Why does your brand exist?

Some may say the brand is a promise, or that it is the impressions you make on an audience. Like Marty Neumeier said, “A customer’s gut feeling about a product, service or company.” It is what’s happening in people’s heads. The reputation and the result. So you don’t just have one version to your brand but each of your customers will have a different version to what they think of your brand. And that is alright as long as you have the main brand value in place and those versions are beneficial to the business. Take Apple for example, we both may have a different way we look at the brand. To me, Apple is an organisation that makes me feel organised, everything is simple and I have the freedom to be really creative.

Branding is important for any business. Branding is key. I always wondered what do brand designers do? what is involved? When it comes to branding, I learnt that a lot goes into building a successful brand. A lot of work, patience, consistency, improvements, research and flawless designs to make the brand stand out. Building a brand means building a reputation that people will remember for centuries. Not only remember but be able to relate to the values and the why. I think the why Is very crucial to any business, it allows the consumer to understand the purpose of the brand. The values of the brand has to be something meaningful. If you have read Simon Sinek’s book, start with why. He talks about the why, the why to the business is very important. Why most companies out there are successful and why some aren’t. Why does your brand exist? Why do you do, what you do? He also talks about the golden circle, which is the why, how and what. Most of us when asked about our brand we say what we do and how we do it. Sometimes we do say why but not in the correct order. 

For example, “we make healthy snack and we have the best factories with the best ingredients.” To me, this isn’t very exciting. It just makes me think that you are just like every other healthy eating snacks companies out there. What if you started it like this, “we want to saves lives, instead of eating an unhealthy snack that could jeopardise your health? Our snack can save you and fulfil that urge. Be confident in your health, just a bite away. Our factories make the best snacks with tested quality ingredients. Revolutionise your health now.” 

That sounds like something I would buy, wouldn’t you? I started with the why, the what and then how. The why explained the purpose for the existence of the brand but also what we believe in. What we stand for. This opened the door for the consumer to be able to relate and create a sense of trust. After that the loyalty will come into play and if that goes well, they will tell everyone else about you. Loyalty is what every brand wants and if you are able to achieve that, everything else will go very smoothly for you. There might be a better healthy snack or another brand that might have better products or service than you, but your loyal customers will always choose you over your competitors. That’s a fact. 

“A Brand is what you are known for” 

It is important that you are able to position your brand correctly in the market, therefore establishing a powerful brand value, messaging, long term vision, the look, the feel and the why will help you succeed. When it comes to branding you have to ask, how do I want to be remembered? What reputation and legacy will I build? 

So let me ask you this question, do you think branding is important? Do you think everyone should invest in branding?