From Coke to Levi’s- The power of branding
As we say, Rome was not built in a day; so is true for a brand. Creating a brand is a carefully planned step by step process which gives a product or a company its own unique identity. Strong brands are recognized by people even after a long time as the impact has been such where people have distinct imagery of the brands in their mind.
Technically, we can define a brand as, ‘a unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these used in creating an image that identifies a product and discerns it from its competitors.’ We can simply say that a brand is a visual representation which people can relate to a company or a product. An impactful brand identity is the one where customers associate it with a particular trait exclusive to that brand.
Having mentioned the visual factor of the brand, the success of branding also depends on other factors such as the message and its emotional connection with the people. Establishing a successful brand identity is tricky. The creative team involved in the branding of a product or a service should have the right insight about business goals as well have an idea as to whom the products are intended to be sold.
There is a certain guideline that needs to be followed for brand creation. Mainly, it consists of having a thorough idea of the target audience, designing a logo and creating a brand style through your visuals. In the present age, as social media has gained so much momentum, you need to have a website and a social media branding as well. So, branding is almost about everything you do which is a synergy of packaging, website, online advertising, social media, content marketing, and even customer service.
There are numerous companies which manufacture the same product or provide the same services; but what is it that makes a particular product or a company stand out from the crowd? It is of course- Branding.
- Branding makes you unique:
When you make a product into a ‘brand’, it gives you an edge over other competitors in the market. Branding helps in attributing different traits to a product. For eg, Coca Cola is synonymous to happiness. When you think of Thums Up, it creates an image of thrill and excitement. Similarly, various other brands like Nike or Levi’s have positioned themselves in the public’s mind in a particular manner.
2. Branding builds loyalty:
Customers’ loyalty majorly depends on the company’s ability to create a brand of the necessity of its product. No matter, whether the product is coming with a revolutionary change or not, it has to take the buyers in a particular direction. Over the course of time, it builds an utmost loyalty and people are emotionally driven into buying products from it. According to a survey by Nielsen’s Global New Product, nearly 59% of people said they would prefer buying new products from brands familiar to them while 21% said they are ready to purchase a product if it comes from a brand they like.
3. Branding increases the value of your product:
What makes people buy an Apple product over their competitors? Or why would someone prefer Surf over any other washing powder? Well, branding creates a high demand for your product along with creating an image that there can be no alternative to that. It hence allows you to charge more for your product than the market rate.
The crux of the matter is that you should build an identity of a brand which people can believe and accept. This happens over a course of time as you keep disseminating information about your products in forms of campaigns, advertisements, offers et al. This is what makes brands live in people’s hearts and minds as it builds an emotional relationship with its customers. All a company needs to do is develop and influence positive perceptions to help the business succeed. So, the next time you decide to launch a product or service then either brand yourself first, lest be branded by people
Fatima Z Hasan, Creative Team- Volume
