Having a strong, engaging brand will set your new business apart and enable you to attract and retain customers. Branding is just as important to small firms and start-ups as it is to large, well-established businesses. Remember – everything you do in business affects perceptions of your brand.

What is a brand?

A brand is so much more than a business name, logo, typeface or choice of colours (important as these all are). Think of branding as the experience customers and others have when they engage with your business and the perception they’re left with.

In most sectors, in reality, there’s little difference between competing products and services. Branding enables customers to differentiate when making their buying decisions. Your brand is your promise to customers. It’s what you stand for and why people should buy from you and not one of your competitors. That’s why it needs to be distinct. Branding also offers you the means to align everything you do so you can maximise your success.

Why are brands successful?

Think about well-liked brands and why they’re successful. What do they stand for and what’s their promise? Successful brands connect with customers on an emotional level. Look online to identify businesses with successful brand identities and think about why they appeal. How does their choice of colours, imagery, typefaces, etc evoke their values? Now consider businesses with poor brands. Where does their branding fall short? Learn lessons from successful brands and avoid replicating the mistakes of others.

Now think about your business. What are your core values? What promises do you make to customers? What is your unique selling proposition? What’s your place in the market and which customers are you targeting? What are your key messages? How can your brand values be communicated visually? Remember, your business name has important brand implications too, so choose carefully. Scribble down your thoughts. Keep things simple, because successful brands can be summarised in a few words.