If you don’t know your brand, you don’t exist in the market.
What is Branding for companies?
Branding is defined as the actions carried out to ensure that a brand defines itself visually, based on its corporate values thanks to graphic design and communication work.
Its main objectives are focused on creating a bond with the client, generating positive sensations, and improving its position in the market.
To start working on the corporate image, it is necessary to design an optimized strategy from which the following will be reflected:
- The values of the brand.
- The communication strategy that was followed.
- The channels are necessary for its dissemination.
- Visual brand elements.
How to brand a company step by step
We already have a clear business idea, the star products or services selected, and even the acquisition strategy somewhat oriented in our heads.
But, the dreaded moment arrives to define the image line of the company.
And this is the first step that must be worked together with your branding agency. Because yes, creating a Brand Book is not something that everyone can do.
They must have not only technical knowledge but also a special sensitivity towards image and design, be aware of trends, and have a good understanding of the operation of the sector in which the brand in question is going to move.
For this reason, brand identity must be conscientiously worked on since it will be the most direct way for the public to recognize the company.
What does it have to have to cause a “punch” effect in public?
- Differentiator.
- WOW effect that causes an impact.
- Express the values of the business.
- Expandable in the medium-long term.
So take note because we are going to analyze all the essential points to work on so that your brand becomes the biggest benchmark in the sector.
1. Eslogan, tagline, and claim
When we work conscientiously on branding for companies, these three terms will seem like another family member.
Many people do not know how to differentiate between them because it is true that their meaning is similar. But, the big difference will come in what they have to be used for.
However, in many cases, all three options do not have to be used simultaneously.
2. Corporate colors
The choice of a brand’s color palette is not something merely aesthetic, as many think.
Colors represent one of the great influencers in decision-making since they play a leading role that will define the sensations that we want the public to capture directly.
This is where color psychology comes into play.
Knowing what sensations each hue evokes, what message it conveys, or how it will be received are vital factors to keep in mind before choosing the right Pantone.
3. Logo
The logo is a visual symbol made up of a series of images and letters, which serves as an identifier of our brand or product.
If you want to work on your company logo, you can try DesignEvo logo maker.
How does a good logo have to be?
CREATIVE AND DIFFERENTIATING
There is nothing worse for a brand than not causing any effect on the public.
We all have the corporate image of Starbucks or Coca-Cola in our retina because they are simple but “memorable” over time.
VERSATILE AND ADAPTABLE TO VARIOUS FORMATS
Let us bear in mind that we will not only use the logo on the web but that it will be necessary for other elements such as business cards, roll-ups, stands…
For this reason, we must always have a logo and isotype with different chromatic varieties, depending on the use to be given.
SIMPLE AND NOT ORDERLY
It is one of the biggest problems that usually occur when designing.
It tends to overload, but you have to know how to stop and stipulate the essential elements and discard excessive ornamentation.
4. Typography
A brand’s visual identity must tell a story that generates a hook and remains in the retina of users in the long term.
And the source that is going to be used will also have part of the responsibility for its achievement.
Tools for business branding
The time has come to get down to the mouse and begin to palpably build each and every one of the graphic elements that are going to make up our Brand Book.
To do this, we are going to leave you below some of the top paid and free tools on the market.
Adobe Illustrator
Welcome to the realm of vector images.
Illustrator is used to creating all kinds of graphic elements in a professional way.
One of the longest-running programs of the Adobe house allows the design of logos, banners, portfolios… through its work table.
Its strong points that we cannot overlook are the following:
- I work with vectors.
- The possibility offered by the management of perspectives and depths.
- Realistic strokes and brushes.
- Great resolution in the exported ones.
- Custom fonts.
Adobe Indesign
Adobe Indesign is a software specialized in layout, editing, and content creation for a more editorial sector. See books, magazines, publications, or interactive PDFs, among many more options.
From large magazines to small and medium-sized corporations they have it among their ranks because the results it generates are incredibly visual and attractive.
Although it is a somewhat more advanced program, it has a series of predesigned templates for those who are taking their first steps in the Indesign world.
At the same time, it also offers the option of custom templates and master pages so designers can unleash their blank canvases.
Inkscape
Inkscape logotypeReturning to graphic design pure and simple, we find Inkscape.
A vector image editor whose main functionality is to create custom fonts, creative logos, illustrations, and infographics.
Compared to Illustrator, it is free and its level of functionality is very powerful.
Not to mention that the learning curve is fast due to its intuitive design.
Sketch
And in this list, a graphic design tool oriented toward the design of wireframes and prototypes, as well as logos and brand identity elements, could not be missing.
It is widely used to design web page sketches before launching into the visual editor of the site.
Thanks to this, the results can be previewed in advance, and the client can be sure of how his page will finally look, saving time and providing better results for the site’s usability.
Canva
Another of the free online tools (they also have a premium version that I recommend) is widely used for those who do not need professional graphic design.
It is an intuitive, fast, and easy-to-export application that offers endless options to work with, among which we will find:
- Images and videos.
- Typefaces.
- Graphic elements.
- Brand kit: logos, fonts, Pantone.
Benefits of having well-defined corporate branding
Regardless of the size of the business you have, working on company branding is a must, seeking a triple objective:
- To be remembered.
- Stand out from the competition in your sector.
- Loyalty to the maximum number of possible clients.
If you want to achieve the best results, it is not enough to have the best product. Others have to know about it.
1. Transmission of clear values
If you have the best product in your sector, the public has to know about it.
And if, in addition, it has differentiating characteristics, such as, for example, that it is eco-friendly and is created only with natural raw materials, it has to be transmitted through the corporate image.
And that can only be achieved by defining company branding with a studied strategy and analyzing the public, the competition, and internal values.
In this way, positioning is facilitated, the brand will be much more durable over time and will strengthen the link between business and consumer.
2. Improve loyalty
The goal of every company is sales, and how do we manage to retain customers who are already loyal?
Managing to keep our image on their retina so that when they hear certain sounds, see specific colors or smell specific aromas, our business echoes in their heads.
Special caution must be taken when very extreme rebrandings are carried out.
In these cases, in which the corporate image changes to a great extent, they generate social noise, but, on many occasions, the public no longer manages to identify it or, rather, they no longer feel comfortable with the new line.
For this reason, we must not lose sight of the initial common thread, and much more so in cases where the company is already consolidated in the market.
3. Make teamwork easier
If a Brand Book is available, the work of any member of the work team will be much more agile and productivity will increase.
Let’s take the example of a company with more than one hundred office workers.
If each department had to consult what type of images, content, or lettering to use for the issuance of reports or any visual for fairs or events, the communication flow would be very tedious.
And not only would the final results be slowed down, but there would be almost 100% loss of information along the way there would be almost 100% loss of information.
