brand, that doesn’t mean that other questions or needs won’t pop up as you’re developing your brand. Listen to your intuition – and your coworkers! Keeping an open mind is a big help in reaching your goals.
And, when building your brand, remember that you are allowed to make the process your own – while still considering what others have learned (and both can occur at the same time!).
At KSR, we have the experience of building great brands. If you have questions on how to approach building your own brand or are looking for a partner in your brand’s continued success, reach out to us! We’re happy to help.
