Quick Steps to Creating an Exceptional Brand in 2021
- Written by Grant Polachek
2021 is a special year. The Covid-pandemic is slowly fading away and life is gradually returning to a new-normal. Although a lot of things have changed and most things that worked to create successful businesses in 2019 don’t work as well anymore, there is one thing that still works, and that’s branding.
Outstanding brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Facebook are so popular they’ve become household names. It’s safe to say there’s almost no one on earth who hasn’t heard of these brands since their products and services provide exciting experiences that millions of customers love.
But what truly makes them special is that they understand exactly what kind of experience they want their customers to have, and they tailor their brand to satisfy this need. And that’s why they’re well-known, loved and chosen irrespective of the fact that they’re hundreds of other brands providing the same services.
Now, if you’re an entrepreneur about to start your business, then you need to know how to create a loveable brand, so you too can enjoy the same advantages as the big players in the market.
First: What is Branding?
Branding transcends products because it’s the soul and personality of every business. Branding is the message you send to the world about the principles and beliefs of your business. It's a carefully crafted—and maintained—balance of stories, dreams, relationships, and memories conveyed to the audience in an engaging way that’ll catch a customer’s attention and help them form a deep bond with the brand.
Since branding covers a wide range of activities. Many businesses make the fatal mistake of focusing all of their branding attention on their labels, colours, typography, logos, and taglines. And, in the vast majority of cases, none of them succeeded.
Why Great Brand Matters
Understand that nothing beats having a powerful brand in 2021. Most businesses that survived the pandemic and came out stronger did so because they had a solid brand. During the lockdowns, when most of our lives went online, branding was the most significant thing customers regarded when they had to choose between two or three products.
Branding is so important to a business’s success that it affects every part of its growth. That's why you'll need a good brand that can assist your business in:
- Attracting new customers
- Making a lasting impression on customers.
- Building customer loyalty.
- Setting your business above its competitors
- Boost your marketing efforts
One thing branding contributes to a business, that’s often overlooked, is the simple fact that a strong brand would bring pride to your employees. After all, who wouldn’t want to be a Googler at the Googleplex.
With that said, let’s see how you can transform your business into a brand to be reckoned with in 2021.
How to Create a Great Brand in 2021
Nothing good comes easy. It takes a lot of work to create an exceptional brand. So grab a pen and paper because we're going to go through 3 quick ways you can create a strong brand for your business.
Understand Your Business
Let’s begin by looking inwards. To come up with the perfect brand, you must first have a thorough understanding of your business by learning about your brand's element. And you can simply do that by breaking down what you've learned about your company into the following categories:
- Big Ideas: What are the big ideas behind your company?
- Values: What are the principles and beliefs that guide your business?
- Stories: Is there a backstory to your company? Storytelling is an excellent way of establishing rapport with customers and investors.
- Benefits: What particular advantages do you offer your clients?
- Feelings: Which strong emotion(s) do you want your customers to feel?
- Value Proposition: Can you explain your brand in a sentence?
Having a clear understanding of your brand’s element will guide you in building a brand that best reflects your business.
Research! Research! Research!
Research is the heart of branding. Why? Because it’d help you get the information you need on your customers, competitors, and the industry, so you can build a unique brand.
Begin your research by gathering as much information as you can on your customers by using a customer survey. Take the time and discover what they like, what motivates them to purchase a product, and how they respond to other products.
It’ll show you the most effective way to tailor your brand so it resonates with your target audience. But don't stop there. You can also collect a lot of information about your competition and learn how they built their brands and how you can adapt their successes while improving on their flaws.
Get a Powerful Brand Name
Getting your business a great brand name is important because we know all brands first by their names, and then their products.
Don’t underestimate the value of a good brand name because it’s the first thing customers encounter before trying your product, and if done right, it can capture customers' interest and separate your business from the ever-increasing tide of competition.
A short, creative, and unique brand name is like a powerful magnet that draws customers in. If you’re having difficulties coming up with a great brand name, an effective process is to use a business name generator to help you create exciting names. Alternatively, you can utilize good old-fashioned brainstorming and utilize close friends and family to help generate ideas.
Brands with the most memorable names will win every time, so make sure you find one for your business!
Branding Must Go On
Building an exceptional brand is an ongoing process that your business must pursue with due diligence. Your brand needs to put itself out there and engage with its customers, only then would it be seen and loved for what it is.
Remember, a great brand isn’t given, it’s built through consistency and dedication. So start building that brand!
Grant Polachek is the Head of Branding at 3X Inc 5000 company Squadhelp, the world's #1 naming platform, with 30,000+ customers from early-stage startups to enterprises such as Nestle, Philips, Hilton, Pepsi, and AutoNation. Try Squadhelp's business name generator for custom name recommendations for your venture.
