what’s in a brand?

A brand is not slapping a logo on the side of a van and calling it a day. It’s the combination of several things which does two jobs: it presents your business in the way that is true to your visions and values, and it offers your clients or customers the opportunity to enjoy their engagement with you. Enjoy being the operative word. Enjoyment = endorphins = people want more = more client engagement = sales.

But it’s sales (actually, let’s call it conversion), without. Being. Pushy.

When brands get it right, it’s just a pleasure to do business with them. You know what I mean, don’t you? They have a great visual identity, slick copy on their website, and when the thing you ordered arrives by courier there might be a sweet little nod to the things that make them, them. Enjoyment. 

There are so many examples of brands that are halfway there and I really feel they’re missing an opportunity. I get it - it’s hard to nail that stuff in a way that stands out from the rest, not to mention keeping things consistent as you trundle along down the path of business ownership. I am guilty of this myself actually, I’ll admit. 

But I also believe that when you’re doing what you’re meant to be doing - what you love to be doing - then the whole process becomes a shedload easier. 

So what exactly is in a brand? 

What’s on the inside? 

What are brand values, the attributes, the mission and vision? Is it well articulated? Are there on-brand words that you use? Is there a story about your brand? Is everyone who is employed by your business along for the ride? Do they understand and appreciate the vision too? Bringing people along on this journey (rather than telling them how it is) can mean the difference between flight or fight.

What’s on the outside?

What exactly are your customers or clients hoping to get from you? A product or a service, sure. But what about everything that surrounds that? Do you want them to feel empowered, satisfied, relieved, ecstatic? What are your competitors doing and how are you going to be different?

Finding a balance between the two. 

It’s true that you’re not going to be perfect to your customers all the time, and they’re not going to be perfect to you and your business goals either, so where’s the middle ground? Are there industry-specific stress points that could be made smoother by something that only your business does? This is where you can get creative about being different to your competitors by embracing what you stand for and delivering on it in a way that feels true to the brand’s identity and your customers’ needs.

Bringing it to life.

In all examples of excellent brands, I see an overriding creative concept. One that underpins everything the business does. This is the part where you figure out how your brand identity is going to filter down into your communications, your collateral, your merchandise, your engagement tactics. In other words, the fun part! But also the hardest part to a) get right and b) sustain. What I mean is… don’t be a forward-thinking business with an amazing visual identity and then create a flyer without considering how all of that good stuff is represented at that level. Just… don’t do it.

Execution.

I said it above, and I’ll say it again. Sustain it. And what I mean by this is consistency and execution. How do you represent your brand and how will your customers know it’s you when they see a business card or a social media post? What’s your tone of voice and how are you going to use this right throughout your business content? How are you going to reach the people who are right there, waiting to enjoy your brand?

Great brands leave an impression. As with anything, not every single great brand is going to resonate with every person, but they’re remembered because of the methodology in their execution, and the way they stand out from the crowd. They unapologetically own their space - deservingly so. 

There are some exceptional examples of brands that tick all the boxes around and about. Most recently I came across Terps & Co - a drinks producer making non-alcoholic spirits using the magic of terpenes. (What will they think of next?!) From the brand name, to the product names, to the way they interact with their customers online - these guys have nailed the execution of an engaging and quirky brand presence and voice.

A brand that I’m immensely proud to have worked on recently is Arete Retreat. Along with a few creative brainstorming sessions with the entire collaboration team and the powerhouse that is Sally Duxfield, we explored the deep, dark corners of the meaning of this special place, and of course its purpose. It’s a place that oozes strength and serenity, arresting majesty and comforting calm. It was a wonderfully creative process to explore ways in which we could represent the intricacies of its being through words and images. As a team we are pretty chuffed with how it all came together. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, you must. It’s something else. 

The grave reality of our fast-paced consumer-driven world is that we’re bombarded with content from every facet of life. ‘Buy this, do this, be this’… it’s a lot. And it’s all the time. So how does a business achieve cut-through in all this busyness? Others might have different ideas about how to grab people’s attention. Mine is this: be different. Stand out from the crowd, tell real stories, own what makes your brand unique and for goodness sake enjoy the ride. 

If you’re interested in exploring how to elevate your brand, repair your brand, or discover the essence of your brand, let’s chat.