How to convey and clear and distinct image

Image is everything. Think of your favourite brands, and you’re sure to evoke a strong recollection of their logos, slogans, and TV adverts; McDonald’s golden arches, Starbucks’ siren, Nike’s swoosh, Chanel’s interlocked ‘CC’, and of course, Apple’s bitten apple. If you’re running a business it’s essential to stand out from the competition, and that means having a memorable brand image. Here’s what you need to bear in mind.

What are your values?

Imagine your company had a voice: what would it say? Take time to really think about the core values of your brand – whether that’s protecting the environment, fighting for human rights, entertaining, or just making your customers’ commutes more pleasant. Those values need to be central to your brand image. Research which symbols best reflect those values, and consider building them into your branding – for example, using clasped hands to show trust, scales for justice, or crossed keys to symbolise power.

What’s your aim?

You need to work out what you are trying to achieve with your branding. Are you just launching your business, or is this a re-brand? Is your aim to increase sales, change public perception of your product, or introduce your product to a new market? You might decide to employ a professional marketing company to help you develop a strategy and push your brand further. Check out our blog for ideas on which of the top firms could be a good fit for you.

Who is your audience?

Think carefully about who you are trying to appeal to. What are their likes and dislikes, and what kind of imagery might they respond to? Try doing some research on which social media accounts your customers follow, their lifestyles, and their values, and tailor your branding to that. You need to consider, too, how your brand will come across to your employees, and to industry analysts. 

What message do you want to convey?

Once you’ve worked out how to target your audience, developed your brand image and persona, you finally need to think about the perception you want to leave people with. This is about more than your logo or slogan – it’s about delivering consistency of service every time you interact with your customers, whether that’s being reliable, punctual, well priced, or just fun to deal with.

It’s in the language your employees use when they speak to customers, the way your style your office space, and even the sign-offs you use in emails. Think of the McDonald’s brand; love it or loathe it, you cannot deny its consistency, across branches, and even across continents. The products are familiar, the service standardised, and the price point is in almost all cases familiarly low. Whether you’re selling cheeseburgers or diamond watches, you need to apply the same principle to branding – give customers what they want.

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