What Makes Up A Brand and Why It Matters to Business

I've had more than a few clients ask me about branding their new product, service, business or startup. And still, a lot are confused about what a brand is. In this blog, I will be sharing my thoughts and views on what makes up a brand and why it matters to businesses.

A brand is more than a name. It's an emotional relationship between the company and their customers. As a digital marketer, I know that emotions are one of the best ways to measure engagement. After all, would you rather make banner ads that compel users to click malicious URLs or banners that drive users to leave positive comments and share content?

Brands are emotional connections that form in the heart of consumers' minds when they interact with your business. Think of brands like Apple or Starbucks – who have defined themselves as "cool" or "hip" or "nurturing." The feelings consumers have associated with these brands were crafted by marketers over time using clever communications strategies and tactics.

Branding is important for your business because it helps you get noticed, builds trust, and increases sales. In fact, studies show that branding can boost revenue by up to 23%. That's why it's so important for marketers to understand what makes up a brand and why it matters to businesses.

So… What Makes Up a Brand?

When companies create brands, they're trying to evoke an emotional response in consumers. A brand is made up of four components: brand awareness, brand image, brand identity and brand recognition. Each piece works together to create a strong emotional connection between businesses and customers.

Every brand has its own unique identity. But there are some common elements that make up every successful brand:

• Logo

• Tagline

• Brand personality

• A brand promise

• Colour palette and fonts

• Website design

• Customer service style

These elements create the identity of your brand. They may not seem like much on their own, but they all come together to form the image of your company in consumers' minds. When these elements are consistent across platforms and touchpoints, they create a positive impression of your business in consumers' minds.

Conclusion

When you consider your business as a whole, you're likely to find that it can be broken down into a series of components. Whether those components are tangible assets or intangible brands, the bottom line is your business needs them to survive. A brand is part of those components, but its existence doesn't make it the most important piece. That distinction belongs to the value of your brand, which depends on its worth to the consumer in relation to its price.

To me, branding is about how your product/service makes people feel. A brand reflects your company's culture and values and is used to create trust among your customers. A successful brand can be identified immediately by its logo, slogan or tagline, colour scheme and overall design. Having a brand is not just about getting your target market to select you over the competitor, but it is about getting your customer to see you as the sole provider of a solution to their problem or need.