Starting a business is very exciting and exciting for entrepreneurs. Anticipation by phase of the product launch can lead that they ignore the importance of the phase branding features. So, in this article it will be explained what is branding and where it is applied.

What happens to many startups and small companies are developing a product, sometimes with a lot of potential to change worlds, and fail to reach the public. This can be very demotivating and it is easy to place the blame on a marketing strategy little adequate. But in reality, most of the time it is in a defective brand and not in marketing.

It is extremely difficult or even impossible to successfully market a product without a strong brand identity. That is why the branding it cannot be devalued by new entrepreneurs and also by companies already well established in the market. In other words, brand management directly influences the success or failure of a company. Therefore, it must be defined as soon as it is the basis for the marketing.

Branding it is a complex brand management process that does not bring immediate results, but produces long-term results in the medium / long term if applied well.

This strategy has been used by large global companies for a long time. It is through this that the slogan “Just do it” is automatically associated with Nike or the symbol of a broken apple with Apple.

Startups They tend to invest in branding only when they see their failed marketing campaigns, which can sometimes be irreversible and result in business failure. That is why, branding it must be something to take into account already in the embryonic phases of a business.

What is branding?

Branding it is a brand management strategy for a particular company, involving long-term planning. Thus, the goal is to make it stronger and more present in the market, being easily recognized by the public, admired and desired by the products it offers.

It represents a constant effort and should be treated as a company project. All of its constituents contribute because to get outsiders interested in the products, it is necessary to start with those inside the business.

Branding it includes the premise that a brand needs to be planned, structured, managed and promoted. Thus, it ensures that all its potential customers, suppliers and all parties involved understand the company's position. Furthermore, it increases your relevance and visibility in the market in order to get a good reputation with the public.

This concept involves more of an emotional consumer connection than advertising. Whether to connect with the public, grow in the market, attract investments for the business or increase sales, a company needs a strong brand. That's why the branding it is necessary either for a startup whether for a globally recognized company.

What is a brand?

It is quite common for people to associate a brand only with the company logo. While this is a fundamental part of it, a brand encompasses so much more. A brand is not just a logo, a name or a visual entity. It is a set of feelings and experiences that the public has about the product that the company offers and encompasses everything that represents a business.

Thus, a brand involves sounds, colors, typography, shapes and many other elements that make it unique and distinct from others. These need shared values ​​that will influence all company actions, from product development to the moment it is launched on the market, applying marketing strategies. This path will lead to market positioning, which is one of the main reasons people relate and remain loyal to a certain brand.

It should be noted that each person has their own perception of things due to different social, cultural, economic contexts, experiences of each individual. Which implies that there will be different interpretations regarding the brands. One of the concerns of the branding is to provide satisfying and unique experiences from start to finish, hence the reinforcement of the idea that this is an action that must be implemented by all companies.

How to apply brand management?

Defining a brand is not something you do overnight. It is a complex process that involves choosing the right strategies to make a brand strong and present in the market. At the same time, it implies guaranteeing personality and humanity in the messages to be conveyed.

The first step is to understand who the company is and what its values ​​are. The company needs to have a strong and coherent identity. So through branding it will reach high levels of prominence, increasing its chances of becoming one of the leaders in the market in question.

Next are some strategies used in branding to achieve the company's goals.

Company initial reflection

In order to build a brand, it is necessary for the entrepreneur to analyze their business in detail in order to identify the reasons for this. This reflection serves to identify the unique components of this that will help in connecting with the audience and consists of the following points:

Purpose

Definition of the reason for existing. At this stage, the entrepreneur must determine why the company was created and what their motivations are, or determine why customers or employees believe in the business. Often, this purpose ends up becoming the company's slogan.

Promise

It represents what the company is committed to doing in practice in order to make the purpose a reality. While purpose works inwardly of discovery and understanding about how to change the world, the promise makes it palpable.

attributes

It is the characteristics and values ​​of the brand that define how it will achieve its goals, from the form of communication to the way employees work. Through these, the humanization of the brand will be established and aligned with expectations.

positioning

It consists of defining a company's values, mission and vision. To achieve this, the entrepreneur must understand the market and what consumers need and want, and then they must look inside the company and understand how their solution can respond in a relevant way and establish its place in the market.

visual entity of the company

Having a visual entity allows companies to be easily recognized with just a color, icon or logo. However, there is a set of elements that allow you to create a consistent brand in your visual communication with the public.

The first things to be defined are, without a doubt, the creation of a name and logo for the company. However, there are other essential elements in the process of branding and that are sometimes despised by entrepreneurs. These elements are listed below.

Cores

Colors not only contribute to a more appealing appearance for companies, but also highlight the brand and allow it to transmit sensations and create positive associations with the public. Since each color conveys a certain idea and awakens certain feelings (color psychology), it is necessary that the entrepreneur, when choosing the institutional colors of his business, reflects on the idea he wants to convey to his audience.

Logo

Graphic element, usually formed by at least two or more letters that are diffused in a single one, which represents an entity (company, institution, product or service brand). This is considered a corporate signature, identifying it and making it unique, being present in the various documents and graphic materials of the company.

Icons, Symbols and Illustrations

Although the logo is the most recognizable symbol in a brand, there are other elements that support an identity. These elements can be icons, symbols and illustrations, and the most important thing for the entrepreneur is the creation of these with the objective of making the visual identity more connected where all the elements have a connection with each other.

typography

As well as the colors, the choice of font and size of the letters are fundamental to convey a message to the public. Typically, brands have primary and secondary fonts of typography, the former being used for logos and becoming better known, and the latter used in other communications such as social media and marketing campaigns.

Slogan

Words can be very powerful when defining a brand and the use of slogans is very common in companies. Briefly, slogans are short, memorable phrases that express the company's goals and the benefits of its products or services. They serve to support brand communication when the logo alone is not enough.

Tom e Voz

Another fundamental aspect in building a brand is the definition of how the company will address its audience. Here come the concepts of voice, which constitutes the personality and verbal attitude of the company, and tone, which represents the way in which this personality adapts in specific situations, groups of people or in particular scenarios. The entrepreneur must apply consistency in these two aspects in order to build their reputation, trust and strong brand recognition.

Brand Manual

Corresponds to a guide of general rules on how to shape the brand's look in different situations. In this guide are the creative guidelines of the brand, involving colors, fonts and ways of applying these elements to ensure that the focus is on consistency and not repetition. It's no use putting the logo on everything that is published or on every action the company does, as repetition can be overwhelming for the public.

Choose the best branding strategies

These two steps bring together everything a brand needs to launch a product on the market. However, before the entrepreneur starts them, he needs to define the personas, which correspond to the ideal customer profile. In other words, go through the process of identifying your characteristics, needs, desires, problems and interests in order to use this information in a positive way in the development of strategies for branding.

Once these points have been defined and planned, the entrepreneur can begin to choose the communication channels that best suit the personality of the developed brand. Here, there is great potential for brand awareness on social media.

It is also necessary to take into account the points of sale of products or services, whether this is a physical store or a virtual one, it is essential that the appearance of this store is in line with the visual identity defined above, in order to guarantee a better chance of recognition by the of the public. After that, marketing tactics can be applied in order to strengthen the brand's presence in the market.

It is also necessary to take into account the points of sale of products or services, whether this is a physical store or a virtual one, it is essential that the appearance of this store is in line with the visual identity defined above, in order to guarantee a better chance of recognition by the of the public. After that, marketing tactics can be applied in order to strengthen the brand's presence in the market. branding It is quite difficult and complex, but fundamental for any company. Big brands are recognized leaders in their markets because, in addition to offering incredible products or services, they constantly invest in their relationship with the public.

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