When you hear "brand" what comes to mind?
Is it the most iconic logos like Coca-Cola or McDonald's?
Or is it "those too damn catchy for their own good" taglines (e.g. Just Do It)?
OK so those are definitely key parts of a brand, but there's also a LOT more that goes into what makes a business deeply connect with its people. From its core values to the way it communicates, a brand encompasses the entirety of a business or nonprofit's identity and how it identifies and differentiates itself.
With 2024 trends coming in hot, we wanted to do a quick and dirty step-by-step snapshot framework for creating a solid brand — or redefine and fortify an existing one.
In this blog, you'll get:
Let's get into it.
To our team, a brand's purpose is rooted in its 5Ps — a framework we remixed from Simon Sinek's Golden Circle.
Identifying your WHY, HOW and WHAT gives you a solid foundation to build everything necessary for your brand to grow with intention, clarity and speed — ask Apple.
To get to the meat of your purpose, ask:
What are the problems you're trying to solve?
Who are the people that you're serving?
Big picture: how are you making people's lives better individually and as a community at large? What is your impact? (Because your brand is only as good as it's promise.)
Do a brain dump and then review to see everything you've jotted down to spot any intersections or patterns. Then pair and polish until you've got meaningful sentiments for each of your 5Ps. (And if here's our 5P Framework worksheet if you want to do it all in one doc.)
Once you've got your purpose laid out, use it in every bit of your marketing: social posts, blogs, and strategies should be aligned with your brand's philosophy so that when you're making decisions about how to grow, everyone on your team knows why those decisions are being made.
Patagonia's branding shows up and shows out when it comes to understanding and communicating its purpose. Patagonia is a clothing company that is centered far beyond just selling products. Their mission statement, "We’re in business to save our home planet," encapsulates the very ethos of their brand purpose.
Although so many try to, no brand can (nor should) appeal to everyone.
Just don't do it.
It's crucial to know who you're appealing to. Your people will significantly influence your brand's approach and your business decisions — from visual vibe to your voice and word choices.
Your audience will also help you determine which channels are best for reaching them. For example, if you're trying to get in front of millennials, Instagram and TikTok are a must. But if you're targeting entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses, engaging blogs and nurturing emails are the best way to make your brand resonate.
Study your people and know them like you would your best friend. (Yes, BFFs are still a thing. Get with it.)
What does your brand stand for? What will it not tolerate?
What is the philosophy that act as the guardrails for biz decisions?
Defining your values helps you (and your people) understand what to expect when it comes to your business nad brand — and it fosters a deeper, more emotional connection, faster.
For example, our team's values, or philosophy, is:
We keep it honest. We value authentic connections, clear communication, and insatiable curiosity. Our people, aka our clients, are THE focus — no BS, just good vibes and a commitment to integrity in everything we do.
This philosophy guides our day-to-day with how we work internally as well as with our people — and they inform our decisions. When we design a product or service, it’s not just about the end result: It’s about how we get there, why we do it, and how it connects with our people.
The Village Retail is everything. It's a prime example of a brand that embodies its values in every facet of the word. They beyond being a retail outlet — its existence symbolizes a commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and thoughtful living. By curating locally sourced, ethically made products, The Village Retail champions artisan craftsmanship and reduces environmental impact. Their events and workshops are intentionally designed for local talents and cultivating community, reflecting the brand's belief in connection and shared experiences.
Think of your brand like a human being.
They have thoughts, feelings, and opinions — like we all do. Your brand's persona is its human-like characteristics.
Is it edgy yet approachable?
Or is it more corporate-y and buttoned up?
When developing your brand's personality (or persona), consider your target audience's perception. Are they looking for a brand that is relatable and down-to-earth, or do they prefer a brand that's über professional?
By understanding your audience's preferences and values, you can shape your brand's personality to create a genuine and meaningful connection.
For example, if your target audience is made up of millennial, tech-savvy women in the corporate world, a down-to-earth brand persona might be more effective in building trust and engagement. On the other hand, if your audience is primarily C-suite professionals, a more reserved brand persona would align better with their expectations.
Remember, your brand persona is not set in stone.
No intro needed for this one. This powerful example of a brand personality excels in showcasing and resonating through every aspect of itself. Fenty oozes bold, vibrancy in everything from its product range, messaging around inclusivity, and unapologetic fearlessness, fun, and innovation. They are doing it right at every turn through product names, packaging, and campaigns that reflect their personality that is clearly inclusive, sassy, and edgy all while being playful and flirty.
Your visual vibe is the first thing your audience sees. It takes 10 seconds for a person to decide how they feel about your brand.
10 seconds.
This is why your visuals cannot just be about your logo and color palette.
Your business' overall aesthetic and design represents your brand; it's what really drives it all home. It's essential for it all to align with who you want to attract — basically needs to be easily recognizable for your people.
When it comes to creating a strong visual identity, consistency is key.
Your logo should be memorable, reflecting the essence of your brand. It should be versatile enough to be used across different platforms and mediums, keeping it consistent wherever people see it.
Besides your logo, the colors you use need to speak to the psychological impact your visual identity can have on the human eye, mind and more.
Colors have the power to evoke emotions and create associations, so choosing the right colors that resonate with your brand's personality and values is crucial. Whether you opt for bold and vibrant hues or a more subdued and elegant palette, make sure that your color choices are consistent across all touch points of your brand, from your website to your pitch decks and reels and all the marketing materials in between.
By making your visual identity align with your 5Ps, brand persona/target audience and remains consistent, you will create a strong and memorable brand presence.
It's no shocker that Apple is the prime example of this. It has long been a standout example of a brand that leverages visual design to stand up and out from the tech crowd.
But let's look at why, from the visual perspective.
Apple's visual branding is characterized by a minimalist and elegant design aesthetic. This is reflected in everything from their products to their packaging, retail spaces, and even their website and marketing materials. The apple logo is simple but instantly recognizable, highlighting the brand's forward-thinking and innovative mindset.
Product designs emphasize sleek lines, intuitive user interfaces, and high-end finishes, distinguishing their look and feel from competitor products in the technology market. Then there's the notorious Apple Store, designed to mirror this minimalist aesthetic. They often feature open spaces, simple lines, and a lot of natural light, using glass, wood, and monochrome elements.
Even their advertising and marketing materials have a minimalist, visually clean approach, always showcasing the product as the hero against a simple, usually one-color background. Instead of overwhelming potential buyers with specs and numbers, they let the beauty and simplicity of their designs speak for themselves.
Use the same method that Apple did for their brand core with this Brand Framework Workbook.
Your brand voice is like the textual sound of your business, and the more consistent across all the board the more you'll resonate. It's the way you express yourself and communicate with your people, creating a distinct and recognizable identity.
Go back and reflect on your target audience and what they love and hate.
Are they looking for friendly and approachable, or do they seem to want a more assertively informative tone?
Use your 5P Framework to shape your brand voice and effectively engage and connect with your audience in a way that aligns how you communicate directly to the core of your brand.
Don't forget your rhythm or cadence.
Are you fast-paced and energetic or slow and deliberate?
Your rhythm should reflect the energy and vibe of your brand, reinforcing its overall personality with every word and piece of messaging.
There are a plethora of examples we could note here, but the one that is the ultimate champ in our eyes for this one has got to be Old Spice. They took the world by storm with their "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" Super Bowl 44 ad and its absurd, over-the-top, yet engaging and entertaining brand voice took off from there. Since then, their brand voice has garnered wide recognition and appreciation. Their commercials and advertising campaigns, often filled with humor, wit and novelty, have become iconic for how to effectively use your brand voice.
When you create a business and brand, you are creating a promise to your people.
Your value proposition: the promised effect that your target audience will experience by engaging with your business.
This is the delicious carrot that should capture why your people should go and grow with your brand over others. It's the key to what should always be in your brand's messaging and serves as the ultimate reason for why your people should choose you in tandem with, or even over, others.
To make this happen, go back to your target audience's needs and pain points — essentially the problem(s) that they're facing. Your value should clearly communicate the benefits and outcomes your customers can expect from choosing your brand.
Some things to remember while putting your value props together:
This is how you differentiate yourself from your competitors and attract your people. Use your value propositions (and calls to action) to speak on what makes you unique. Make it clear to future customers that your brand is the best choice for them.
Shopify does this right. Their value proposition highlights their ability to address the fundamental needs and concerns of someone starting a new business. It insists that Shopify can do everything you need, all on a single platform, offering a sense of ease to users who are overwhelmed by the multiple tasks associated with launching an e-commerce business.
Creating a compelling brand requires a significant amount of effort upfront, but the rewards your business will reap will be well worth it. When you invest the time and energy into developing your brand (or getting an expert team to do it for you), you have the opportunity to form emotionally vibrant relationships with your audience. These connections go beyond just a transactional relationship; they are built on trust, loyalty, and a genuine understanding of your customers' needs and desires.
The hardest lead source to achieve is word of mouth.
But when you get your branding right, your audience will feel a strong emotional connection to you, and are more likely to become loyal fans. They'll not only want to engage with you, but they'll also usually become advocates for what you're doing, spreading positive word-of-mouth and recommending you to others — that's how we've been aligned with most of our people.
These intangible elements have a meaningful impact on the success and longevity of your business. So, while framing your brand may require much introspection, creativity, and consistency, remember that your future self and business will thank you with rewards that far outweighed your initial effort.