Add value to your business with a strategic brand partner
At Structure, we believe that branding goes beyond just visual and verbal expression. It's about creating a tangible perception that leaves a lasting impression. As a strategic branding agency, we work with transformative tech companies across varied sectors, creating relevant and memorable brands that tell a compelling story and elevate them within their industries.
Our branding process involves an in-depth analysis of the business, including insights from customer service teams and customers themselves. This deep dive informs every thing we do, from the strategy & positioning, visual identity, website design, illustration style, tone of voice, to the brand guidelines. Building and maintaining a brand can be a complex process, but with this sort of understanding of how a brand works, it is possible to make the complex simple to ensure your brand is working hard for you and your bottom line.
How Branding Can Boost Your Bottom Line
The word brand and the concept of branding is a well-worn conversation. The arrival of social media and influencers has diluted the meaning of 'brand' and 'branding' somewhat - what it is, what it means, how it works and how to nurture it - because it is over and incorrectly used. There is more to it than being a one-channel hit. Branding is a strategic process that takes time and research and nurturing.
"Your brand is more than just a logo
or a tagline".
It's the perception that your customers have of your business. It's the top-of-mind thought a person has when they see or hear about your company/service. A strong brand can help you stand out in a crowded market, build trust with your audience, and ultimately, boost your bottom line.
It starts with choosing the right brand partner to work with on your creative journey.
Choosing a Brand Partner
There are many different types of creative agencies, which offer different strategic and creative services. When approaching branding agencies, it is important to gain a good understanding of their level of experience in your sector, their capabilities and the extent to which their service offerings can meet your business brand design needs.
Start by identifying your business needs and goals. A design agency or more specifically a branding agency can help you on your journey to set your business apart by providing a valuable consultation. Structure suggests that brand strategy is just a business strategy in disguise, moreover it's a subset of business strategy and should support the company's overarching goals and objectives.
Therefore, a brand expert will have a good understanding of all the ways your brand threads through your business, reaches audiences and influences decision-making.
Partnering with a branding agency can provide you with proven and unique expertise. A branding agency is made up of specialists in a variety of fields, and their experience becomes your own, i.e. part of your NB/marketing team.
When choosing a branding agency, it is essential to consider their experience, expertise (you can look at agency ranking info), and proven track record. Look for an agency that can provide you with a tailored approach that aligns to your business goals and values. An agency team who not only provide brilliant design services, but a team that you like on a personal level, you may be working with then for some time!
"A branding agency can help you with your brand communication, digital design needs, and to create a brand that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from the competition in a noisy market."
The aim is to become an extension of your marketing communications team. Your partner will bring a breadth of experience and cross-industry expertise, to help position your brand within a relevant marketing space and surmount any challenges that come your way. So, let's discuss the brand design process.
How do you start to create a strong brand?
So, you have your agency partner, what next? It starts with understanding your audience and what they want from your business. A branding agency can help no matter what stage your business is at, from start-up to established, it will help you identify your position in the market, your unique value proposition, and help to develop a brand strategy that resonates with your target audience. Bear in mind you may not need the full service offer and that's ok, a good brand agency will work within your business' strategic needs.
Every branding agency has its own process, but many will have a breakdown similar to this (often called the 4 Ds) which covers:
1.Discover (research & Insight)
2.Define (positioning & strategy & TOV)
3.Design (identity system, brand guidelines)
4.Deliver (creative outputs–website, sales deck etc.)
It all starts with research to help you build out a strategic plan. Research covers due diligence on your market, your competitive set, pricing (what will the market tolerate), scale and growth possibilities, your audience demographics etc.
Once you have a clear positioning & brand strategy in place, it's time to bring it to life via design. A branding agency can help you with this process, to create a brand that reflects your brand values and communicate your message effectively. From your logo to your website design, every element of your brand should work together to create a cohesive and memorable experience for your customers.
Creating branding consistency across customer touchpoints
But branding isn't just about aesthetics. It's about creating a consistent and an authentic brand experience across all touchpoints. This includes everything from your social media presence to your customer service interactions. By delivering a consistent brand experience, you can build trust with your audience and create loyal customers who will keep coming back.
In an era of fierce competition, building a brand that resonates with customers is crucial for business success. To achieve this goal, businesses need the support of a branding agency that can help them create unique brand identities and distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace.
Businesses need to ensure that their branding strategies are up-to-date with the current market trends. A branding agency can assist businesses in achieving their branding goals by providing insights and expertise on how to develop an effective brand strategy.
Moreover, branding is not just about visuals, it's also about creating an emotional connection with customers. A branding agency can help to create meaningful connections with customers through brand messaging and storytelling. Branding has become a necessary tool for businesses to succeed in the market, and partnering with a branding agency is an investment that can yield long-term benefits.
But, to deliver a consistent brand experience, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your business.
Consistency in branding is not just about using the same logo or colour palette across your comms. It is about creating a cohesive and memorable experience that resonates with your audience. This requires a deep understanding of your target audience and their preferences. So, finding and working with the right branding partner is crucial.
Your brand partner will ensure consistency, with clear brand guidelines that outline how your brand should be used and represented across all your channels – website, social media, packaging, and advertising – helping you to create a strong and consistent brand experience.
Boosting Your Bottom Line
Branding is about creating a unique identity/experience that sets you apart from your competitors. It’s an essential part of any business, and getting it right is crucial for successful growth. A well-defined brand can take your marketing to the next level and ultimately boost your bottom line. However, for many leaders/founders, the world of branding can be a mystery and somewhat daunting.
Working with a brand partner is key to the bottom-line growth because they will take the time to understand your brand, your business, your challenges, your customers, and your competitors. They will help to create a unique brand programme that aligns to your business goals, built on research and data insights that contribute to a brand activation strategy unique to your business needs.
Our work with Cyncly was hugely complex, it covered the merger of 13+ company brands that required a brand strategy and repositioning under a new brand name to create a new global powerhouse brand. A sensitive and intricate task for the business leaders, they approached us with a creative brief covering renaming, branding and a website design and build. The creative process involved an in-depth analysis of Cyncly’s new culture and personality as well as a deep dive into its transformative business model.
Measuring ROI: the benefits of investing in a brand partner.
Investing in professional branding services can yield significant returns for businesses. However, it is important to measure the return on investment (ROI) to determine the tangible benefits of branding efforts. Here are some ways that branding agencies create business value:
1. Increased brand recognition: A strong brand identity can help businesses stand out in a crowded marketplace. By creating a unique visual identity, messaging, and tone of voice, a branding agency can help businesses increase their brand recognition and awareness. This can lead to increased sales, customer loyalty, and referrals.
2. Improved customer perception: A well-crafted brand can help businesses build trust and credibility with their target audience. By communicating a clear value proposition and brand promise, businesses can improve their customer perception and reputation. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction, retention, and advocacy.
3. Competitive advantage: A strong brand can differentiate businesses from their competitors. By creating a unique brand positioning and messaging strategy, businesses can stand out in their industry and attract new customers. This can lead to increased market share and revenue growth.
4. Consistency and efficiency: A branding agency can help businesses create a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints. By developing brand guidelines and templates, businesses can streamline their marketing efforts and save time and resources. This can lead to improved efficiency and productivity.
5. Long-term value: Investing in your brand with a branding partner can provide long-term value for businesses. A strong brand can withstand market fluctuations and changes in consumer preferences. By investing in their brand and reputation, businesses can build a sustainable competitive advantage and secure their future success.
And finally...
A branding agency can help your business no matter what stage it's at. It can create significant business value by helping your business increase brand recognition, improve customer perception, gain a competitive advantage, achieve consistency and efficiency, and build long-term value. By measuring the ROI of branding efforts, businesses can justify their investment and make informed decisions about their marketing strategy.
Investing in effective branding can help your business stand out in a crowded market, attract new customers, and ultimately boost your bottom line.
Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts at Structure to learn more about how your business can benefit from our strategic approach. We're here to help you every step of the way and serve as an extension of your marketing team.
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