A corporate branding strategy is arguably the most important part of any good marketing plan for a recognizable business with a loyal customer base. From the colors and fonts you use to the value propositions and messaging you identify with, every aspect of your branding can impact the customer experience.
If you don't take the time to be strategic with your approach, you may risk losing your customers to your competitors.
In the process of launching a start-up? Need help rebranding your business? We're here to help. In this article, we'll explore the do's and don't of corporate branding. Here is everything you need to know:
What is Corporate Branding?
Corporate branding refers to the design elements, messaging, marketing, and stylistic choices that make your brand - a brand. Every choice can impact your corporate identity and how your audience perceives you. Some corporate branding elements you'll need to think through include:
- Brand Values
- Brand Messaging
- Name, Logo, and Tagline
- Target Audience and Personas
- Communication Style and Marketing Messaging
These branding elements work together to establish your company identity and create customer loyalty.
How to Do Corporate Branding
Successful corporate branding requires extensive research, a clear brand mission, and consistent communication across all departments at your company. To get started, you'll want to:
- Conduct a brand audit to identify challenges and opportunities
- Conduct research on competitors, industry changes, and customer pain points
- Identify your brand's core values, mission statement, and value proposition
- Use your corporate branding to develop a visual identity
- Develop brand and content guidelines to maintain consistency
- Revisit your approach every year to find ways to improve
The Do's and Don'ts of Corporate Branding
Whether you're looking for a refresh or starting from scratch, there are best practices you'll want to follow to maximize your results. Here are the 10 dos and don'ts of branding.
Do: Stay Consistent
Consistency is key to building a brand customers can trust. If you aren't consistent with the words, colors, or messaging you use it can negatively impact the public perception of your brand. To stay consistent with your branding, consider creating brand and content guidelines your team can reference. These resources are used as a guide to ensure every department at your company is using messaging and content that aligns with the vision you have for your brand.
Do: Define Your Audience
Every social post you write, email you send, and landing page you develop should be made with your target audience in mind. Before you can start building out your corporate branding assets, consider creating audience personas. You can use these personas to take a more strategic approach to messaging and content creation.
If you only target a broad audience, you may find it difficult to gain an ROI from your marketing initiatives. It can also be more challenging to establish customer loyalty.
Do: Create a Branding Framework
A branding framework can help you stay consistent with your marketing materials, web design, and messaging. A more structured approach to branding can also help you develop and maintain your brand image.
Your framework should highlight your brand identity, personality, and culture. You should also consider the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion.
Do: Use Your Brand to Tell a Story
The truth is - stories sell more than products. Stories can help your customers establish emotional connections with your brand. When you show that there's a story behind your mission statement, values, and goals, you're also humanizing your brand.
Do: Use Your Brand to Foster a Sense of Community
Your employees should feel just as connected to your brand as your customers. With team apparel and team-building events, you can cultivate a feeling of unity that will complement your branding initiatives. Team apparel and promotional products can also help boost team morale and help you develop a positive brand image.
Do: Keep Your Messaging Simple
Simple is always easier to remember. While it's fun to be playful with your words, it's always good to remember simplicity is key. For example, Nike uses a three-word tagline, "Just Do It." Simply seeing those three letters together improves brand recognition. If they decided to go with a much longer tagline, it might be more challenging for customers to remember.
Do: Invest in Promotional Products
Promotional products can help elevate your branding and improve brand recognition. These items are also great for rewarding customer loyalty and inspiring unity among your team. Popular promotional products to consider for your marketing campaigns include:
Don't: Skip on the Competitor Research
Use your competitor's strategies to improve your approach to your own corporate branding. Your competitors provide invaluable insight into what works and what doesn't. You can use your findings to make informed decisions. You can also use this research to show how your business is better.
Don't: Make Empty Promises
Under-sell, over-deliver. The last thing you want to do is make promises you can't keep with your clients. Doing this can impact your brand's image and reputation. Instead, consider using your messaging to highlight your features, services, or values while staying authentic.
Don't: Always Capitalize on Trends
Trends may help you get noticed but won't help you stay remembered. Your approach to brand messaging, value proposition, and creatives should focus on building a timeless brand.
Invest in Promotional Products with Bagmasters
At Bagmasters, we're here to help you get creative with your corporate branding initiatives. We offer high-quality promotional products, including branded apparel, backpacks, drinkware, and more. With our selection of promotional products, you can build stronger connections with your target audience and improve brand awareness.
Shop our best sellers today.
