Branding. The topic so nice we did it twice.
AAA Your Name Here. It used to be a tactic so synonymous with branding that we’ve all seen it at one time or another. But the world is changing and so should your brand! There will be things you need to think and think and think about, and yet – if your brand isn’t simple, your message will get lost. So much and so little, so how are you supposed to navigate branding?
Join us as we discuss:
- What branding looks like in 2022
- How to triage the important steps of branding
- What tips and tricks you can use today no matter the size of your business
What branding looks like in 2022
With Scorpion going through a brand refresh, Andrew and Joe revist the foundation stage of the branding process — pulling many important insights, but none more important than why a company chooses to rebrand in the first place.
It’s not something to take lightly. Andrew explains, “I've done a rebrand because one random person decided they didn't like the font and the logo. And that was our only reason for doing it. And it really made no sense. What you should do is research what your brand is at that moment.”
“I would put out the cautionary tale of don't do it just to do it. And that's where research comes into play.” — Andrew Adams
If you haven’t talked to your customers, family, and friends about what your brand means to them, it’s too early to think about a rebrand.
What your brand really is
When you start collecting that feedback, is also important to make sure you’re getting feedback for every aspect of your brand — which includes anything that faces the public eye:
- Logo
- Tagline
- Colors
- Font
- Website
- Printed materials
- Swag
How to triage the important steps of branding
Through those in-depth conversations, you’ll identify pain points to focus on — ones you won’t easily find otherwise; such as your logo being too hard to read or your url is confusing. Andrew emphasizes that if you’re having trouble getting feedback from your customers, this is where your friends and family can really shine.
And if you’re still on the fence about the importance of exceptional branding and why you should invest, remember that it’s how customers will view your brand. If you have any sort of misalignment between product offerings and what your customers associate with you, you’re losing money.
Joe shares a branding messaging example during his time at Adobe:
“We had a challenge that if I ask 9 out of 10 people on the street, ‘What do you think when you think of Adobe?’ they would probably say Photoshop, creativity, design, those types of things. No one would ever say customer experience or business analytics — this huge other side of Adobe’s business.”
“Your brand is going to tell people who you are more than you may realize. We're all visual people.” — Joe Martin
Priority after messaging
Once you’ve identified what your brand messaging should be, and that it aligns with your product offerings, you need to make sure that updated messaging is consistent across all channels.
Andrew shares, “That could be your website, your invoices, your business cards, trucks, and then places you wouldn't think about like Angie's List, Thumbtack, or the Chamber of Commerce. There's tons and tons of places where your logo and information might be.”
What tips and tricks can you use today no matter the size of your business
You know the steps you have to take to build, or rebuild, your brand. But the execution is an entirely different challenge. Joe and Adam share some tips:
Messaging: Keep the language simple — focusing on the problem you fix for your customers. Then look to other great brands for inspiration.
Implementing change: You’ve created an exhaustive list of which channels your brand exists on. Start with your digital assets like the website and other places customers see first. Then move onto harder-to-change channels like billboards or trucks.
Consistency: Once everything is updated, you must maintain a consistent flow of your chosen tagline and branding components across any new channels so that customers can identify you, even down to your chosen colors.
Update your customers of any change: If you rebrand, don’t assume your customers will recognize your new look. Keep them in the loop as soon as possible.
More information about today’s topics:
- Joe’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemartinmba/
- Andrew’s Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewsadams/
- Joe’s Twitter - twitter.com/joedmarti
- Andrews Twitter - twitter.com/astroma
- Company Website: www.scorpion.co
