Building A Strong Brand Foundation

Welcome back!

In our last article, we shared a new brand under the iGen umbrella to illustrate how a brand is built from scratch, along with 5 key questions to ask when it comes to brand creation. Click here to get caught up on that post before you dig into this one!

Today, we will dive deeper into these questions and how you can utilise them to develop your brand's foundation.

Building a brand is similar to building a skyscraper - With the right foundations, it can remain strong long into the future!

5 Key Questions for Brand Creation

First, let's recap on what those 5 questions are that can set the course for your brand's future.

 
1. What is your brand's purpose?
 
2. What is your brand's promise?
 
3. What are your brand's traits?
 
4. What is your brand story?
 
5. Lastly, what is your brand's style?

Below we're breaking down exactly what these mean, so you can begin this process for your own business!

Your Brand's Purpose

The purpose of your brand is the core of what you do. It's the reason behind your company,  over and above making money. It's not solely about setting expectations, it's about creating an awareness of your WHY within your customer, that enhances the relationship they have with you and deepens their bond with your company. It's connection on an emotional level.

This is relevant now more than ever. Conscious consumers are driving the way the market functions and are choosing brands that share their values. Buyers view a brand's purpose and ethos as a deciding factor when choosing who to buy from. It's always good to look at the numbers, and a great example of this is the 2017 Earned Brand Study conducted by Edelman. They found that 50% of global consumers feel they are belief driven buyers and 67% bought a brand for the first time because they resonated and supported its position on a controversial topic. The statistics speak for themselves - knowing your brand's purpose can help you stand out in a sea of sameness.

Consider what yours is. What is your company's reason for being? WHY do you do what you do?

Your Brand's Promise

Your brand's promise is essentially what you intend to deliver, and how you intend to deliver it. It helps your clients understand what they can expect from your product or service.

It also drives the brand experience you're creating for your customers, now and in the future. Understanding your brand promise, and more importantly, delivering on that promise, makes your brand stronger from your client and employee perspective.

Your Brand's Traits

Contrary to what you might think, the most successful brands shine in their industries not only because of how well they present themselves, but how they connect with their customers! It's all about the relationship you have with your audience. Emotionally connected customers have a significantly higher lifetime value than those who are not, so it's important to consider what traits your brand holds.

You begin this process by assigning a set of human characteristics and qualities to your brand! Consider what you want your customers to feel when they engage with you. A great way of getting some inspiration is by studying the brands you admire the most, and asking yourself what initiated your curiosity and engagement with them.

Your Brand Story

Your brand story is so much more than written text on your website or brochures, it's about defining a succinct and impactful narrative that encompasses the facts and feelings that are created by your brand. The purpose of your brand story is to deepen the emotional connection your clients have with your business and present your message in the most efficient and engaging manner.

Your Brand Style

Today we've focused predominantly on the message of your brand, what it represents and how it is articulated. However, the next important pillar to consider is your brand style. This is how you show up to your audience and the "image" you present.

A beneficial tool that we develop frequently for our clients at iGen Creative is a Brand Style Guide, which is essentially a visual rulebook containing specifications on everything that plays a role in the look and feel of your brand, including typography, colour, logo formatting and imagery. It provides clarity to your entire team in how to present your brand to the world!

In our next article, we'll be sharing insights on what it takes to craft an eye-catching visual identity, and the process our Creative Director, Dylan Harrocks, implements to achieve the best results!

Take Action

Now that we've run through the 5 key questions you can explore when it comes to brand creation (or revitalisation!) along with what each of them mean, I want to encourage you to answer those questions for yourself and your brand. Allocate some time - start with 30 minutes - and begin this exploration process. It will make your brand and business so much stronger and attractive to your ideal clients!

To your success,

Hannah Kathleen

Founder & Brand Specialist

iGenCreative.com