Effective Workflow For Branding: A Beginners’ Guide

When designing a brand, much thought is given to the visual identity. It is important to get this right because it is something that will be visible on all communications, websites and marketing collateral. However, there are many other considerations when creating a brand that you may not have thought of in the past.

Everything from your company’s name to its tagline needs to be carefully considered and worded if you want your brand to have longevity.

Creating a brand also requires careful planning so that your visual identity remains consistent across all media. If you are looking to build a new brand or refresh your existing one, this article will help you understand the process involved in creating and maintaining a brand as well as give you some tips along the way. In this blog post, we explore the ins and outs of branding workflows from ideation through implementation.

Defining Your Brand Strategy

Before you get started on your branding journey, it is important to understand the general strategy that will guide your work. This strategy will help to inform your visual identity and will help you to keep track of your progress as you move through the branding process.

The branding strategy can be broken down into 3 main categories:

• Brand personality. This is how your brand is perceived. The personality of your brand should align with your brand promise, however, it is not the same. It is entirely separate. The personality of your brand is something that is a little more flexible. You can still be consistent with your brand promise while having a wide personality range to appeal to a larger audience.

• Brand identifier. What are the core aspects of your brand that make it recognizable? Your color scheme, fonts, or logo are all examples of a brand identifier.

• Brand promise. What do you promise your customers? This is a promise of quality. A brand promise is what differentiates you from your competitors. It could be about quality, price, ease of use etc. A brand promise should be something you can deliver on consistently. Brand personality

What Is A Branding Workflow?

While branding workflows can differ depending on the client and project, there are some key stages that are essential for any branding project, regardless of industry or audience. The idea behind a branding workflow is to create a system where all the different aspects of your brand can be developed in a scalable way this will ensure that your brand elements remain consistent across all media.

The key stages in a typical branding workflow are:

• Ideation
• Research and Analysis
• Creative Brief
• Creative Exploration
• Brand Identity
• Brand Implementation
• Brand Monitoring Ideation

Choosing Your Brand’s Voice And Tone

Once you have decided on the general direction that your brand will take, it is time to start thinking about its voice and tone. Voice refers to the language used in your marketing materials, while tone refers to the emotional level of that language. Your brand’s voice and tone should be consistent with your brand promise and brand personality.

There are many different types of voices that brands can take on:

• Informative. The tone of an informative voice is straightforward and instructional.
• Inspirational. The tone of an inspirational voice is emotional and motivational.
• Friendly. The tone of a friendly voice is casual and relaxed.
• Authoritative. The tone of an authoritative voice is strong and trustworthy.
• Emotional. The tone of an emotional voice is passionate and feeling-driven.
• Witty. The tone of a witty voice is humorous, clever, and incisive.

Understanding Your Audience

Before you can define what your brand stands for, you need to understand your target audience. Understanding your audience will help you to tailor your brand to their needs while staying true to your brand promise.

Key things to think about when defining your audience are:

• Demographic
• Education, occupation, income level etc.
• Psychographic
• Values, interests, personality type etc.
• Behavioral
• What your audience does (online and offline).
  
  We are living in an era where being “authentic” has become a buzzword. The word is thrown around by every brand, in every marketing campaign, but what does it really mean? Being authentic means that you are genuine in everything you do. It means that you have thought about what you want to communicate and how you want to communicate it. It means that you have thought about your target audience and how you want to speak to them. It means that you have considered how your audience will interpret those communications.

Defining What Your Brand Stands For

Now that you have an understanding of your audience and what they want, it is time to define what your brand stands for. A strong sense of brand identity connects your brand to your audience. It draws a line between your brand and your competitors.

Conducting Market Research

To create an effective brand strategy, conducting thorough market research is vital. This involves analyzing your target audience, identifying their needs, preferences, and pain points, and studying your competitors’ branding strategies. Market research provides valuable insights that can shape your brand positioning and messaging.

Developing Brand Messaging

Crafting compelling brand messaging is crucial for effectively communicating your brand’s value proposition to your target audience.

Your brand messaging should clearly articulate your brand’s benefits, values, and differentiation. It should resonate with your target audience and evoke an emotional connection.

Creating a Visual Identity

Visual elements play a significant role in brand recognition and recall. Developing a visually appealing and cohesive brand identity involves creating a logo, selecting an appropriate color palette, choosing fonts that reflect your brand personality, and designing supporting visuals such as icons and graphics. These visual elements should be consistent across all brand touchpoints.

Building an Online Presence

In today’s digital age, establishing a strong online presence is essential for successful branding. This involves creating a professional website that reflects your brand’s identity, utilizing social media platforms to engage with your audience, and leveraging content marketing strategies to showcase your expertise. Building an online community and fostering brand loyalty is crucial for long-term success.

Implementing Brand Guidelines

Brand guidelines serve as a roadmap for maintaining consistency in your brand’s visual and verbal communication. These guidelines outline the correct usage of your logo, color palette, typography, tone of voice, and other brand elements. By adhering to brand guidelines, you ensure that your brand remains consistent and recognizable across different channels and touchpoints.

Consistency in Branding

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Every interaction with your brand should reflect the same values, personality, and messaging. Consistency builds trust and establishes a strong brand identity.

Whether it is your website, social media posts, customer service, or packaging, maintaining a consistent brand experience will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Measuring Brand Performance

To evaluate the effectiveness of your branding efforts, it is essential to measure brand performance. This can be done through various metrics such as brand awareness, customer perception, customer loyalty, and brand sentiment analysis. By tracking these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance your brand strategy.

Brand Evolution

Branding is not a one-time activity; it is an ongoing process. As your business grows and evolves, your brand may need to adapt to changing market trends and customer expectations. Regularly evaluating and refining your brand strategy ensures its relevance and resonance with your target audience.

Conclusion

When branding, it is important to remember that your visual identity does not exist in a vacuum. Everything from your color palette to your font choices should all be consistent with the rest of your brand. Your branding strategy should be defined and you should have a system in place to make sure all brand elements are consistent with each other. When you create a brand, you need to remember that it is not just about what your company looks like; it is about how it makes people feel. If you want to build an effective brand that resonates with your target audience, you need to follow a branding workflow that helps you to build a cohesive brand.