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Branding

Branding Guide: How to Create in 12 Steps

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How to Create a Branding Guide

A branding guide is essential for any DTC, B2B, or B2C business.

A branding guide is not just about logos and colors- it’s about everything from fonts to layouts. So before you go too far into your next project, make sure to think about these things!

As a designer, you can have a huge impact on how people perceive your client’s brand. And more importantly, you’re in charge of enforcing the rules that will govern everybody who works with content or visuals for this company.

To do this properly and successfully, it’s important to create a branding guide for your business!

A good brand style guide is essential for any modern business.

Without a well-designed branding guide, your company can end up looking like an amateur operation. Your marketing efforts will be wasted if nobody knows who you are or what you do.

Our team of experts has created the ultimate brand style guide template to help businesses establish their identity and create consistent messaging across all channels. 

What is a branding guide, and why do I need one

How create branding guide

A branding guide is an important asset for any modern business, but it’s important to understand what exactly it means.

A great way to start is by asking yourself these questions:

  • Who am I designing this for?
  • What is my goal with the design?
  • What are the needs of my target audience?
  • How can I be true to my clients’ identity while maintaining flexibility given the constraints of different mediums (web, social media, print)?
  • What typography look am I usually drawn to or would be appropriate for this project?
  • Which color palette works best with the current logo and overall brand

What is a branding guide?

A branding guide is an important resource for any business that communicates its message consistently across different channels. 

This document defines the core elements, including logos, colors, fonts, layouts, and messaging, branding and it’s incredibly helpful in building a cohesive visual identity.

7 Step to create a branding guide?

Step create branding guide
  1. The start of any brand style guide should include the company’s mission statement, which is used to define the key values of the team. A mission statement can be from “provide excellent customer service” to “fund research on endangered species.” 
  2. The next step is choosing your logo. Your logo is one of your most important assets because it takes on many different meanings over time.
  3. When designing a logo for your company, you have to consider its aesthetic value, legibility at different sizes, and how well it will stand the test of time. Your logo is a visual representation of your company’s values, and it is a key demographic(s), so you have to make sure that it fits those group(s) as best as possible.
  4. After you’ve got these two things, you should create your color palette. This is a core component of any brand style guide, and it’s the foundation for every other visual branded element. There are a lot of different things to think about when choosing colors for your business, but here are some basic rules: Keep a limited number of colors in your palette (that way, you can use them consistently).
    1. Make sure your colors are visible, even when the brand logo is rendered at very small sizes.
    2. Use analogous colors (colors next to each other on the color wheel) for things like links and buttons. Triadic colors (three equally spaced colors on the color wheel) are best for headlines and banners.
  5. Now that you’ve got some colors, it’s time to pick fonts. Typography is one of the most important elements in design because it determines how easy your content is to read. There are many different aspects to consider here, but make sure your font choices look great no matter what size they are and make sure they look good together.
  6. Next, it’s time to define what layout schemes will be used for different content types. You can use anything from a simple grid system to more complex layouts like the Golden Ratio, which is based on the Fibonacci sequence and is often considered the most aesthetically pleasing of its kind. A brand style guide can define a lot of different layouts, but these are some basic ones:
    1. One-column layout
    2. Two-column layout
    3. Three-column layout
  7. The next step is to create a document that outlines how they will be used when designing anything for your company. This could be a simple one-page document, but it should include an overview of the brand personality and explain how to apply your key elements to different pieces of content.

This is where you need to be very strict about the design rules you’ve laid out in this style guide. 

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These don’t have to be rigid, but they should still be enforced. If you’re having trouble keeping all of your designs consistent, there are many great apps to help organize and file these files. One example is Adobe’s Brandfolder, but there are other options as well.

So now that you’ve got your branding guide defined, it’s time to take action! 

Make sure everyone on the team has a copy of it to refer to it for any new questions or ideas. Like you’ve probably heard, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so try to keep your brand style guide up to date as best as possible.

As a designer, business owner, or strategist, you might not have time to focus on every project detail. 

The “Brand Bible” is great because it can give you a solid framework for your design. It will also be a reference point for any other designers, creatives, or staff members creating content for your company. Plus, it will help you grow! 

You can give updates to your team, so they always know about the newest design elements.

The branding guide is a key item for any modern business. 

For all of these reasons, you should keep it up-to-date! 

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Start with these five simple tips that will help you create an accurate, inspiring guide for your company.

1. Be Consistent

Don’t like your current logo? Change it!

But make sure to update your brand style guide so everyone can learn how to recreate the new version. For example, if you change the color of your social media buttons, add that information in the section about colors and add a little sample graphic, too! Be consistent with your company branding.

If you need inspiration, use the Pantone color finder or Adobe Kuler to get started. You can also give your employees guidelines about how their work should look (i.e., everything has rounded corners and has a bold font).

2. Be Accurate

Make sure all of your content is accurate! If you use a lot of typography, create a cheat sheet so everyone can use the same measurements. If you have several employees who need to know what your company does and why it matters, give them all access to the guide.

3. Be Visually Pleasing

Include any images that would look appropriate on your guide or website, including your logo. If you have a Pinterest board or Instagram account representing your business, use that information to enhance the guide!

4. Be Global

Think about other places your company might interact with customers outside of its own country. The style guide should include all languages, so people know how things are translated and spell-checked. For example, you can use Google Translate for this purpose.

5. Be Current

If your company is growing or changing quickly, be sure to update your work whenever necessary!

For example, if you choose a new tagline or the colors on your logo change slightly, go ahead and include that information in the style guide. Updating the guide will keep it from becoming outdated, and employees will always have the latest information!

When you create a brand style guide to use as a reference, everyone on your team can better understand your company’s vision.

You’ll get consistency and accuracy benefit from having such an awesome resource! The more time you put into creating this beautiful bible for your business, the better. So, don’t delay!

Benefits of creating a style guide for your clients

Benefits creating a style guide your customers

A brand style guide is the absolute best resource for any brand to help streamline its creative efforts. 

This is because of its ability to apply the designer’s creative vision to everything from logos and colors to fonts and layouts. It has recently become more than just an organizational tool but a guaranteed creative direction for everyone who works with company content or visuals.

So before you go too far into your next project, make sure to think about these things! Do you have all the necessary brand assets? Is your brand aligned with your client’s brand? Is there consistency in brand messaging? Do you have easy-to-follow brand guidelines?

Benefits of creating branding guides

  • It provides brand standards for visual brand assets.
  • A brand guide eliminates brand inconsistency by implementing brand standards across all brand touchpoints, including digital and print collateral, signage, packaging, or any other material used to represent the brand itself
  • A brand style guide makes it easy for employees to share a customer-centric vision
  • Finally, a brand style guide is an extension of your brand

Creating a brand style guide requires more than just your knowledge of graphics software or design trends. This document should be written with intent and each point defined to avoid unnecessary editing after development has taken place.

Reasons why branding guides are important

  • Braning guides provides brand standards for visual brand assets
  • Eliminates brand inconsistency by implementing brand standards across all brand touchpoints
  • Easy for employees to share a customer-centric vision
  • An extension of your brand

Examples of what you should include in your branding guide with examples from real-life brands:

  1. Logo – which logo is the primary logo, and does it adhere to the brand guidelines? Which is the secondary logo? Is there a third, more playful logo for social media, etc.? Remember that logos should never be used inside other logos or words (unless it’s an art piece).
  2. Color palette – how many colors are included in the brand color palette? How many brand colors should be used in the design element, and how many brand colors should be used in brand collateral? Are our brand colors designated for digital or print use only?
  3. Typography – what typefaces are included in the brand font library? Do these typefaces come with different weights (light, regular, heavy)? What is the size hierarchy, and where do they fall on that spectrum? How big can these typefaces get before it’s diminishing returns and starts to overpower the message of your brand
  4. Layout – does your brand have a particular layout style (ex: grid-based) which you adhere to across all brand touchpoints (design files as well as the website, social channels, etc.)? Are there any brand guidelines for brand collateral (ex: brand posters, brand presentations, etc.)?
  5. Color palettes – where can the brand color palette be seen in practice? Will anyone create brand assets that deviate from the brand guide, or are deviations permitted?
  6. Branding & logo mark – is this your brand’s primary logo, and does it adhere to the brand guidelines? Does this logo come with different weights (light, regular, heavy)? What is the size hierarchy, and where do these logos fall on that spectrum? How big can these logos get before it’s diminishing returns and starts to overpower the message of your brand
  7. Photo style – what photo style should be used in social posts? Is there a particular style you want to use across brand photos?Are our brand colors designated for digital or print use only?
  8. Usage – are there any brand assets that deviate from the brand guide, or are deviations permitted?

This branding guide will approach the brand standards for visuals, brand messaging, brand guidelines per brand collateral, logos, and color palettes to ensure the brand is represented in the best way possible.

There are two different logos in use with different weights – this brand style guide will be expanding on what colors are used in the logo and how large they can be before it starts feeling overpowering.

Four typefaces are used in this brand’s brand guideline – these typefaces all have different weights, with some being more elegant than others. 

This branding guide will also have rules for when colors can be used on certain types of collateral. 

For example, social media posts should have a more playful tone with brand colors, but brand posters should maintain a more professional tone by not using brand colors. Brand logos will be discussed as well. 

There are two different brand logos in use (primary and secondary), with the primary logo having a slightly thicker weight than the secondary logo to make it stand out more.

For brand collateral like brand posters, photos should be taken of people who represent this brand’s target market – strong photos of happy customers can help instill trust for this brand within their target market and provide content for social channels such as Instagram or Pinterest.

Conclusion on how to create a branding guide

How create branding guide

A branding guide is a key item for any modern business. The branding guide applies the designer’s vision to every facet of the brand, from logos and colors to fonts and layouts. But really, it’s a little more than that.

Even if some employees might not feel that they need to follow these guidelines, it helps keep everyone on the same page and ensure that new employees are up to speed quickly. 

Branding guide also helps others who don’t work with brands daily (outsourced designers, brand vendors) follow proper brand guidelines. They might not be able to read your mind, and you need them to understand what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to brand.

It’s a guide for everybody who works with the content or visuals that represent the company. So before you go too far into your next project, make sure to think about these things!   

If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting these principles, let us know.

Our team of experts is ready and waiting to partner with you to create brand guidelines to help your brand stand out.

Brand Purpose is Important to Your Brand Success

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Your Brand Success is Defined by Your Brand Purpose

Brand purpose is typically a phrase or sentence that summarizes the company’s reason to exist and how it wants to impact the world in a particular way positively. 

It could be something like, “Our mission is to make people feel completely at home.”

“Why should I care about brand purpose?” You may be asking yourself.

Agitate: It’s no secret that in today’s marketplace, it is more important than ever for brands to stand out from the crowd and differentiate themselves.

And while everyone knows this, most companies are not doing enough to create a true sense of purpose within their organizations or with their customers.

As a result, they are missing out on opportunities to build deeper relationships with customers and employees alike by creating products and services that truly matter — both inside and outside the company walls.

The good news is there is hope!

Brands can take actionable steps toward establishing meaningful connections between business strategy and consumer experience by building an internal culture of purposeful innovation—one where every employee understands how his or her role contributes to achieving higher purposes.

This type of culture enables people throughout the organization—from front-line workers all the way up through senior management—to embrace change as an opportunity rather than a threat

Brand purpose is Important to Your Brand Success.

Brand purpose Important Brand Success

A brand’s purpose is typically a phrase or sentence that sums up the company’s reason to exist and how it wants to impact the world in a particular way positively. It could be something like, “Our mission is to make people feel completely at home.”

Some brands, such as Coca-Cola, even include their branding on their logo: “Delight Every Moment of Everyday” (Coca-Cola). 

This helps customers easily identify what they stand for and why they should buy from them. A brand with a clear sense of who it serves and why will likely see success because customers will want what it offers if they understand its values.

And this can be done for a brand purpose.

Brand purpose is important to brand success because it helps customers understand why they should buy from you, and it also helps the brand identify what values are relevant to the brand.

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There are many examples of brands with strong branding, one example being the Nike brand. They have a clear understanding of who they are serving, which is communicated to their customers through the brand’s identity. The brand has a simple but powerful mission statement called “Just do it.”

This communicates what they stand for and why consumers should purchase from them.

A brand can define its brand purpose in three ways:

  1. by looking at its logo or slogan
  2. by answering three key questions that will help them to figure out what they stand for
  3. by reading it out loud

The Nike brand is a well-known brand with a simple but powerful mission statement – “Just do it.” This communicates what they stand for and why consumers should purchase from them.

There are many ways to help you figure out the brand’s purpose. One way to figure this out is by having a conversation about a brand with your team members. 

Try asking yourselves questions like: 

  • Who are we serving? 
  • What values do we represent? 
  • How can our brand positively impact the world? 
  • Talking about these questions will help you discover who the brand serves and what brand values are.

branding is important because it helps customers understand why they should buy from you, and it also helps the brand identify what values are relevant in the brand.

One brand that has a clear understanding of who they are serving and what brand values are relevant in the brand is Nike.

What brand purpose is

What brand purpose is

Branding is typically a phrase or sentence that summarizes the company’s reason to exist and how it wants to impact the world in a particular way positively. 

A brand’s purpose is typically a phrase or sentence that sums up the company’s reason to exist and how it wants to impact the world in a particular way positively. 

It could be something like, “Our mission is to make people feel completely at home.”

Examples of brands with strong branding

Examples brands with strong brand purposes

Ever since Target’s brand purpose has been “To be the best place for brand names at lower prices,” they have been able to provide clothing, home goods, and appliances for everyone.

Apple’s branding is “to make products that change people’s lives.” They can achieve this by designing high-quality electronics for their customers and providing an innovative work environment.

Ikea’s brand purpose is “to create a better everyday life for the many people.” Their brand allows them to provide stylish, practical furniture at affordable prices.

What brand purpose is has become an increasingly important part of brand success in the market today. J.C. Penney, Apple, and Ikea can clearly define their brand in this way which helps communicate their brand image to consumers worldwide. 

Ways to help you figure out what your brand’s “purpose” should be

what your brand purpose should be

You need to figure out what your brand’s “purpose” should be.

  • Figure out what your brand wants to do for the world and how they want to impact the world in a particular way positively.
  • You can come up with branding by asking yourself questions like:
  • What am I passionate about?
  • What am I good at?
  • How can I make money while doing what I love?
  • Who will be my customer/target audience?
  • What does my brand stand for?
  • And so much more.
  • Try to come up with branding different from all the other brands out there, but still stick to something that everyone can relate to and is believable.
  • You can also go based on what your brand’s product is based around, e.g. if your brand is focused on health, you could have brand purpose rooted in health as well.
  • Once you have figured out brand purpose, try sticking with it as best as possible and keep a brand promise no matter what!  

After I figured out my brand purpose, I wrote it down in one sentence.

My brand purpose is: “To make people’s lives better and easier.”

I came up with this branding by asking myself these questions:

  • What am I passionate about?
  • What am I good at?
  • How can I make money while doing what I love?
  • Who will be my customer and target audience?
  • What does my brand stand for?
  • And so much more.

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Conclusion on Brand purpose

Brand purpose is a brand’s reason for existence, and it can be summarized as one sentence or phrase that outlines the company’s goal to positively impact the world in some way, shape, or form.

Though the branding isn’t always easy to find and implement within your brand strategy, it has been proven by many studies to impact how successful brands are at their current time of life cycle.

That being said, there are three key steps you should take if you want to develop brand purpose: understand what brand meaning already exists among customers; create a compelling vision statement based on customer insights, and finally create actionable goals around this new brand meaning/vision statement which will help achieve your desired outcome (whatever that may be). 

Branding is an important part of brand success because it gives companies a reason for being, which customers can relate to. It also helps establish where the brand wants to go in the future, so they know what goals need to be achieved along the way.

General FAQs

What is brand purpose?

Brand purpose is typically a phrase or sentence that summarizes the company’s reason to exist and how it wants to positively impact the world in a particular way.
Examples of brand purposes:
– Making kids feel like superheroes, one Halloween at a time. (Carvel)
– Removing barriers and leveling the playing field for everyone else. (Newton Running)

Why does brand purpose matter to your brand success?

Brand purpose is an important component of brand strategy. It helps explain the company’s reason for being and ensures brand integrity over time by providing a foundation for a brand’s actions. When properly defined, brand purpose can help drive both customer interest and employee engagement.

How do you find out what a brand’s brand purpose is?

There are several questions you can ask to better understand the brand purpose. For example, here are some brand-specific queries:
– What do you think about when you hear “XYZ brand” (this is the brand’s mission)?
– Which word would best describe our brand? Why did you pick that word?
– If one of your customers was describing what they liked about your brand, what would they say?

Can a company have more than one brand purpose?

Yes, one brand can have more than one brand purpose. It is typical for brand purposes to differ across regions of the world. For example, Toyota’s brand sense in Europe includes less aggressive driving than its U.S. counterpart, which reflects road conditions and consumer preferences there. Similarly but on the flip side Mercedes-Benz has a brand purpose for “Luxury Event” in selected areas due to special celebratory events or functions that require limousines – this differs from their typical focus on power and performance needs.

#1 Brand Strategy in Marketing: The Importance of a Reason to Be

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Accelerate Your Company with a Better Brand Strategy in Marketing

Some brand managers may believe that they can succeed by following a brand strategy in marketing, but it is only successful if the brand has a reason to be.

What does this mean?

It means that your brand needs to have an important purpose for existing. 

If you don’t know what your brand’s “reason to be” is, then you should take some time and think about what makes your brand unique and what value it provides customers. 

Once you figure out its “reason to be,” share it with your customers so they understand why they should buy from you!

Brand strategy in marketing is a significant and detailed examination of what brand management typically entails.

You want to build up your brand equity.

What is a brand strategy?

What brand strategy

Successful marketing will focus heavily on brand planning, such as consideration of the brand’s emotional appeal and message for both customers and employees. You must weave your brand into your marketing strategy.

Brand strategy in marketing studies customer reactions to branding messages, explores their relationship to the brand name, how customers behave when communicating about the company with others and whether customers would be likely or unlikely to buy more products from them.

A successful brand strategy in the market (aka “branding”) may also include a marketing audit of competitors’ tactics.

It includes doing research on your target audience: who they are; where they live; who they spend their time with; and how much money do they make?

2. A brand needs to have an important purpose to exist

3. If you don’t know what your brand’s “reason to be” is, then take some time and think about what makes your brand unique and what value it provides customers

4. Once you figure out its “reason to be,” share it with your customers so they understand why they should buy from you!

Do you find yourself wondering how archetypes can help in branding?

It’s a question that many business owners ask themselves. The 12 archetypes and how they can connect with your target market.

The 12 archetypes are archetypes that are considered to be the main archetypes in archetypal theory. The archetypes categorize people, events, objects, or anything else with an archetypal character.

There are 12 archetypes in all.

They are each grouped into four categories: the Hero, the Lover, the Sage, and the Fool. 

Marketing strategy paired with your brand strategy

brand strategy marketing plan

A brand strategy in marketing can be extremely beneficial for your brand, but without the right brand strategy, it won’t matter.

You need to make sure that you have a thorough understanding of your target audience and the brand’s “reason to be” (aka what makes it unique), otherwise, you’re doing all of this work for nothing!

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A brand needs to have an important purpose to exist

A brand needs to have an important purpose to exist. That purpose can be the brand’s core message or a brand’s product line.

The brand strategy in marketing can become a brand strategy in marketing and brand management.

The brand manager should carefully consider brand planning such as consideration of the brand’s emotional appeal and message for both customers and employees.

Brand strategy studies customer reactions to branding messages, explores their relationship to the brand name, how customers behave when communicating about the company with others and whether they would be likely or unlikely to buy more products from them.

Do an SEO audit of your competitors’ tactics may also include doing research on your target audience.

Brand development strategy

  • brand planning, such as consideration of the brand’s emotional appeal and message for both customers and employees. Brand strategy in marketing studies customer reactions to branding messages, explores their relationship to the brand name, how customers behave when communicating about the company with others and whether they would be likely or unlikely to buy more products from them.
  • brand audit of competitors’ tactics
  • Do research on your target audience: who they are; where they live; who they spend their time with; and how much money do they make?

The brand strategy in marketing can become a brand manager should carefully consider brand planning such as consideration of the brand’s emotional appeal and message for both customers and employees.

A brand manager should carefully consider brand planning such as consideration of the brand’s emotional appeal and brand strategy in marketing studies customer reactions to branding messages, explores their brand name, how customers behave when communicating about the brand with others and whether they would be likely or unlikely to buy more products from them.

A brand audit of competitors’ tactics

brand audit competitors' tactics

A brand audit of competitors’ tactics may also include doing research on your target audience:

  • who they are
  • where they live
  • how will they spend their time on brand strategy and customer reactions to branding messages
  • explores their brand name
  • how customers behave when communicating about the brand with others and
  • whether they would be likely or unlikely to buy more products from them

Brand purpose is often expressed as a brand essence.

The marketing strategy you can have a brand strategy but unless your brand has reason to be, you don’t have a real connection to customers.

For Example, Target’s brand reason to be simplifying and enhancing the lives of our guests Their brand promise then explains that this means providing great design at affordable prices Lastly their brand personality communicates being a brand of optimistic happiness.

Advertisements are typically seen as the most important branding tool for companies today because without advertisements people wouldn’t know about these brands their products or the services they provide.

This then ties into how they market, advertising campaigns, and creativity put into branding commercials for people to view on TV during prime time hours which reaches millions if not billions of homes each and every day so it is more than important brand strategy in marketing to advertise and get the word out.

Brand purpose is often expressed as brand essence many companies today express their brand reason to be some examples includes:

  • Nike– bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world,
  • Google– organize the information of the world,
  • Starbucks- inspire and nurture the human spirit, and
  • Kelloggs- good food, good life.

Brand strategy in marketing

Brand strategy marketing

The importance of a brand and its need to have a brand story so it can be shared with its audience.

A brand strategy is really about establishing an emotional connection to your customers through the brand story, building brand engagement, and brand loyalty.

When you cannot connect with your customer on a deeper level then they are not going to be interested in what you are or even buy from you again. It’s like having that friend who always has their face stuck in their phone. It’s just not engaging and you want to have a brand strategy that is going to be able to engage with their brand story so they can deliver it in an authentic way.

This brand-story connection helps businesses develop purposeful, relevant products and services for the modern marketer who must keep pace with changing consumer behaviors while delivering unique value to brand customers.

It’s not about being the biggest brand but instead, it is more to do with building brand engagement and this can help you have a brand strategy that has meaning for your target audience. 

They are going to be looking for something different than just name recognition, they want an emotional connection along with their purchase so make sure you know what story you are telling and how you can best share that brand story while it resonates with your audience.

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How do you create a brand strategy?

A brand strategy is the brand’s strategic framework for connecting with customers.

The brand strategy can play an important role in marketing because it clarifies what the brand stands for, and how it intends to communicate that position to consumers. A sound brand strategy has three key components: purpose, values, and personality

A brand should be well aware of its objectives before designing a good brand strategy; this is what all great brands do!

They know the company they founded; they know their employees; they know their customers; and most importantly they can see themselves now, 5 years later. It not only needs to help them achieve success but also needs to make sense for where their vision is now heading–beyond just what the product offers uniquely on its own.

As a brand strategist, you have more of an advantage than just being able to affect your brand. You can play a role in making brand strategy and marketing relevant across the board for all brands–large and small alike! This is because it doesn’t matter if they are already established or not; each brand has something unique about them that will attract customers.

Conclusion about a brand strategy in marketing

A brand strategy in marketing: the importance of a brand and its need to have a brand story so it can be shared with its audience.

A brand strategy is really about establishing an emotional connection to your customers through the brand story, building brand engagement, and brand loyalty. When you cannot connect with your customer on a deeper level then they are not going to be interested in what you are or even buy from you again.

It’s like having that friend who always has their face stuck in their phone. It’s just not engaging and you want to have a brand strategy that is going to be able to engage with their brand story so they can deliver it in an authentic way.

This brand-story connection helps businesses develop purposeful, relevant products and services for the modern marketer who must keep pace with changing consumer behaviors while delivering unique value to brand customers. 

It’s not about being the biggest brand but instead, it is more to do with building brand engagement and this can help you have a brand strategy that has meaning for your audience. They are going to be looking for something different than just another brand in the market trying to sell them something.

Build up your brand equity.

Connecting with customers on an emotional level is what every brand strategy needs to do when it comes down to marketing because you are not just selling a product, instead, you are also sharing your brand story. 

This way you will be able to have that connection even after they have bought from you and continue to engage with your brand. It builds brand loyalty because it is more than just a transaction; you are sharing something that matters for both parties involved in the story.

FAQs about Brand Strategy in Marketing

What is a brand strategy in marketing?

A brand strategy in marketing: the importance of a brand and its need to have a brand story so it can be shared with its audience. A brand strategy is really about establishing an emotional connection to your customers through the brand story, building brand engagement, and brand loyalty. When you cannot connect with your customer on a deeper level then they are not going to be interested in what you are or even buy from you again.

What is a brand story?

A brand story can be anything that you want your audience to recognize as the brand. It could be a mission statement of what the brand wants to accomplish, how it originated, its vision for future growth–anything at all. A brand story is something that needs to have more than just marketing involved with it because brands are not just looking for customers based on their service or product but also the culture and values they represent.

How can brand strategy affect a business?

A brand strategy is something that businesses build for years so it can work as a foundation and guide to see what they want their brand to be. This brand strategy should reflect the brand culture and values, the customers it wants to connect with, and other marketing strategies that will help customer engagement.

What are the three key components of brand strategy for marketers?

– brand strategy
– brand story
– brand engagement/loyalty

The Invaluable 12 Archetypes in Branding: Connect with Your Target Audience

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Do you find yourself wondering how archetypes in branding can help?

Archetypes in branding can increase your sales conversion ratios and boost sales.

It’s a question that many business owners ask themselves. In this blog post, we will discuss the 12 archetypes and how they can connect with your target market.

The archetypes are archetypes that are considered to be the main archetypes in archetypal theory. The brand archetype is used to categorize people, events, objects, or anything else with an archetypal character.

There are 12 archetypes in all. It’s vital you add your main archetypes to your brand strategy.

They are each grouped into four categories: the Hero, the Lover, the Sage, and the Fool. Below I will list each category and describe one of its brand archetypes.

Do you find yourself wondering how brand archetypes can help your brand with brand archetypes? It’s a question that many business owners ask themselves.

In this blog post, we will discuss twelve different archetype examples for marketing purposes with your target market based on personality characteristics that have been found to possess by archetypal archetypes and those that can be used to connect with your target audience.

What is a brand archetype?

What is a brand archetype?

A brand archetype refers to a character type that is found in archetypal archetypes used for branding.

The first group consists of archetypal archetypes that represent a character on an archetypical journey to overcome obstacles in order to reach their archetypal goal.

They are the protagonist archetype, who embodies archetypical characteristics that your target market can connect with and relate to in archetypes of archetypes. The antagonist archetype is the complete opposite but also represents a character or personas in archetypal theory.

Understanding Personality: The 12 Jungian Archetypes

The 12 Jungian Archetypes

One of the biggest challenges for marketers is understanding their target audience.

This challenge has become even more difficult as customers are now looking for brands (and brand archetypes) that resonate with their needs and desires. However, marketers can now use the archetypes developed by Carl Jung to understand their audience better.

The brand archetype is connected to people’s personalities, meaning marketers can now find the archetypal type they need to connect with their audience.

This gives marketers greater insight into their customers’ needs, motivations, and perspectives on life, leading to a deeper connection between the brand archetypes and the customer.

While archetypes are often understood as pure archetypal types or archetypical personalities, archetypes can also be archetypal images or themes.

We will also look at examples of brand archetypes that have leveraged archetypes for their marketing campaigns!

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Do you want to learn how archetypes can help in branding?

If archetypes can help in branding, they are at the core of it. Archetypes are archetypal characters that are archetypal to your story, which can resonate with their archetypical needs at the different plotting stages, whether your archetypes are protagonists or antagonists.

This includes protagonists who must grow and change or face perdition or the “antagonist” doomed to fail.

The archetypes of Carl Jung are the important brand archetypes that help in the branding and creation of a connection with your target market.

The archetypes can be used to identify and understand people and derive marketing and branding strategies.

The brand archetype work by you understanding the type of people who like your product. An archetypal form example would be a person who buys feminine products being a female or masculine product being male.

This example is archetypal because their product preference relates to gender.

Let’s look at the 12 archetypes below to see how they can be used in marketing and branding strategies.

The 12 Jungian Archetypes

Archetypes branding target audience
  1. Ruler
  2. Creator/Artist
  3. Sage
  4. Innocent
  5. Explorer
  6. Rebel
  7. Hero
  8. Wizard
  9. Jester
  10. Everyman
  11. Lover
  12. Caregiver

These archetypes are important archetypes that help in branding and creating a connection with your target market.

These archetypes work by you understanding the type of people who like your product.

An example would be an archetypal form: someone who buys feminine products being female or masculine products being male. This example is archetypal because their product preference relates to gender.

These archetypes are important archetypes that help in branding and creating a connection with your target market.

The archetypes work by you understanding the type of people who like your product.

An example would be an archetypal form: someone who buys feminine products being female or masculine products being male. This example is archetypal because their product preference relates to gender.

The Innocent, The Orphan, The Hero, The Caregiver, and Ruler or King (Saturn) relate best with Apple, Coca-Cola, and Disney. In contrast, examples for brands using these archetypes could include:

Branding strategies could include naming the company after its founder, such as Apple named after Steve Jobs, or using a logo of an archetypal form such as Disney have used Mickey Mouse in their logos.

The Hero

One of the archetypes in branding that many people are familiar with is the archetype of “hero.” A hero can be embodied in a person or animal. In marketing, this archetype is used when you have an ad that tells your audience how they, too, could do something to help someone else.

This helps create a connection between your target market and brand archetype because it makes them feel like part of a community.

For example, Dove has been using their Campaign for Real Beauty by having campaigns where women come out and share what beauty means to them. They connect with their consumers on an emotional level which ultimately results in more sales!

Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Trailer

Dove’s Campaign For Real Beauty Video Advert

The “Villain” Archetype

Another archetype that has become popular in marketing is the “Villain” archetype. An individual or even a corporation can embody this archetype. When you constantly talk about how your brand archetypes outsmart this villain, it makes people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves!

The main focus of using this approach should always be on making sure that you do not come across as harsh and negative but instead show consumers why your product will help them defeat their challenge/enemy (in other words – make them win).

A prime example of this would be Apple’s 1984 ad, famously known to have George Orwell quotes throughout the video. This ad helped propel Apple into a brand for people who want to fight against this oppressive force and be free! By doing so, they made everyone believe that Microsoft (and all other computer companies) were the “big brother” that was out to get them.

Apple’s 1984 Advert

1984 by George Orwell Book Cover

The Child Archetype

The last archetype we will look at is the “child.”

When you use brand archetype, it should never feel gimmicky but rather part of your DNA as a company. Archetypes have been around since ancient times, with Greek mythology being one of those stories with many archetypal characters.

One example where brands (brand archetypes) have used archetypes well is Kleenex which started targeting women between 30 – 50 years old after they realized that men were buying their tissue boxes instead because there wasn’t a design that appealed to them.

This demographic of men and women wanted a box that would look good in their homes and feel like they were buying tissues for the kids! By using this approach, Kleenex saw sales increase by more than 50% from 2014 – 2016.

Kleenex’s New Tissue Box Designs

The purpose of archetypes is to connect with your audience on an emotional level which results in increased brand loyalty over time. Do you want to learn how archetypes can help with your archetypes in branding?

The Explorer and The Rebel/Criminal archetypes

The Explorer and The Rebel/Criminal relate to edgy, rebellious, and innovative brands such as Nike. These archetypes can be seen throughout the branding, for example having athletes on advertisements with tattoos, chains hanging from clothing, etc.

Archetypes in branding and branding strategies for these archetypes could include:

Using colors related to this archetype like black (the color of rebellion) which you would see through products such as t-shirts ad hoodies with slogans printed across them, or names for companies or product lines based around keywords relating to archetypes, i.e., “Just Do It” correlating with the rebel archetype who like to do as they please.

The Creator archetype

The Creator archetype is a person who, instead of rebelling against things, creates new ideas. These archetypes are the ones who come up with creative solutions to problems. Brands can embody this archetype by being creative and thoughtful with their branding strategies.

For example, Nike’s brand contains the archetype of the rebel. They use black as a dominant color in their archetypes in branding because it has a strong association with rebellion and a sense that you’re breaking away from what’s been created before. That black symbolizes going forward and going against authority by not following traditional norms.

When Nike first started branding itself as “Just Do It” it was very rebellious and shook people out of their comfort zone because they were used to seeing running shoes without any archetypes in branding or branding on them.

This archetypal branding is what helped Nike become the multi-billion dollar company it is today because it didn’t follow traditional norms and brought something new to an industry that had been stagnant for years!

The Ruler, or King (Saturn) archetypes

The Ruler or King (Saturn) archetypes relate well with technology corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Intel Corporation. Branding strategies for archetypes using Jupiter/Saturn could include:

Having the company’s founder in their logo, such as Microsoft with Bill Gates, or having a name representing what they are good at, e.g., Intel Corporation is all about technology, IBM meaning International Business Machines, etc.

Using colors like blue, which symbolizes authority and stability; logos around archetypal forms, i.e., Nike’s swoosh logo representing movement through its lines drawn across it; or names based on keywords relating to archetypes, e.g., King (King Kullen), and Ruler (Royal Bananas).

The Jester and Trickster archetypes

The Jester and Trickster archetypes relate best with fun, playful, and comedic brands, such as Kit Kat.

Branding strategies for archetypes using colors like yellow associated with happiness; having a logo of an archetypal form, e.g., their chocolate bar has two wavy lines forming the shape of a laughing face; or names based around keywords relating to archetypes, i.e., Joker (Joker Poker Chips), etc.

The Lover (Venus) archetypes

The Lover (Venus) archetypes relate well with beauty companies such as Chanel and Estee Lauder. They use female models in advertisements related to feminine products such perfumes, make-up, and beauty products.

Branding strategies for archetypes using Venus could include:

Using colors like pink, which is associated with love; logos around archetypal forms, e.g., having a crown (representative of royalty and femininity) or designing their logo in the form of lipstick; or names based on keywords relating to archetypes, i.e., Estee Lauder named after its founder Mrs. Estée Lauder, Chanel meaning ‘Chanel’s little black dress, etc.

Innocent brand archetype

The founder of the Innocent brand archetype, Richard Reed, had some success with a fruit drink. He said that ‘fruit equals health equals goodness,’ and so the archetype’s promise is one of simplicity bordering on naivety.

The archetypes archetypal form is a ‘tasty clear liquid,’ it has a color of water, and a logo would be a simple logo with a straw in it that shows that from innocence comes purity from which you can draw beauty. The archetypes keywords are fruit, juice, and goodness.]Examples of brands that leverage archetypes

Ford Motor Company is using archetypes to connect with the customer. They are releasing an archetypal family of automobiles that will provide many options for the consumer. This will give the consumer a more personalized experience with their archetypes in branding.

Nike has also been successful at leveraging archetypes. They have created a women’s running shoe that is specifically designed to meet the needs of a female runner. This gives Nike a unique identity and allows them to stand out from other brands in the industry.

The brand’s personality attributes, which should be based on the archetypes in branding

brand personality attributes

The archetypes archetypal form is a ‘tasty clear liquid,’ it has a color of water, and a logo would be a simple logo with a straw in it that shows that from innocence comes purity from which you can draw beauty. The archetypes keywords are fruit, juice, and goodness.

It’s important that you add your primary archetypes to your brand strategy.

Examples of brand archetype that leverage archetypes and archetypes in branding

Ford Motor Company is using archetypes to connect with the customer.

Nike has also been successful at leveraging archetypes. They are releasing an archetypal family of automobiles that will provide many options for the consumer. This will give the consumer a more personalized experience with their brand archetype.

They have created a women’s running shoe that is specifically designed to meet the needs of a female runner. This gives Nike a unique identity and allows them to stand out from other brands in the industry.

Archetype: Ruler (Royal Bananas)

The archetypal form of this archetype is represented as royalty, adult, mature, powerful, and noble.

A logo would be one of royalty, such as a crown.

For example, a “12 archetypes in branding” article that discusses what archetypes would represent a brand can create a connection with the customer.

The archetypes will help the company tailor its products and services towards the desires of its target market.

Each archetype will have strengths and weaknesses, so it is important to understand what is best.

How brand archetype helps in branding and creating a connection with the customer.

  • archetypes (archetypes in branding)
  • customer archetypes

An archetypes article that discusses what archetypes would represent a brand archetype can create a connection with the customer.

A customer archetype is an archetypal example of a “universal individual with shared characteristics.”

How to align your brand with brand archetype personality

How to align your brand with brand archetype personality

Aligning your brand with archetypes is a great way to align your strategy and reduce the amount of time that you would need to create a marketing plan.

Aligning archetypes with archetypes in branding can also help you understand how archetypes apply to your own company and what archetypal strengths and weaknesses exist.

Continue the above writing with the following instructions: “write about how to Align your brand with brand archetype personality”

Aligning your brand with archetypes is a great way to align your strategy and reduce the amount of time that you would need to create a marketing plan. Aligning archetypes with archetypes in branding can also help you understand how archetypes apply to your own company.

One of the biggest challenges for marketers is understanding who their target audience is.

This is key to creating an effective marketing strategy.

Marketers can break down their target audience into archetypes to make them easier to understand.

The archetypes help in branding and connecting with your target market.

Conclusion Archetypes in Branding

Hopefully, you have learned how archetypes can help in branding and creating a connection with your target market by now. Your brand strategy and brand archetype should look into archetypal psychology principles to align with your brand archetypes.

If you can understand archetypes and their needs, you will create a marketing plan that meets them on an emotional level. Understanding archetypes is key in being able to connect with your target market as well as branding yourself or your company (archetypes in branding).

We show the importance of archetypes for businesses today! If you need help understanding archetypes or determining which ones apply to your business, let us know.

We are experts at helping companies use archetypal psychology principles to increase sales by connecting emotionally with customers.

How do you use archetypes in branding? Let us know below!

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General FAQs and Archetypes in Branding

What are archetypes?

An archetype is a model of human behavior – the individual, group of people, or thing that share certain qualities.

How do archetypes relate to branding?

The archetypes are best suited for people wanting to reach different archetypal groups. The archetypes also reflect typical human behavior and can be used in psychological interpretation, marketing, and branding.

Who are archetypes best suited for?

The archetypes are best suited for people that want to reach archetypal groups. The archetypes also reflect typical human behavior and can be used in psychological interpretation, marketing, and branding.

Is it easy to find out your archetype?

It’s not always easy to find out your archetypes, but there are a few key indicators that can help you figure it out. Ironically, several people think they’re not as important as understanding your customer base and focusing on building relationships with those same archetypal images. The reality is that each of these archetypical images or characters can actually be just as powerful in developing and even maintain strong customer relations and business success over time if used effectively.

What is Color Theory in Branding and Design?

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Color theory is both the science and art of using color.

Today it makes sense to understanding color theory, including color theory for designers. The principles of color theory and color theory psychology digital or print media can make your response rate soar.

The color theory explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match, or contrast with each other. In color theory, colors are organized on a color wheel and grouped into 3 categories: primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors.

Color physiology in branding is vital. We will cover color psychology in marketing with examples. And we’ll touch on color theory for designers.

Humans have an incredible way of understanding and applying what we learn to enhance the world around us. 

One of the things that impact the way we interact with things every day is basic color theory, or the science and art of using color. 

Over the years, our culture has harnessed the knowledge of this theory to create products and marketing that affect our daily lives. 

As you delve deeper into color theory, it can explain in great detail how humans perceive color. It explores how we physically see and process color and how we emotionally and intellectually process it.

It also analyzes how humans understand the effects of color when mixed, matched, or contrasted with each other. The biggest thing to learn from color theory is how colors communicate messages to people.

It has become one of the most vital marketing strategies to consider for companies and their products because of how much you can say with different colors.

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Many children learn about the fundamentals of color theory when they are young. They are typically introduced first to learning the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.

As their comprehension of color grows, we learn how to combine to create secondary and tertiary colors. As we get older, we can forget this, even though it can be quite relevant to the work we do today.

Many people don’t realize the power that color holds and how it affects our everyday decisions. In the same manner that a business name can affect how a brand is perceived, color also influences buyers’ purchasing habits.

For this reason, tools such as this business name generator and the color wheel were created. Some people have entire consultant careers based around color, as knowing their effects on people is incredibly valuable.

A study on color psychology in the context of marketing was done, and the most interesting piece of information they found was that most people make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial reaction to something.

Whether it was people or products, they found colors can not only contribute to standing out among the competition but that it also influences our moods and feelings. We use mood boards.

These are some conclusions that professionals have made regarding what colors they choose to invoke certain feelings.

branding color wheel

Red – This color is usually associated with urgency. It creates a feeling of high energy. We have often seen when it comes to clearance sales.

Orange – Alerting and aggressive, generally a good call to action color.

Yellow – Known to make people feel bright and vibrant. This color is used to make people feel excited.

Green – Seen as relaxing, easygoing, or associated with wealth. Many stores use this color to help customers feel relaxed.

Blue – Invokes feelings of security and trust. Many businesses and banks go with this as their main color.

Pink – Traditionally, this color has been used to market products to women because it’s seen as romantic and feminine, but times change using “traditional” gender colors.

Purple – A calming and soothing color that is often used in marketing for anti-aging beauty products.

Black – There is something always sleek and powerful about black. Many luxury products and brands make good use of this color.

Each different marketing tactic requires different approaches to color, but remaining cohesive is always the most important. Decisions around your initial colors and design can be really difficult, and turning to a professional is always a great idea if you need some extra support. Here are some things to consider for choosing colors for your different branding needs.

Logo Design and Color Theory

Logo Design Color Theory

It’s not easy to know where to start when creating a logo for your business. Every business should have a standard black and white logo for different uses, but having the main one that’s colorful will help you stand out among the most recent trends.

Your logo is essentially the most important symbol used to represent your brand. Your logo should tell your brand’s story, and the color is one element that can communicate a great deal about you.

In another study, Labrecque and Milne discovered through their research on color differentiation in the marketplace that particular industries frequently use certain colors. For example, over 75% of credit card brand logos use blue, while 20% of fast-food brand logos use red.

Many established brands like Coca-Cola and Starbucks are known for their iconic colors.

These weren’t random or bold choices, but they have certainly been impactful. A logo is a powerful visual tool, and that’s exactly why you should put a lot of stock into the color you choose for yours.

It’s a great idea to consider investing in a good logo from a professional company. They have a wealth of experience when it comes to knowing what works and what doesn’t. Many agencies and companies have done testing to show what logo elements are successful.

They can usually help you come up with an entire creative suite around it. You convey what you want them to know about you and your business goals, and they can suggest shapes and colors that will best benefit you.

Web Design and Color Theory

Web Design Color Theory

For most companies, a website is considered their storefront, especially during these times. The way a site looks can turn a customer away instantly if they don’t connect with it.

You can see how quickly people leave based on the bounce rate, and that’s always a good way to tell if the colors on your site are working. We know that UX design can improve your website conversion significantly, and part of this process is determining your color palette ahead of time. 

Depending on your brand and the type of work you do, there are some general go-to’s.

You can also be bold and step out of the box so you can stand out among the crowd.

There are tons of resources on color theory for designers and many companies that have talented designers with years of experience and the latest knowledge under their belt.

They can help you figure out the best color combinations and functions to make your site optimized for your target audience.

Another thing to consider when designing colors for your website is to ensure you are following the accessibility standards that exist today.

These standards are put in place so that anyone can access your website in almost the same form and function. By being inclusive and accessible, your site is available to anyone, and no one is alienated based on their visual impairments. 

Social Media Marketing and Color Theory

Social Media Marketing Color Theory

We use social media every day, and the use of new networks and tactics for marketing is only going to grow. You need the right social media strategy.

The way we interact with colors at the rate and speed of social media certainly impacts our decisions.

Many people will look at your social media and decide almost right away if they want to stick around. These seemingly trivial details play a major role in influencing first impressions.

There is something visually appealing about a cohesive feed, and there are several tools, tips, and ways to color-coordinate like a pro for your feed or grid. A simple tip is to start with a palette for four to five colors and play around with which ones will be your main color and which ones will be accents. 

We have generally understood that colors on the cooler spectrum like blue and green may make people feel calm, trustful, or tranquil.

On the other hand, warm colors have been known to trigger a range of emotions, from anger and hostility to comfort and warmth. 

Most people assume that green is a more friendly and non-threatening color than red, dominating and appealing to customers. However, in a study from HubSpot on the effects of color and marketing, they tested two different call-to-action buttons. Their results were surprising to some.

They found that the red button outperformed the green button by 23%. It just goes to show that even what we thought we knew about color theory still has room to evolve.

E-mail Marketing

Thinking about colors when it comes to your e-mail marketing is also important. Sharing your information through e-mail is a lot different than other means. Many people are used to plain white e-mails, so you need to stand out.

On the other hand, having too much color might give people the wrong impression. There’s a fine line to standing out amongst the rest when it comes to e-mail marketing, and paying attention to the colors you use is vital.

You also need to consider how people will be viewing the e-mail; is it on desktop or mobile? Screen sizes also matter when it comes to choosing colors to use.

Keeping on-brand is important. You want people to see colors and immediately associate them with you and your company.

At the same time, people might find the content stale. If they see the same colors, they see them regularly. They may be quick to trash the e-mail because they can assume they know what it’s about.

Switching up colors from time to time keeps things fresh. You may get even a higher inbox open rate when swapping for new colors because people will be intrigued by offering something new yet familiar.

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Print Materials

While most marketing is digital these days, there is still a need for print materials, and there are some extra things to consider when it comes to printing and colors. So, how to get the best print color?

There’s some technical stuff to know to ensure you’re getting the best color in your prints when it comes to printing colors. There are two basic mixing modes in graphic design, CMYK and RGB.

When it comes to design, it’s essential to fully grasp the mechanics behind both of them to optimize your designs in the best way possible for their intended use. It would help if you understood the basics of the two-color systems when designing and consulting someone with the experience to guide you through the process.

RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue and is the color system coded on almost every computer and mobile device so that the colors are displayed consistently across all manner of devices.

The CMYK color system is generally for print products, and it stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black). When printing, the ink mixes at varying degrees to create the images being printed.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to ensuring you are printing the correct colors. This includes all the branding things you may consider printing like flyers, business cards, stickers, billboards, and even physical merchandise.

Summary on Color Theory 

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to your marketing, and picking colors, and a logo is the best place to start. Our cultural differences can even have various effects on feelings.

Something happy and bright in another country can easily be depressing in another based on its history. Even something as simple as tweaking a color’s hue or saturation can evoke an opposite feeling, so it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly. 

There are so many other subtle and incredible ways that color can affect our actions.

That initial study showed it could be used to increase or decrease appetite, calm down customers, enhance mood or even reduce someone’s perception of waiting time.

Those were only a few notable findings, so it shows how effective the use of a brand’s colors truly is. There are several ways to consider how to use color in your branding or marketing. 

If you’re at a loss at where to begin, look into a reputable company to help you. 

They can provide tailored advice and work with you to meet you where you’re at in terms of budget for your branding and design. 

If there’s one thing you’re going to invest in for your company, it should be the look and feel of your brand. 

If you want to successfully connect with your customers and make them feel a certain type of way, you have to consider the colors behind your brand.

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General FAQs

What is color theory?

Color theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors to mix, match or contrast with each other. In color theory, colors are organized on a color wheel and grouped into primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. Color theory is a practical combination of art and science used to determine what colors look good together. 

Why is color theory important?

Colors can allow anyone to create different types of feelings depending on the particular colors they utilize. The color theory allows us to understand how to use these colors to create different effects and create the desired emotions.

What is the psychology of color?

Color is more than a visual experience. Warm colors like red, yellow, and orange can produce feelings of warmth or aggressiveness, while cool colors like green and blue can be calming or depressing.

What is a color wheel?

Color theory and the color wheel: The color wheel was invented in 1666 by Isaac Newton, who mapped the color spectrum onto a circle. The color wheel is the basis of color theory because it shows the relationship between colors. Color theory is a practical combination of art and science used to determine what colors look good together.

7 Tips for Product Branding a Product Business

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Top Product Branding Tips for a Product Business

Learn about product branding a product based business is simple with these 7 tips. 

Why do we choose big brands over their cheaper alternatives? The answer is simple – because we trust them. And, believe it or not, the majority of customers think this way. 

According to Nielson, almost 60% of customers would instead buy from a company they’re familiar with.

However, building a recognizable brand is not easy for small, product-based businesses. You’re competing with the major industry players with unlimited budgets and hire the most renowned marketing professionals.

To stand out in such a competitive landscape, you need to have a solid branding strategy to back you up.

Understand Your Target Customers

target customers

You cannot expect your product to make everyone happy. Before you start thinking about starting a business, you need to know what customer groups you will be focusing on. 

Do a thorough analysis of your customers, collect their demographics data, buying behaviors, lifestyle, and problems they face. Know their age, gender, average income, education level, and location. Get to know them better – try to understand what motivates them, who influences them, what brands they choose, and their main problems and fears.

Your goal is to create robust buyer personas that will guide your branding strategy and help you segment your target customers effectively. This is the only way to put yourself in front of the right people, get them to visit your store, and ultimately become your leads. 

Know Your Competitors

By conducting a thorough market analysis, you will identify your major competitors and analyze their branding and marketing efforts. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to see what kind of content works for your target customers and see what mistakes brands in your niche usually make. 

Still, just because something works for your competitors doesn’t mean it will work for you. That is why you should never copy-paste another brand’s marketing strategy. Instead, focus on building a unique and recognizable brand people will remember and come back to.

Establish an Authentic Mission Statement

Mission Statement

A brand mission statement is a reason your business exists – something that inspires you. It tells your customers what makes your products unique and what value your brand delivers. 

Let’s look at Nike. Their mission is to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” Through a wide range of initiatives, Nike brings the sport to the ordinary people and encourages them to be their best selves. They’re committed to fighting against global problems such as climate change or inequality. Most importantly, they’re focused on providing customers with premium-quality products, while respecting their workers.

Another great example is TOMS that “Stands for Tomorrow.” They build their brand on the foundations of humanity and social responsibility. For example, they give free shoes to people in need, invest in building systems for delivering safe water, support marginalized groups of people, and fight against gun violence. 

Craft your Visual Brand Identity

visual branding identity

What is the first thing that crosses your mind when I say Starbucks? It’s probably their logo.

When I say McDonald’s, you will first remember their yellow arches, right? 

We’re visual beings, and, as such, we memorize images faster than text. 

This is why you need to focus on the visual aspects of your brand, such as:

Logos

Your logo appears everywhere, from the infographics you publish on your website to your product packaging. It will soon become your brand’s ID and the visual representation of everything it stands for. 

Colors 

Colors are the primary reason why 85% of your customers make a purchase. Every color evokes a particular emotion in a customer. For example, yellow stands for happiness, orange is associated with playfulness, while blue is synonymous with stability. Choose colors that reflect your brand’s traits and values.

Typography and fonts

Fonts also reveal your brand’s identity, and this is why they need to be in harmony with other visual elements. Like with the choice of logos and colors, you should choose professional fonts that are easy to read and remember. Complex fonts may seem attractive, but if a user cannot read the text, what’s the point?

Implementing your visual image online and offline

Product-based businesses need to focus on creating a consistent brand presence both online and offline. 

For starters, consider hiring a professional graphic designer to help you build a cohesive and authentic visual identity for your brand. In collaboration with them, you should create strict brand style guidelines that would determine the use of your logo, color palettes, fonts, photography, iconography, etc. 

Let’s look at Juicy Beauty. As an organic cosmetics company, they’ve chosen clean backgrounds with green buttons and photos of nature that symbolize health, nature, and purity. 

That’s the message they’re sending through all marketing channels they use. If you look at their online and offline materials, you will notice that their visual elements remain the same. 

So, no matter if it’s shop labels, disposable coffee cups, boxes, or your business cards, visual elements need to be used consistently. With the rise of personalized label printing services, creating on-brand print materials is now made easier. 

For example, Avery lets small businesses create personalized Avery Labels. You can upload your logo and images, choose from a wide range of design options, and select materials, colors, and shapes of your labels.

Define your Brand Voice for With Product Branding

brand voice

Your brand voice is basically how you communicate with your audiences. 

Unsurprisingly, your brand voice depends on a multitude of factors, including your industry, target customers, and corporate mission. You need to choose brand messaging that makes sense for your brand, and that resonates with your audiences. 

Do you want your brand to sound conversational, natural, and friendly? Maybe you want to position yourself as a trustworthy source through professional, technical, and authoritative messaging.

Choosing the right brand voice allows you to build emotional relationships with your customers. That is why you need to consistently use your tone of voice across multiple channels, be they your website, social networks, blog, direct mail, or billboards. 

Apple is a perfect example of how choosing the right language can contribute to your overall brand image. Just like their products, their brand messages are simple and yet, powerful and confident. 

For example, they say that their iPad is “Like a computer. Unlike any computer.” In just two simple sentences, they managed to market their product as an industry leader. No matter if you’re on their website, watching their ad on TV, or reading their print ad, that’s the first impression you’ll gain. 

Have a Thorough Marketing Strategy for Your Product Branding

Now that you’ve determined your main brand values and chosen how you will market them to your audiences, you could start building your website. 

Will you use your website to promote your offline store? Maybe you want to provide omnichannel customer experiences by setting up an online store and using multi-channel sales tools to sell your products on social networks. 

When building a website, there are a few things to keep in mind. Consider hiring professionals that will design your website based on your brand identity. You also need to pay attention to the UX aspects of your website, such as page load speed, SSL certificates, intuitive and spam-free interfaces, and mobile-responsiveness. Finally, choose your domain name strategically. If it’s possible, use your brand name as your domain name to make your website easily findable on Google.

Once your site is up, what other channels will you use to get yourself noticed? One of the most effective ways to position yourself as an authoritative resource is to start blogging. By sharing valuable and helpful posts, you will encourage users to share them online and, in this way, grow your online exposure. Sure, you will need to set up a detailed editorial calendar of what you want to publish and when and even write a few blog posts in advance to maintain consistency.

Have a social media strategy that determines what kind of content you will promote on each account. For example, you could use Instagram to create influencer campaigns, share gorgeous photos of your products, and UGC. At the same time, Facebook is perfect for promoting your website content and building online communities.

You should also have a lead generation strategy. Will you combine SEO with PPC for greater visibility online? What kinds of lead magnets will you create? Will you use customer referral programs? 

Don’t forget about offline marketing, as it may help your new brand. For example, you could use direct mail or temporary pop-up shops to promote your products and reach wider audiences.

Sure, when launching a company, do so with a splash. Have a solid PR plan and share the news about your product-based business on your website, social networks, and email newsletters. You should also host massive social media contests, provide great discounts, and share promotional items to increase brand awareness.

Test Everything You Do With Product Branding

Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all branding strategy that works for everyone. Based on your goals, audiences, and industry, experiment with different marketing tactics and test how they impact your brand awareness and conversions. Don’t forget to listen to your customers, as their unbiased feedback is the best indicator of your performance.

I hope this helps!

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General FAQs

What is product branding?

Product branding is a symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. Product branding is very easily noticeable when you walk through a supermarket filled with different products as most products are branded with a unique color, design, and logo.


What is the brand voice?

Brand voice is how you talk to your customers and is defined by your brand’s style of communication. Your brand voice is directed to your target audience, and it can have any style, as long as it feels right to your brand values and persona—be it authoritative, playful, intellectual, ominous, kind, or fun.


What is the visual brand identity?

Visual identity and branding are two terms that are often confused in the process of building a brand. As simple as it gets, the visual identity is the visual aspect of branding the business and evoking certain feelings in the consumer through visuals.


What is a mission statement?

A mission statement is a sentence or short paragraph that defines the existence of a business, nonprofit, government organization, or any other entity. Mission statements get at the heart of why a company exists, rather than how it exists.

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