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Branding at the service of brand image

Reading this page keeps you updated on branding and, more broadly, brand image. To cover all aspects related to branding and brand image, we have decided to divide our dedicated page on this topic into four sections.

  • Definition of Brand Image & Branding.
  • Importance of Brand Image & Branding
  • Elements of Branding
  • Improving Your Branding and Brand Image

Branding & Brand Image: Definitions

What is brand image ?

Brand image is how customers perceive you. It is entirely possible to control your brand image, especially with the branding marketing technique. Brand image is often defined by the first impression people have of you. However, it's important to understand that your brand image is not just what customers see visually; it’s also what they feel and think about your brand.

Brand image is also manifested when your clients think of you, mention you in conversations, or see your content or messages. Therefore, your brand image is linked to your values, your vision, and the emotions you convey, which are things that are not necessarily visible. This concept is part of a broader framework known as brand strategy.

What is Branding?

Branding is a marketing technique that brings together a set of actions contained in both textual and visual elements allowing you to more precisely manage the image of your brand. Branding will mainly take into account the creation of logos and more generally the graphic identity and other elements. These elements are important for memorizing the image and identity of a company, they also make it possible to harmonize the precise identity that you wish to associate with your brand.

Take Nike or Coca-Cola for example, their branding has allowed countless consumers to think of them before thinking of their competitors.

So concretely, Branding is a set of marketing techniques carried out by a company. They help position a brand in the minds of consumers. The goal is to position a company more easily in the minds of consumers. And so ultimately, consumers will be able to remember this company.

Today we are showing you branding with the film Hercules from Walt Disney Studios.

But where does Branding come from? Quesaco?

The origins of Branding: product marking

Since antiquity we have found marks on pottery which are specific to each craftsman. Humans have therefore always wanted to bring their own trademark to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

The word Branding finds its origins in Old Norse, an ancient Scandinavian language “brandr” which can be translated as “brand of fire”. At the time we were talking about fire branding which referred to the markings of cattle allowing their owners to recognize them. From the conquest of the West in the United States, the branding of herds began to be called “Branding”.

For history buffs, the signature of the artisans was done under the pottery.

The use of Branding: on new communications media

Nowadays, the word is used for all types of marketing actions working to develop a brand and its positioning. Branding developed greatly in the 1950s, notably thanks to a greater number of commercial exchanges thanks to globalization, the internet as well as:

  • Websites
  • New communications channels and media
  • Social networks

Branding is now also digital and it allows you to create an online brand identity in order to quickly and effectively target an audience.

In our time, Hercules would do personal branding, that is, he would use his personality as a brand image. A practice used by many public figures (actor, athlete, artist, etc.)

The importance of branding & branding

Branding develops your brand image

Branding allows you to make your brand recognizable. This is very important, because it is what will differentiate you from the competition. In order to develop your visual identity, a set of elements are at your disposal. These main elements are those which will constitute the solid foundations of your brand image:

  • Logo
  • Colors
  • Symbols

Building your visual identity is essential, it allows you to establish consistency between your offer and the customer's expectations. To do this, you must establish a brand strategy and be in line with customer expectations. Your branding will impact public opinion regarding the reliability and quality of your brand. This consistency makes you more easily recognizable.

Excellent branding is therefore consistent with the vision you have of your brand and customer expectations. Your brand image allows you to establish yourself in the market and acquire a good reputation among customers.

With branding, stand out from your competitors

A strong brand image makes it easier to sell a product.

The objective of a brand strategy is to retain your new customers and so that they can perceive your brand as a sure value. Today it has become essential to develop your branding, because it allows you to stand out from your competitors. Making your brand visible and unique allows customers to choose you over someone else. The customer is influenced in his choice by a multitude of criteria, notably the reputation of the brand, the values ​​conveyed, the reputation of the company and the image conveyed.

Branding improves your brand awareness

The recognition of your brand is linked to the ability of consumers to identify you using visual elements, for example with a logo, a graphic charter, a gimmick, etc. Good branding allows you to obtain a strong identity and increase your notoriety. and therefore be more easily identified by your customers. Strengthening your recognition also means increasing your credibility with customers.

The public identifies with the values ​​transmitted by your brand. Strong branding allows for better identification.

Branding: making your brand’s vision coherent

A graphic charter is a manual that contains various design and design criteria for a company. For example your logo and its variations. This document must be distributed throughout the company to ensure visual uniformity of all documents. The objective of your graphic charter is to ensure consistency in all your communication media.

Branding creates links between your brand and customers

The perception of others will determine the value of your brand. Knowing this, it is essential to establish a connection with your audience. This link is emotional, it allows you to change part of your audience into potential customers and to retain current customers.

Branding makes it much easier to get your audience to connect with you and your company and therefore necessarily sell behind it more easily (your products, your offers).

How to design your emotional connection with branding?

The different branding communication strategies help you create this link. Focusing your communication on feelings allows you to build a strong bond with your audience and obtain emotional recognition. Customers are attracted to brands with whom they share common values. A customer’s emotional connection can begin when visiting the website or their store. If the user experience is memorable or the customer has the feeling of being welcomed, an emotional bond can be created between the consumer and the brand.

Every detail counts to create a connection with your audience. We're going to see it all together.

Using Branding to Bring Your Audience Together

Go deeper in the emotional connection you share with your customers by organizing events. Effective branding allows for better communication with your customers and makes it easier to organize and invite logical events. Invite your audience to events via promotional video  or posters.

A strong brand can create enthusiasts who will want to share the brand with other people.

The elements of branding

In order to cultivate your customers' perception of your business. We will see different elements that make up branding and which will strengthen the brand image of your company.

Optimize your Branding: The activity and values ​​of your company

The company's mission and the values ​​of your brand must be established in order to maximize the effectiveness of your branding and therefore improve your brand image. As mentioned before, your brand image is linked to your values ​​and your vision. It is the value of your brand that will allow you to target the emotions you want to make your customers feel. As a reminder, customers are attracted to brands that share common values ​​with them.

The Graphic Charter: The key to branding

The Logo: The emblem of your graphic charter

A true emblem of a brand, the logo is generally linked to the first visual encounter between your company and customers. The logo is essential to identify a brand, moreover the logo communicates the brand image. Your logo helps with the emotional connection with customers, a good logo is therefore a logo that we remember and which conveys the image of the brand to us.

A true emblem of a brand, the logo is generally linked to the first visual encounter between your company and customers. The logo is essential to identify a brand, moreover the logo communicates the brand image. Your logo helps with the emotional connection with customers, a good logo is therefore a logo that we remember and which conveys the image of the brand to us.

If it is consistent with your field of activity, your logo will give you credibility. The emotional connection coupled with the coherence of your business vision allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition. The ideal for your logo is that it is versatile so that it can be applied to several communication media. (web, print, video, etc.)

Generally, a good logo is composed of one or more symbols linked to the company's values.

The Color Palette: Bring your graphic charter to life

The color palette that you choose will be one of the main vectors to convey emotions to your customers. The emotional connection you want to cultivate with your customers starts with choosing a good color palette. The atmosphere conveyed by a brand is achieved through a harmonious choice of color. Colors have a precise meaning, so your choice of colors must be in accordance with your vision.

Generally, a color palette is limited to a number of colors between 2 and 6. Colors should be easily perceived by all of your customers, so consider the importance of the contrast of your colors so that your brand can be easily perceived. Your color palette must also allow you to adapt to different communication media (web, print, video, etc.).

Your graphic charter must be coherent, like the colors of this charter taken from scenes from the film Hercules.

The Slogan: Make your brand speak

Reflecting your brand image, the slogan is materialized by a short sentence allowing you to communicate the values ​​and vision of your company. The slogan must be clear and relevant. The slogan must be understandable to everyone, your customers must either understand the missions of your company, its values ​​or your overall vision. A good slogan is memorable and easy to remember, keep it simple, be yourself in a slogan.

“Zero to Hero” the Hercules slogan highlights the fact that an insignificant person like the Hercules at the beginning of the film can become a hero.

The Font: Leave a mark in your writing

Signature of your brand identity, the font of your brand must be thoughtful. Who are you speaking to? On what types of media do you want to communicate? Depending on your target, you will need to choose the right typography family. You must also be careful about the meaning of the selected font. A good font will allow you to ensure the consistency of your brand image.

Other branding elements

Tone and Vocabulary used for your speech

A brand's message is made up of the content of the message (the substance) and the tone used (the form). In summary, the tone and vocabulary used make up 50% of a brand’s message. What is also important to remember is that the way a company addresses its customers will have an almost immediate impact on its brand image. It is therefore imperative to adapt the tone and vocabulary of your brand to the different communication media. To do this you must take into account your target as well as your community.

Website: Vector of your brand on the web

The website is a very important element for your branding. It is one of the cornerstones of your brand strategy. In fact, your customers expect you to be present on the web. Your website fulfills several objectives, in particular selling your products and conquering new markets by having a presence on the internet. If you want to sell products on the internet, consult our page on e-commerce sites.

Another objective is to share and explain to customers the vision of your brand. This will cultivate an emotional connection between your brand and your customers. If this interests you, we advise you to consult our page linked to the showcase website.

For it to be attractive, your site must be fully consistent with your graphic charter. By respecting these criteria and others that we will address later, your website will become a perfect support. You will be able to highlight your choices regarding the branding elements of your graphic charter. All things considered, your website is the synthesis of the different elements of your branding and if it is well studied both in substance and form then your brand image will be even more authentic and effective.

The site you see on this screen dates from 1997, it is used to promote the universe of Hercules.

UI / UX: Experience and design at the service of your brand

The two terms UI and UX stand for User Interface and User Experience respectively. These two elements can be considered as part of the branding marketing strategy. In fact, they are used to improve the content and form of your website. In order for your website to fulfill its objectives (sales, product presentation, share your brand vision) your website must be visually pleasing and easy to use.

By neglecting UI and UX you risk discouraging users who will quickly leave your website. This creates a bad image of your brand. A situation which will ultimately have the repercussion of tarnishing your reputation and questioning the legitimacy of your brand.

Improve your brand image

It is entirely possible to improve your branding and the image of your brand once you have implemented all of the elements mentioned above. Firstly, it is wise to clarify your brand image as well as your positioning so that your communication endures and is consistent with the field in which you operate. By following this advice, the communication you do around your brand will be much more impactful.

Demonstrate your expertise through content such as blog posts. Pay particular attention to customer reviews and feedback, respond to them and use the positive and negative reviews received to improve and understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t let others tell your story, it’s up to you to take the reins of your brand image. We invite you to communicate and highlight your accomplishments. Thoughtful communication will always benefit your brand image. Do not hesitate to ask for help from experts, because quality branding and a positive brand image often help answer the following question:

Why you and not someone else ?

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