The Three Stages of Defining Your Brand

Branding is essential to any business, no matter the size, services, products or market. However no two brands are the same, not just from a visual stand point but from a strategic standpoint. It is important early on to define all the elements that will make up your brand and create the foundation in which your business will be shaped.

Your Brand Strategy

Your brand strategy starts with the how, what, where and who. How you are going to market yourself, what is the product or service you are marketing, where will you be marketing and who will you be marketing to. Knowing this is essential from the start as it gives the development of the brand and the business itself direction. 

The visual elements of your brand will require you to know the how, what, where and who to be created effectively. Your colour scheme, logo, banners and advertising material have to be developed to target your particular market as well as reflect your brands values and goals. This is where you really need to define your brand.

Defining Your Brand

Defining your brand often comes down to your own personality and values which then will transfer into your business. Knowing your mission, benefits of your product/service and the qualities you want associated with your business are all important in the shaping of your brand. Often your final brand will be a balancing act between who you are and who your market is.

This defining stage is also where you can find your point of difference, the thing that will make you stand out in your industry. This can be from a gap you’ve found in the market or what you want your business to stand for. Things that may help you define your brand are:

• Writing a mission statement
• Developing a tagline

Your Brands Voice

You know who you are as a business and who your market is, now you need to communicate who you are to that target market. This involves creating a tone of voice for your brand that will be used throughout all communication between you and your market. This voice should reflect your brand and what it stands for and again be targeted towards who your market is. Your tone of voice should be used in all written and verbal communication including:

• Your web and online copy
• Face to face and over the phone customer service
• Advertising

It’s important to write down the key messages you want to communicate through your brand and use these as guidelines for your staff. Like the brand itself, it’s important to keep your voice consistent.

Defining your brand from the start is critical in the success of your business through the years. Laying a solid foundation will save you from a complete rebrand later on and will ensure your brand grows effectively.