How does brand development and branding happen?

Interesting and exciting. Always! 

What are we talking about? Of course, about how it goes at Veonix creating a company brand, product or service. 

Branding development is similar to assembling a construction set, when a recognizable image is born from simple parts. 

Read about the basics of creating a brand in our article.

Where does branding begin?

What is what: understanding the concepts

So what is a “brand” and “branding”. 

A brand is a special image of a person, company, product or service, emphasizing their individuality and causing recognition and a certain attitude towards it. 

The external expression of a brand usually includes:

• title or designation (name), 
• logo or trademark, 
• single style, 
• slogan, “legend”, 
• reputation.

Branding is a set of activities to create a unique image, promote and position it externally. Its thoughtfulness, targeting and execution affect the integrity of the image and the “longevity” of the brand.

Note that the stages of developing a brand for an individual, company, product or service are generally the same. In order not to distract your attention with unnecessary details, we will further focus on creating company branding. 

Preparation: we research the market, determine the target audience, develop a strategy

Proper corporate branding always starts with extensive research work.

At this stage, a full marketing analysis of the company and its activities is carried out. 

The starting and finishing points of branding are determined. 

On the one hand, analysts analyze in detail what the company is now. On the other hand, they indicate the boundaries where she wants to be after acquiring a new image.

The information obtained will become the basis for developing a brand concept and future branding strategy.

As a result, the branding strategy will include:

• company philosophy (mission, values);
• visual and verbal brand elements for effective interaction of the company with its target audience;
• techniques, mechanisms and tools for promoting and popularizing the brand;
• means and criteria for assessing the effectiveness of brand development in time and space. 

Developing a brand strategy is the first direct touch on a company's unique image. This is an important stage in which the foundation of the company's branding is laid.

Development of brand elements

“What will you name the ship...”: let’s talk about naming

Although the company name is part of the verbal component of the brand, its importance obliges us to talk about it separately.

Most often, companies come to us with a name known in the market or in certain circles. Despite this, the consonance of the company name with the future brand is still assessed in detail.

It is better if the brand name meets several rules:

• it is unique;
• easily and clearly translated into other languages (especially if the company plans to enter foreign markets);
• is a verbal metaphor for a brand - directly or indirectly reflects the mission or value of the company.

It’s good if the name is simple and easy to pronounce and remember, and evokes positive emotions and response. 

An important detail: a unique name can be registered as a trademark and then it will not be used without permission. It will turn out to be a kind of exclusive exclusive.

“Those who have eyes, let them see”: visual components of the brand

The visual attributes of a brand include all those parts of it that can be “touched” with the eyes. They are also called the “face” of the company.

Logo

This is the brand emblem. Its goal is recognition. After introducing the brand into everyday life, the logo will distinguish the company from the mass of competitors.

Corporate identity

Permeates all visible elements of the brand: from letterheads, business cards and signs to packaging design, advertising banners and even interior design. In modern conditions, corporate identity is also required in the online space - websites, email and applications.

The goal of a corporate identity is recognition. It must work to sustainably build trust in the company and its activities.

A unique combination of colors, fonts, and graphics will make the company stand out among the crowd. 

“Those who have ears, let them hear”: verbal components of the brand

We have already mentioned the main verbal element of the brand - its name. Naming brings with it the following levels:

• slogan (a succinct phrase that reveals the idea or positioning of the brand);
• descriptor (a laconic description of the company’s activities or reveals the purpose of the brand);
• mission (the main goal of the creation and operation of the company);
• legend (an artistic presentation of stories about the mission, values, pillars of the brand, revealing its style, purpose and character of the brand; makes it alive, emotional and attractive to people). 

Verbal attributes are a signal “you and I are of the same blood” to the target audience. 

Brandbook - the bible of branding

 A brand book, by and large, is an instruction manual for working with a brand. It systematizes the initial and strategic data about the company.

Initial information includes everything related to the ideology (philosophy) of the brand: mission, values, concepts and development history.

Strategic brand information covers all research and visual developments:

• conceptual differentiation from competitors and characteristics of the target audience;
• standards for logo and corporate identity, verbal brand elements, rules for their design and use;
• brand promotion algorithms with subsequent control.

The way the brand book is formed will largely determine the vector and longevity of the brand’s development in the intended manner. Clear and understandable rules and standards for the use of brand elements and its evolution will help you constantly move when external circumstances change and, above all, a change in “power” in the company.

The brand book is both an ideological and secret book of the company. It contains “sacred knowledge” about the brand, to which a select few should be allowed to avoid third-party abuse and unworthy competition.

Brand launch

Movement is life: we implement and promote

Infusing the brand into everyday life is the final stage of branding (link to text line 315). 

Note that customers often treat this stage of developing a company’s brand superficially. They get the impression that all the most important things - the name, logo, corporate identity - have already been done. Everything else - recognition, image, reputation - will come on its own. And this is absolutely not true.

Implementation always goes in two directions: inside the company and outside. Both are equally important.

As the brand is adopted at the team level, employees will carry the new image outside the company. The team should definitely become part of it. At the same time, you need to be prepared that those who disagree will leave the game.

The biggest thing, of course, will unfold outside the “office.” All marketing means of promotion, as well as PR and advertising are usually involved here. Without them, branding and creating a brand can be a waste of time and money.

The head is in control: we monitor efficiency

And finally, evaluation and control.  

From the moment the brand is launched, it is necessary to constantly “measure” all important indicators:

• degree of awareness (recognizability);
• developing a positive attitude;
• loyalty;
• growth in sales or market share.

Reliable data will help you quickly change tactics, remove some tools and use others. This is the only way to achieve the maximum from developing a corporate brand.

Finally, let’s say that in reality, branding is a never-ending process. In any case, it is relevant as long as the company is afloat and is interested in maintaining and further evolving its brand. As the balance of power in the market changes, so do branding tools.

And one more piece of advice: do not entrust the development of company branding to different artists, this significantly reduces the efficiency of its development and implementation. You can always find professionals on the market who will carry out the entire process from research and idea to result. We at Veonix are exactly like that!