What is Branding?

Branding is the combination of visual, verbal and emotional elements that together form the identity and character of a brand. Branding determines how a company is recognised, remembered and experienced by its audience. It is the sum of everything you say, do and project.

Elements of branding

Logo, colour palette, typography, tone of voice, visual style, brand values and the brand promise. Together they form a recognisable brand identity that is applied consistently across all channels, from website to social media and from advertising to customer service.

Branding versus marketing

Branding is who you are; marketing is how you communicate it. Good marketing built on weak branding only works for a while. Strong branding makes every marketing effort more effective, because people already know and trust the brand.

Branding and conversion

Brand awareness lowers your CPA: people who know your brand convert faster and more cheaply than cold visitors. Investing in branding through content marketing and social media has a multiplier effect on all your other marketing channels.

How do I build a strong brand?

Be consistent in what you say and do, across all touchpoints and over a longer period. Consistency builds recognition; recognition builds trust.

Can a small business build a strong brand too?

Definitely. Niche brands with sharp positioning beat generic big players. More at developers.google.com/search.