Brand, a Guideline (part One)

Your brand represents what your company stands for, so make sure that's reflective of what your target audience wants. In our first of two blogs on brand we'd recommend the following, to create and champion a successful brand: 

Understand Brand

Research your industry, what are the trends both long term and seasonal? What's happening right now that might affect your niche and its future?  Get to know your audience your clients and your candidates. What are their usual age ranges? What socio-economic groups do they fall into? Where do their interests lay? What times of the day are they most active online? What social media platforms do they use most and how do they interact on them? Make sure your brand appeals to your target audience.

Know your Audience

What do you want your company to represent, what do you want your brand to mean? Is your brand designed creatively and innovatively enough to stand out and be remembered?

Brand is a story, it's more than the sum of its parts (image, colour pallet, tone of voice) it is the culmination of what your company stands for/ represents. More than just a logo, it needs to represents something compelling: passion, a story that connects with your audience, whether emotionally or professionally or both. Consider your unique selling points, what do you offer that the competition does not? The slogan should be appropriate and meaningful, setting off the right thoughts in the minds of your target audience.

Agree and define

To ensure your brand is communicated consistently it's crucial that everyone in your company is on board with it too. Your employees will all be responsible for projecting and protecting the brand with every communication, both external and even internal; think of a game of Chinese whispers where the original message warps with every isolated miscommunication. Agree on your brand internally so that it's championed right.

Click here to read part two