How to build a strong brand?

The concept of branding is a fascinating thingthat every company tries to reproduce, with more or less success and sometimes without realizing it. We have all been influenced by brands, often from an early age. From the diffusion to construction toy brands, including clothing, participating in the construction of the individual’s identity. Brands accompany adults throughout their lives: their vehicle, their high-tech equipment, their food, etc. Some win our preference, based on criteria that in most cases we are unable to define.

Building a strong brand that lasts!

Fortunately, brands alone are not enough to define and build an individual! Culture (or the absence of culture) still remains the main element that shapes our way of thinking, our intelligence and our society. This is certainly one of the reasons that pushes brands to invest in the world of cinema and short films (Lego and Playmobil for example), a certain form of graphic art through announcement and sometimes even social issues, as Benetton once managed to do.

Because the Holy Grail of every brand is to enter the family unit, into the consumer’s mind and carve out a comfortable and welcoming place there. Brands are born and die every year without ever achieving this goal. What’s missing? What are the essential qualities of a strong brand? What should they do? they exist and persist in the consumer’s mind ? I offer you a non-exhaustive list of the strengths that a brand must cultivate and I invite you to add your touch to this article through the comments.

Have a professional visual identity

Sometimes, so convinced of their product, some brands neglect this important criterion. Every company should have time to dedicate to defining its DNA, its identity which will be expressed in a graphic paper unique. Furthermore, throughout the life of the brand, this reflection must return. It’s not about reinventing the brand every four mornings, but rather about ensuring itremains in the groove that made it successful.

The visual identity is, in a certain sense, your company’s business card, the first element that consumers will come into contact with. A well-designed logo, carefully chosen fonts, and an established color code contribute to brand recognition. In this sector, simplicity is fundamental. A logo with simple shapes and, if possible, understandable to everyone, will have a better chance of being noticed. Nike, Carrefour, Apple, La Poste, Petit Bateau have understood this well.

Your colors should reflect your brand values. It’s not just about choosing a color you like! Colors send a messagea dynamic, strengths or weaknesses and will allow, if carefully selected, to establish your notoriety.

Have a personality

The visual identity is part of it, it’s true. But personality goes beyond that. Your personality is conveyed through all your communication, from the tone used on your site and blog to your advertising campaigns. Fresh, bold, dynamic, environmentally friendly, innovative, rooted in tradition, sweet, tart, childish, mischievous, you will have to choose your brand’s personality.

Adopting a personality will have several consequences. First, internally, it will give you a “color” and a guideline. It will also make it easier to achieve your main goal as long as your personality matches it. This doesn’t happen by chance, it’s Marketing and it’s reflected.

Often personality is built over time, the reflection didn’t start when the brand was created and that’s a shame.

Having a distinctive sign, a differentiating factor

Nobody wants a copy, it’s the original that matters. It is necessary, when selling a similar product find a way to distinguish yourself from your competitor. One of the key differentiators, strengthened by the advent of the Internet, is relationships with customers. On the other hand, this sector is so neglected by most French companies that it is a crucial principle to develop. The Internet and social networks are levers that facilitate contactengagement and community creation around your brand.

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), if it is at the center of corporate culture and is tangible for the consumer, can also have a beneficial effect for the brand. To do this it is not enough to throw yourself into any cause. This must be enshrined in the company’s DNA. Respect for nature and people must be real and perceived as such. Too many brands are only ecologically interested in selling their product better. The consumer always ends up making the difference, on their own or through the media. Mac Donald’s has paid the price, as have smartphone brands recently.

Have a clear and understandable offer

There’s nothing like having an offering that’s too complex to lose a consumer, inundated with sub-brands or sub-offerings. In the same way that the interior of your car or office can betray an organized and cluttered character, your commercial offering reflects part of the company’s personality. A complex offer can also be interpreted as a desire to hide some shortcomings. This doesn’t mean the range needs to be limited, it just needs to be organized and clear. If you take a look at Apple and Dell’s computer ranges, you’ll notice a big difference in terms of what they offer while still being readable.

A strong brand develops internally

For people to believe in your brand, your internal teams must believe in it too. The means are generally used to improve the brand image that we project to the outside world. A strong brand must develop internally powerful sense of belonging. From a clever blend of marketing, management and communicationthe feeling of belonging facilitates cohesion and teamwork and also creates internal evangelists who will express themselves externally.

Again in France we have a lot of progress to make in this area. “Dad management”, based on authority and fear of hierarchy, is still well rooted in our country. Supported by dusty and tyrannical bosses, convinced of their superiority, obsessed with control, it is however far from offering the expected results. These managers are often the cause of workplace unhappiness and employee discontent. who today have the same channels as customers to talk about their business. Think about it…

Have a story

We’ve all heard about it narration. Your brand must tell a story (and not stories!). This could be the story of its foundation if you are interested. Some brands were built by an atypical, determined character, with values ​​of tenacity and these can reappropriate the qualities of their founders.

This can be a completely made up story, it can work, but there still has to be a reality and values ​​in common with this story. For example, the Chevignon brand has focused from the beginning on an image linked to vintage America, aviators and the lifestyle of the 60s. In reality it is a very French brand, born in the 80s. But it worked and still works.

Other brands start from a premise or value: for Dove «All women are beautiful» and all their communication was based on this observation. No more ultra-expensive advertisements, overpriced models, Photoshop retouching, space for real women. The brand talks less about itself to promote its customers. Despite some hiccups, this line of communication has been a real success.

Have visibility

It’s hard to become a strong brand if people don’t know you. So you need to make efforts to make yourself known. It takes time and costs money, that’s a fact, and the more money you put into it, the more you’ll have access to major media that can quickly increase your notoriety. It’s a fact. However, while strong and rapid growth is obviously desirable, success in most cases is built over the long term.

An advertising page on a major audience channel will give you immediate visibility, but is your brand ready for it? Being thrust into the spotlight too early is rarely beneficial. Build your brand’s reputation and story step by step. On the other hand, the Internet and social networks offer you an incredible springboard. With a well-built strategy and a regular presence on social networks, you can give yourself the means to be visible to your main target in a very short time. Don’t hesitate to ask for support during this process and to contact me, for example!

To be desired

The consumer must want your brand, it’s up to you to make them love you. This is the function of brand identityour consumption identifies us. What we buy puts us in a category (sad, I know, but it’s true): if you drive a Renault, a Mercedes or a Ferrari, you obviously don’t project the same image. If you wear ZARA or Hugo Boss, the same applies. It is important to understand your target, their aspirations, their identity, which community they belong to so as not to lose them.

Some product placements didn’t work due to total ignorance of the target. For example, luxury remains luxury and cannot be taken for granted, with the risk of not finding buyers (Bic perfume in the 1980s).

Preserve your legacy

If Apple suddenly started selling high-tech, more accessible and less pleasant to use products, it would completely miss its current goal and would surely collapse. It is the DNA of the company, the “Think Different”, started by its guru Steve Jobs. The biggest mistake a brand can make is to break its foundations. You can update them, optimize them, but never abandon what made you successful. This consistency of vision and direction helps build brand mythology and equity.

To conclude

What can be gleaned from this article is the coherence of the entire activity. Your brand image, your internal communication, your products, your relationships with customers, your history, your proposed values, all of this must represent a homogeneous and logical whole.. Therefore, we understand the value and importance of Marketing which will make everything logical and credible. If your brand were to disappear, would your target audience miss it? This is one of the indicators of a strong brand.

While most entrepreneurs are tempted to hit the ground running, driven by the desire to compete and establish their brand, don’t neglect the initial reflection. It is essential to the success and sustainability of your project.