If you’ve ever had a meeting with a digital agency, chances are they’ve mentioned the term “branding” and what actions to take to improve yours. To avoid any confusion, let’s clarify: just because you have a business doesn’t mean you’ve established a brand.
So what does it mean and how do you build it?
Keep reading to find out!
What is branding
Branding is the sum of actions a business takes to build an identity that people will remember when they think of its products.
Think of your business as a living organism. Branding is everything that makes up its personality.
Many associate branding only with visible elements like the logo, fonts, slogan, and color palette a business uses. While these are indeed part of branding—as they help shape how your business is recognized—they are just the surface.
A crucial aspect of branding is perception—how your customers view you. As Jeff Bezos famously said:
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
This perception is shaped by every experience a customer has with your business. That’s why we emphasize that branding is not just your logo or color scheme—it’s every communication action you take.
Think about brands like Coca-Cola. The moment someone mentions the name, your mind likely jumps to moments of love and happiness shared with family or friends. Coca-Cola’s branding is so powerful that many of us have asked for a “Coke” when we wanted a soda, regardless of the actual brand available.
Other key elements of branding include customer service, product pricing, packaging, the ambiance in your physical stores, and of course, all aspects of your marketing strategy.
Clearly, branding is multi-dimensional and dynamic.
Why build your business branding?
- Enhances brand awareness
Creating a brand means investing in a consistent image across all your communication channels—social media, your website, and even your store decor. This consistency makes it easier for consumers to find you, remember you, and associate your brand with the products they’re looking for. - Increases sales
A business that has invested in its branding has already established its philosophy, values, and product/service quality in the minds of consumers. This makes it easier for customers to trust and choose you—and return in the future. - Improves internal company structure
Branding isn’t just how your business looks from the outside—it reflects your core values and philosophy, which also directly affect your employees and the work environment you provide.
If you offer a friendly and empowering work culture, and these values are visible externally, you achieve two key benefits:
First, you create satisfied employees who become strong advocates for your brand.
Second, you attract new talent that can further strengthen your business.
- Strengthens brand loyalty
Building a strong brand with a quality product creates a loyal customer base. A satisfied customer is not only likely to buy from you again but will also turn to you first when in need of other products you offer.
How to start building your branding
To develop successful branding, it’s vital to decide your brand positioning—your place in the competitive landscape—and your unique selling proposition, the key advantage you offer compared to others.
Your positioning will define your tone of voice, brand colors, fonts, logo, and more.
Once you’ve identified your brand’s place and how to communicate it, determine your target audience so you can tailor your messaging accordingly. Consistency is critical—your tone should be uniform across ALL channels, with slight adjustments to suit each platform’s context.
From your slogan and advertising tone to how your employees speak to customers, your brand voice should remain consistent, creating a seamless and unified experience.
In summary, branding is essential to your business success. However, developing a holistic visual and communication strategy is a challenging and long-term process.
Our agency, Pylarinos Advertising in Thessaloniki, can help you with this! Having developed branding for many businesses, we know exactly how to guide you toward the best possible brand image. Contact us to take the next step together here.
