Four ways to distinguish your brand or company from your competitors, while gaining the attention of your audience.
By Brooke Martin
When you think of soda the first brand that pops in your head might be Coca-Cola and it’s widely recognizable red logo and white font that you can find at almost any grocery store or restaurant. However, you might be surprised to find out that there are almost 1,000 different varieties of soda.
So why is Coca-Cola such a well-known soft drink compared to other sodas? One reason is Coca-Cola has a distinguished brand identity and voice. The soda has been on the market for over 130 years and is thought of in a happy and friendly context. They’ve had a long time to excel in their brand identity and voice. Now it’s your turn!
Branding professional Marty Neumeier defines a brand identity as “The outward expression of a brand, including its trademark, name, communications, and visual appearance.”
So how can your brand or company develop a successful and memorable brand identity and voice? Follow these four steps to get you on the right path:
- Research your audience and perform a SWOT analysis
- No one product or service will attract everyone, but your company will appeal to certain demographics more than others. Hone into these specific audiences. Is your high end makeup company going to mainly attract younger females that are middle and upper class? Will parents of babies and infants be more likely to buy your baby products than the average college student? Be specific on exactly who you want your message to get across to.
- SWOT analysis
- Strengths– what is working well
- Weaknesses– what is not working well
- Opportunities– things that could help improve your brand’s messaging, brand identity and voice
- Threats– things that could cause a potential problem
- Complete your brand strategy. Ask yourself these questions:
- What is your purpose? Mission? Vision? Goal?
- What’s your messaging going to look like? Are you going to be funny and sassy like Wendy’s Twitter roasts? Or are you going to be sophisticated like Apple’s sleek and simple Apple’s messages and designs?
- What’s your brand identity and how do you want your logo, typography, and color to look like?
- Identify your competition
- Look at similar businesses and companies to get inspired for your own personal brand identity and voice. Research their social media platforms and websites to see what you like and what you don’t like. What’s working well and what can be improved?
- Utilize social media platforms
- There are so many different social media platforms that are easy to use and will help you reach a wider audience. According to PEW Research Center, 72% of the public uses some form of social media. Here are some of the most popular social media platforms:
- Snapchat
- Tumblr
- YouTube
- There are so many different social media platforms that are easy to use and will help you reach a wider audience. According to PEW Research Center, 72% of the public uses some form of social media. Here are some of the most popular social media platforms:
Creating an efficient and memorable brand identity and voice won’t happen overnight. Even after you hit the right stride, there will always be new ways to improve and things that can be better. It will take a lot of effort, thought and patience but it will be worth it in the end.