Something Brand New?

We've all been there.

The conversation turns to discussing a 'brand' and you find yourself politely trying to steer the terminology away from the term 'logo' and instead redirect it to consider the 'brand' as a whole... the equity, values and personality - everything that makes a brand a brand, not just the logo.

Of course, the logo is an element of a brand, sometimes the most recognisable part, but what does that logo invoke in you? Does the Starbucks logo make you dream of sitting in a warm, leather chair when it's bucketing outside, drinking a hot pumpkin spice latte, whilst being politely asked your name. Good vibes, great brand personality, a sprinkle of brand loyalty and of course the green mermaid logo.

You'll go back to Starbucks because the brand represents so much more than the logo - it's how you feel.

Truth is developing a brand and raising its awareness is a multifaceted job, imagine being tasked with making someone feel something. Making them feel repulsed is easy, making them feel something more positive if far more difficult in a sceptical hyper-consumer world.

This is where the reader will recoil... because the word consistency comes into play. Consistently displaying and communicating your brand values and personality in a multitude of touch points will equal brand awareness, acceptance and ultimately loyalty. The formula is simple but far from easy to achieve.

Here's our 5 tips:

1. Spend time on your brand at the very beginning; specifically your brands story, values, voice and personality. It'll help you focus moving forward.
2. Give it time. A brand isn't built in a day.
3. Don't get too impacted by negativity around your brand, specifically on social media, remember it's how you react to it that counts.
4. Don't focus on your competition, instead place all emphasis on you, your brand and what you're trying to achieve.
5. Don't covet EVERYONE'S opinion. Use a singular, experienced sounding board, but be resolute in your resolve that the buck stops with you.