Company Branding

A brand is much more than a trademark these days; it is the emotional connection with a product or service. The visual elements of a brand; including, the name, logo, typefaces, symbols and colour schemes are only a part the essence of a brand.

A good definition of a brand is, "a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer".

Branding is about creating trust and delivering promises, and this takes time.

Brand loyalty is achieved by positively influencing people's perceptions of a product or service. Every time a customer talks to a company, buys a product, sees an advert, reads an article, phones customer service, talks to friends/colleagues about a product: the sum of all of these experiences is how well a company has lived up to its promise. In essence, that is what a brand is: "a promise".

You have to live your brand and so do all of your staff. Brand building needs to start from within the company. Educate your employees to make sure they understand and believe in your brand promise.

Constantly check the effectiveness of your brand. Are all of your communications consistent with your brand promise?

Your brand's visual identity - from brochures, website, TV advertising, etc. - must be unique and be instantly recognised by the audience (brand recognition), before they have even read your message. Be consistent wherever your logo design appears. Stick to your corporate identity's colour scheme and use the same typeface throughout.

Consistency is the key to effective branding and building trust will achieve brand loyalty.