What Is Branding?
This post is for anyone who is a little unsure as to what branding means! I realize some people define it differently, and that’s okay. What I’ve written below is how I define branding, and how I see the process!
Let’s say you’ve been hearing this mysterious term lately that sounds vaguely business-like and professional - ‘branding’.
It might intimidate you a little bit. Maybe you’ve heard someone describe an outfit or a package as being ‘on brand’, or maybe a friend says, “That’s not really part of my brand.” What do they mean? And what does that mean for you?
Branding as Visual Identity
If you recently started a business or are in the throes of developing one, or are a creative looking to develop yourself a bit more, chances are you’ll be hearing that term a lot more often. Branding is the on-going process of creating a visual, recognizable identity around who you are and what you do. It can fully reflect who you are as a person, or it may only reflect what your business is, depending on what type of business you have. Your brand illustrates your offering, services, products, etc., and is extremely important in establishing trust and relationship with your clients or customers.
Branding is the on-going process of creating a visual, recognizable identity around who you are and what you do.
A brand is both physical and conceptual, meaning there are various ways that we as people interact with a brand.
Physical Branding
For example, a few physical ways you might recognize a business’s brand would be through their:
Logo (symbolic representation of the business’s name used in a variety of ways)
Colors (used throughout website, social media, business cards)
Website
Social media
Wording or language
Imagery or photos
Conceptual Branding
Sometimes a brand is intangible, or conceptual, and communicated in different ways. You might recognize a brand through:
The way you feel when you interact with their website
How you respond to their social media
How you feel when you interact with their language and imagery
However, there’s more to a brand than just the way it makes you feel or how it looks physically!
A brand is a representation of the business, and therefore an illustration of the relationship the business has with the world.
It needs to inspire confidence, trust, and security. We trust Nike as a brand because we know they provide high-quality sportswear that makes us feel good. We recognize that iconic swoosh instantly, and we feel cool when we wear a pair of Nikes because we know they look good and are respected as a brand by others. That is the result of good branding and a strong relational reputation.
Three Definitions of Branding
Not all ‘branding’ is the same - or is defined the same! Three definitions I’ve seen:
Brand photography
Brand strategy
Brand design
Each of these types of branding can play a pivotal part in your business’s overall brand. Let’s dig into each one and see what they mean.
Brand Photography
This is sometimes offered by photographers to capture you and your business, and help you create an image-based brand identity.
These images can be used on your website, social media, and in various materials, and usually help to establish a recognizable feel for your followers or clients.
Sometimes the photographer will even edit the photos with specific filters and colors to match your brand identity (cool & moody or warm & cheerful, etc).
Brand Strategy
Brand strategy is really important, and goes hand-in-hand with brand design. It helps you dig really deep into who you are as a business: your goals, your mission, your competitors, your demographics, and your offerings.
Often this includes a lot of questionnaires and journaling, which helps you focus in on your brand as a whole. I offer a mild version of this as the first step of working with me!
Brand Design
Usually, this is a service package offered by a graphic designer that involves logo design, color palette development, font choices, branding elements, a brand style guide, and sometimes a website depending on the need.
These components are tools specifically designed to help you on your branding journey, and create a visual identity that is cohesive across a variety of platforms.
My clients usually come to me with a basic brand strategy already in place, so I have them fill out a questionnaire before we get to work that helps me get a better idea of their mission/competitors/goals/clientele. This begins the design conception process, and helps me get started on a cohesive, beautiful brand design for them!
What about your brand?
Where are you at in the branding process? Are you just dipping your toes in the swirling craziness? I encourage you not to let it overwhelm you. Branding is, at the end of the day, a reflection of your business - you don’t need to stress about it to the point of developing every last point. Start small - pick out a new journal and write out your ideas. What do you hope to achieve with your business or your creative work?
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