[Guide] A Marketer's Guide to Building a Brand in 2020

Launching a new product or service into the market is an exciting prospect for any marketer or entrepreneur. You have a logo, a slogan, a website, and a product or service that is finally ready to be sold, so it must be all systems go right? Well, not quite. When it comes to your entire brand, there is so much more that must be considered.

A brand is made up of a number of elements that work together to shape the opinions and perceptions that people might have of your business. This includes:

• Website & app design/usability 
• Social media platforms
• Company colours
• Company logo & slogan
• Tone of voice
• Advertising
• Images & graphics
• Store environment & atmosphere
• How staff members treat customers
• How staff members dress
• Pricing
• Product packaging
• Product quality 
• Public relations
• Public speaking
• Direct mail
• Email marketing
• Sponsorships
• Nonprofit partnerships

• … and more!

Why is Branding So Important?

Branding has the ability to impact whether or not your company is a huge success or a complete failure. The chances are, you have competitors. Without a great brand behind the product or service you are selling, how are your consumers going to differentiate your offering from that of your competitors? Your brand is not just your logo, it’s the reason people will choose you over others.

Here are a few other benefits of having a great brand:

• Increases business value
• Builds brand awareness
• Increases competitive advantage
• Attracts new customers
• Improves employee retention
• Builds trust
• Triggers human emotion

The 3 Stages of Brand Strategy

Generally speaking, developing your brand strategy can be broken down into the following 3 stages:

• Planning - The Intel Phase

The first, and most important stage of building your brand. With careful planning and research, you can get a clear idea of the likes and dislikes of your target audience, an understanding of your competitors, and an idea of what makes your product or service unique. 

• Building - Bringing It All to Life

After all that research, you should have established a pretty clear idea of your brand identity and aesthetic. This stage is all about finalising the various elements of that identity, for example, your company name, logo, slogan, colour palette, fonts, images, brand voice, etc. This stage also involves creating your website, social channels, and any other owned media you’ll require throughout the execution stage.

• Execution - The Launch

Publishing your website does not automatically mean instant page views. The execution stage is where you utilise a bunch of different marketing tactics to help drive traffic to your website or store in a bid to make sales. This stage is ongoing, and you should never stop. 

In our new guide, A Marketer’s Guide to Building a Brand in 2020, we dive into each one of these key stages in-depth, covering everything you need to consider and at what point, highlighting the main tools and resources you can utilise, and providing plenty of examples to take inspiration from.

So, what are you waiting for? Download your free guide below:

Enjoy!  💌 I'd love to hear from you so don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly via emma@hurree.co with any questions or comments you may have!