The Basics of Branding

Branding can often seem like a confusing marketing concept, only understood by experts. If you’re starting out a new company or business, you’ve probably heard over and over again how important branding is and how companies are often defined by their brand.

But, what exactly is a brand and how does branding work?

Branding, by definition, is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. However, the best and most successful brands understand that true branding expands way beyond your company name and logo. There are many other areas that can define your brand including defined/consistent user experiences, customer service, uniform/recognizable designs, targeted promotions, consistent marketing and messaging, and of course, your business reputation. All of these elements work together to create one overall brand experience. Having a positive, consistent brand experience is absolutely critical to a business because of the overall impact it has on your company. Your brand experience defines how people perceive your business, so it can either really help or drastically hinder your company’s growth.

To summarize, any and every interaction your company has with a customer or potential user is part of your brand experience. That’s why branding covers everything from establishing a unified look for all of your materials and products, to facilitating a consistent customer experience on all platforms. A good brand will easily attain referral business because there’s a positive impression of the company amongst consumers. Once a brand becomes t well-established, word of mouth often becomes the best and most effective form of marketing.