The concept and purpose of Branding

You can say that branding is the personality of your business. It is the combination of moods, style and vibes that the business projects to other people. Its up to you to decide these things, together with the colours and images you want to associate to it.

Whether you’ve just started a craft business or are thinking of setting one up, branding is something you should do in the early stages. By branding, we do not mean a logo, a sign, a symbol, a design, or a combination of them. This was the definition of branding 10 years ago perhaps, but today it is a bit more complex. It is the perception that a consumer has when they hear or think or see your company name, services or products. 

So how do you brand? First of all, think of your business as something separate from you; an entity of its own and you need to plan, decide and create its personality and features. Everything must have the same consistency which will allow recognition, motivates, encourage trust and connect emotionally with people. 

Your brand is meant not only to grab the attention of potential customers, but also to distinguish yourself among the competition. A consistent reference point will help you build a trust factor, win loyal customers and eventually grow your business successfully. 

Not all of us have the luxury to have a team of professional designers to do their branding, so we have to find all the free help we can manage. CANVA has loads of templates to choose from: logo, flyers, brochures, business cards, coupons, gift certificates, letterheads, menus, planners, graphics, web ads, posters, etc etc. Its a great place to start! 

Spending time to design your brand will be worth while in the long run. You need to consider your colour schemes, your tag lines, your fonts, your shapes, your lines. How do you want people to feel when they see your branding? What are the emotions you want them to experience? Remember that even colours will express emotions.

Check out what the competition is doing. You need to purposely stray away from their established image in order to make sure your branding is original. You can always be inspired and 'steal' an idea or two, however do not leave any doubt that what you created is unique. 

It is helpful to know exactly who your target audience is, in order to make your message clearly in line with their characteristics. If you make baby clothes, you need to use smooth, pastel colours and sweet, cute fonts. Make sure that your branding is in line with what you really are. Do not try to pretend something you are not, because people will soon realize that and they will remain disappointed. 

Finally, ask a friend who is not in your line of business to have a look at your designs before you go ahead. A second opinion and a second pair of eyes can see mistakes or potential improvement that you cannot see. You could also ask a trusted customer for feedback about your new branding, which would be extremely valuable to you.