Brand: Aim to be iconic, regardless of size

here are many articles about brand and branding, but it is always helpful to clarify this often misunderstood, and regularly misused term. Brand is an all-encompassing concept central to how you communicate your business ideals and how consumers understand what your business stands for. Here are some watch-outs to keep in mind when dealing with the subject of brand.

Know your brand.
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but your brand is not a logo or a tagline. Your brand is you. Its very existence comes from how you present your business to the world. Like you it has a character. Like you it has a story. A brand is a living entity, which your consumers interact with whenever they talk to you. With this in mind it is vitally important to understand what you want to tell people about your business and how you want your business to be perceived. If you understand your brand and if it truly represents your ideals, then your enthusiasm will shine through. A strong brand bleeds-out not only to you, but also to your colleagues, your customers and to the public in general.

Aim to be iconic, regardless of size.
No matter how flushed-out your brand is, it needs to be realised in a visual and descriptive way. Knowing your brand character & brand story will allow you to make much more informed decisions on the effectiveness of any brand assets which are created. And don’t forget that as with any character or story, your brand can and will evolve over time. Aim to make your brand assets represent what you want your brand to be in the future. Aim to be iconic, regardless of your current size and status.

Digital is not a technology
Do you want to reach more people through a digital website, campaign or social media? Try not to confuse the term digital with technology. We live in a technology enabled world where our everyday behaviour has evolved to adapt to ever-changing ways of doing things. It is important to remember that the digital aspect of reaching people is actually about this evolved behaviour, and not the technology which is available. Your brand must make sense to people during the course of their digital day, and knowing your brand will help it remain relevant and strong in this context. You must also be aware of the reciprocal nature of communications in this new social context. With consumers now able to converse directly with brands and also with each other, it is important to nurture what is known as “Brand Love”. This is measured by what people say and feel about your brand, so careful and honest handling will not only help your brand live on, it can also allow consumers to give it a life of its own.

Don't be tempted by unnecessary features
Do you need a website? It’s tempting to rush in and place all your collected knowledge on its pages, or to fill it with every link and service you think your consumers may want. However a website is more than just your images and copy online, it is your shop-front to the world. Why should the experience of visiting your website be any less inviting than visiting your place of work, or any less informative than speaking to you or your colleagues personally. Make sure your website is led by the ideals of your brand and don’t rely on flash designs, technical widgets and clever programming to impress your consumers.

Believe the results, not the corporate size
How do you choose a brand agency? I suggest that with brand character & brand story in mind, check out their client work. Do you see the depth of the client’s business in the brand assets created? Is there more than a superficial understanding of the client’s business ideals visible in the results? Try not to be tempted by the size and status of an agency, as this is not necessarily an indication of current or future quality.

A brand checklist
Finally, a few points to ask yourself about your brand:
-    Does your brand inspire you?
-    Do you find more meaning in your brand as time goes on?
-    Does your brand encourage you to further clarify and continue your business story?
-    Do you brand assets live up to the promise of your brand?
-    (and most importantly) Do you love your brand?