The Seductive Power of Branding

How businesses make you look twice.

Branding is like online dating. You don’t really have much to go on except for a profile, a couple of photos and a short and cheeky bio.

These pieces fit together to form an image — a perception of what you think this person would look and feel like in person. But is all of it enough for you to swipe right?

If you’re a business owner, ask yourself if your logo, language and looks are conveying the right message to your preferred customer. Is it enough to charm them into buying something from you?

This article will explain why branding is so important, no matter how big or small your business is. After reading this, you’ll have a strong awareness of how to craft memorable branding from your logo, marketing, and company voice.

So you’ve launched your business, now what?

Congratulations on starting your own business. Against all odds, you accomplished what most people wouldn’t even dream of doing. Now that you’re open, it’s easy to expect that sales will come rolling in, but we both know that it’s not that simple.

Launching your business is only half of the formula.

The other half is marketing it to your customers.

Let your branding do the talking.

How do you persuade the vast sea of customers that they should choose your products or services over the competition? The same way you would in real life — you convince them. But it’s impossible to sit down and passionately pitch every single potential customer.

This is where your branding comes in. Your logo, catchy tagline, website — all of these elements communicate your company’s different aspects from your core values, your company mission, and your overall personality. Together, they weave the compelling story of your company.

The main ingredients of branding

Your branding isn’t a single element but a collection of pieces working together to project a particular perception of your business.

#1: Your logo

If you imagine your company as a person, the logo would be the face. So make it a face that isn’t easily forgettable.

Well-established companies like Nike and McDonalds have done such an effective job at logo branding that customers instantly recognize them just by glancing at Nike’s trademark swoosh or McDonald’s ubiquitous golden arches.

This point of recognition is an essential step in the relationship between customers and businesses.

Customers are more likely to purchase from a company that they are already familiar with.

When creating your logo, keep simplicity at the forefront of your mind.

To a certain degree, your logo has to play to a customer’s expectations. Choose fonts and colours that make sense instinctively. You don’t need a degree in consumer psychology to know that big, bold fonts are better suited for large construction companies. In contrast, dainty serif fonts are probably better at representing perfumes and fashion.

#2: Your tagline

Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash

The average attention span of a human being is 8 seconds. That’s 4 seconds shorter than what it was in the year 2000.

You have a rapidly shrinking window of opportunity to grab your customer’s attention. And the thing about first impressions is that you only get one. To the customer, your tagline sums up what your business is all about in an instant.

When brainstorming your tagline, try thinking of the problem your business fixes for the customer. Convey the benefits to them instead of rattling off your product or service features. Don’t describe how big a T.V is — instead, paint a picture of how it’s perfect for hosting a neighbourhood Superbowl party.

Imagine the feelings you want to stir up when customers come across your snappy tagline.

Unlike a company mission statement, a tagline is a short, punchy phrase whose creativity makes it linger longer in mind. Sometimes, clever taglines are so powerful that they become forever associated with the brand.

Here are some great examples of effective and resonant taglines.

Company: Allstate

Tagline: Are you in good hands?

Objective: This insurance company’s tagline summons up powerful thoughts of one’s security and personal safety. Also, the way the tagline is phrased as a question subliminally asks the customer to wonder if they’re with the right insurance provider.

Company: Canadian Blood Services

Tagline: It’s in you to give

Objective: The clever double meaning behind this tagline perfectly encapsulates the charity’s core messaging while appealing to the user’s sense of humanity.

Context: 2008 Obama presidential campaign

Tagline: Yes, we can

Objective: This now-iconic political slogan also served as Obama’s campaign tagline, highlighting strong themes of optimism, hope and positivity.

#3: Your website

Think of your website as your storefront, business card and welcome sign all rolled into one. Unlike physical businesses, your website is always open for business.

Your website should be organized, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Today, over 1 billion people make purchases online, and 97% of consumers check a company’s online website before ever visiting. This makes having a professional website more important than ever.

Here are some factors you should consider:

Informational architecture: Let’s say you run an e-commerce website selling all-year-round clothing and apparel from shirts, skirts, blazers, trousers, coats and undergarments. With so many clothing selections, you need a logical and clean way to organize and present your products to the customer. Do you sort your clothing based on gender? Season? Type?

Customers must understand where they are on your website and how to find the information they’re looking for in the simplest way possible with minimal effort.

Remember, good informational architecture is rarely noticed because it is intuitive and seamless, while poor informational architecture is immediately frustrating and demotivating for customers.

Enjoyable User Interface: The one drawback of e-commerce websites is that the customer cannot touch or interact with your product or service. So it’s up to you to recreate the magic of entering into your store with eye-catching designs, high-end product photography and seamless user experiences.

Make users fall in love with your product by first making them fall in love with your design.

The Final Word

Be it in physical or digital realms, your branding is an extension of you. It is a living, breathing entity that motivates and guides your customers by solving their problems with your product or service.

After a period of time, your branding eventually becomes the people’s perception of you.

Is your business struggling to establish its visual brand identity?

Here at Paramount Digital Agency, we help businesses establish strong brand identities to reach new audiences. Contact us today for a free consultation and ask us about our special COVID-19 compassionate pricing!