SETTING YOUR BUSINESS APART FROM THE CROWD
Your business is a lot like your child. Your child makes you feel immensely proud, and your child motivates you to help them be the best versions of themselves.
Your passion and expertise as a business owner will certainly aid your business in the long run, but business owners often become so hyper-focused on their goals that they neglect to properly brand their company. As your business moves forward, consider the following questions:
Why should someone work with you vs. your competitor?
It’s an obvious question, and something you’ve already considered when it comes to creating your product or service. But has your brand answered that question for your clients?
Businesses often offer products that are very similar to each other. The difference is how they brand themselves.
Consider bubblegum companies, like Trident versus Orbit. Ostensibly, they offer the same product, right? Both offer chewing gum with a refreshing taste, and if you’re someone who doesn’t chew gum, then they probably look like the exact same product in the grocery store checkout line.
But say you’re in the market for the right bubble gum. This is where branding takes you to the next step. Trident’s branding and visual design is clean and focused, like a doctor’s office or a bright seaside day. This probably appeals more to older Millennials and Gen X’ers. Orbit, by contrast, has a younger, more modern design. Their marketing appeals more directly to teens and young adults, and its visual design is more sparkly and ostentatious.
This type of branding creates a visual story for the audience. Even if we don’t consciously register how these companies are appealing to us, we may be more inclined to buy one over the other, even on a spark-of-the-moment decision. Two products can tell vastly different stories, and your product needs to do the same in regards to your company’s competition and ideal audience.
What do you want to be known for?
The other branding strategy to keep in mind is the impact your company has on your consumer. Obviously, every business wants to be known for a useful or beneficial product. But businesses also have personalities. Humans have an innate need to categorize everything and see human-like qualities in things that aren’t human, and a business is no different.
Consider the tech companies Apple and Microsoft. What are they known for? Apple is regarded as sleek and cutting edge. They’ve branded themselves with a consistent, minimalistic design, and their products are regarded as higher-status devices with high ergonomic value. Microsoft, by contrast, is known for a user interface that is more customizable and better adaptable to different types of software. Where Apple is user friendly, Microsoft tends to be more flexible technology, giving them the ability to brand themselves as personalizable.
Each company’s brand emphasizes certain values and key traits. While one is not objectively better than the other, each company plays its strengths to its key demographics. Moreover, these traits are recognizable by everyone, regardless of their demographic background or which company they actually use. These brands have highlighted key personality traits, and their image is virtually inseparable from these traits.
So, why should someone choose your business? What is your business known for? If you’re unsure, CAST Design is here to help. We specialize in branding and visual storytelling, creating company identities that stand out against the crowd. Contact us at Cast Design Team for a free assessment and we will get you started on the next step to branding your business.
