Having a good product is one thing, making it visible and relatable is another!
I often hear entrepreneurs saying that the most important is to have a really good product/service and the rest will just follow. I have to agree, a good product is key (and entrepreneurs who work hard to reach high-quality standards are admirable)…BUT it isn’t enough.
There are loads of a really successful brand whose product or service isn’t actually amazing… You have probably bought from them. I know I have. I can’t think of NorthFace or Salomon for example. I have bought some of their low class products (but still spending over 100€ for them). I went for those brands rather than for a Decathlon hire class product which would have been probably better quality because these brands have built a brand which make customers feel they are part of a trend, a community but also make them more credible as hikers and mountain lovers.
90% of purchase decisions are made based on emotions!
Your high-quality product or service has the best potential…now, imagine putting it out there with good branding… Can you smell the perfume of success already?
Good branding will make your product memorable, visible, and recommendable but most importantly it will make your potential buyer become a loyal customer.
make your potential buyer become a loyal customer.
So, what is Branding anyway?
It is hard to find the perfect definition of what a Brand is because it doesn’t have a bunch of tangible characteristics. Marty Neumeier, author and speaker and a reference when it comes to Brand topics, starts by defining Brand by what it is NOT:
“A brand is not a logo.
A brand is not an identity.
A brand is not a product.”
And then continues by defining it as “a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or organization”
Your brand is not what you say it is but it is how your customer experience it. That’s why building a brand, isn’t choosing the colours or typography you like but rather, making the right choices based on the experience, feelings and emotions you would like your customer to have when interacting with your brand.
Branding is your customer's experience when looking...
Of course, your logo, brand colours, typography, patterns, iconography, imagery are part of your Brand. These will be impactful if they have been designed to convey an emotion or a feeling. That’s why a good designer will always start by a discover session to understand who you are trying to reach and what your want to express through your brand.
Branding is also your customer's experience when listening...
…to you and your sales team. Your tone of voice, your attitude, the words you choose to sell your product will resonate with those who share your values, who like your brand’s personality and who think that your brand adds value to their lives.
…to recommendations. People tend to look for recommendations, reviews and opinions because they often base their choices on trust. Your product might not be that different from competitors. But the experience you offer is what will make your stand out and therefore more recommendable.
Branding is your customer's experience when using your product
Of course your product or service is part of your Branding. Think of what problem you are solving for your customer and how you are making their lives better. What positive impact are you trying to have on them. Think of how you can avoid any frustrations or pains.
Branding is your customer's experience when talking about you...
When we want to catch someone’s attention, we have to include some kind of emotion. If If you offer an experience rather than just a product, the chances that people will talk about your brand will increase considerably.
As explained above, people base their choices on trust. The experience you offer is what will make your stand out and therefore more recommendable.
Are you ready to transform your product in a successful brand?
Believe me, those same entrepreneurs who don’t feel it’s important to invest in branding, very often do a few months or years later! And that’s because they have difficulties standing out from their competitors.
Our brain is trained to filter the overwhelming amount of information we consume every day. If you don’t stand out, your potential clients will not even consider you as an option.
You want to know more? Contact me for a first free call.
Let’s work on making your idea visible.
I like to divide my branding process into 3 distinctive steps. It allows us to be aligned and communicate during the whole time and therefore to be more efficient.
Discovery
Defining your Brand fundamentals.
The first step to good branding is for me to understand why we are here, what you value, what the brand wants to transmit and what makes it different. We will go through the brand fundamentals during a collaborative workshop. You’ll be surprised how these exercises can be revealing.
Design
Creating your Visual identity.
Thanks to the discovery work, I will be able to work on visual proposals which will include the main visual elements of the Brand Identity (Logo, typography, colours, patterns, photography, iconography).
Each proposal will be illustrated with its application to a limited number of materials depending on your business. For example: a web site home page, business cards or social media feed.
Production
Producing all deliverables.
Once the Design is approved and agreed on, I will work on producing all the elements of the brand identity to deliver them in the formats and files which best match your needs.
Can Julley
Brand Strategy, Logo & Visual System Design, Marketing Collateral Design, UI Web & Design
Labstone
Brand Strategy, Logo & VIsual System Design, Marketing Collateral Design