We throw the word branding around a lot in this industry. So much so that it can seem like the word doesn’t really have a clear definition. Is it what the logo looks like? Is branding web design? Is branding packaging? Is it advertisements?
The blog will walk you through what branding is, what it isn’t, and show you a few ways you can do branding right through our partnership with CBD Pros.
When you google “what is branding?” the first definition to appear is:
“the action of marking with a branding iron.”
If you’re not from Oklahoma like us, we’ll clarify this one for you. This definition of branding refers to cattle. Farmers brand their livestock with a hot iron to mark a specific symbol for the ranch on the animal. That way if the animal wanders off or is being shown at an event, people know who that cow belongs to.
You might be wondering, what does that have to do with advertising? Well, think about it. When you see a product in a store or a billboard, how do you know who is selling the product? Companies put their brand on everything they own and sell, just like cattle farmers. It’s the same exact thing, but instead of hot irons, we use the Adobe Suite.
Here’s a list of things branding applies to and why:
Think of it this way: if your company is expressing itself in any way, your brand comes into play. A lack of a clear, consistent brand makes your brand boring or confusing to consumers, hence why branding is so important.
Think about all of the places a company can exist. CBD Pros, for example, exists in its physical stores, advertisements, products, social media presence, website, the thoughts and feelings of its guests, and so on. Your brand exists in these spaces, and it’s your job to make sure the brand makes consumers feel good about that brand and understand it.
Despite our cattle analogy, branding isn’t just slapping a logo on everything you can get your hands on. We’re gonna go a little bit deeper into what branding is actually about.
Branding is not just coming up with a logo and some colors, despite what you may read in other places. Sure, a consistent style and look are part of the process, but pretty visuals are nothing without a solid story and reason behind them.
At the end of the day, branding comes down to how consumers feel after interacting with your brand. That’s what separates one brand from another in the consumer’s mind. 99Designs puts it this way: “A well-developed brand will trigger emotional cues in your audience that lead them to favor your brand over others.” We can compare our clients Dreamz and CBD Pros for this. Both are cannabis brands that care about education and selling quality products. What sets them apart is their brand identities. CBD Pros is holistic and gentle, while Dreamz is rebellious and fun. They are similar at their core, but wildly different when it comes to how they express themselves.
These brands, though similar to us, won’t feel so similar to the consumer. They’re going to be remembered by consumers for different reasons because of how these brands look and feel. How your brand makes consumers feel helps them develop brand loyalty: Instead of choosing a different brand every time, they’ll choose you because you made the best impression. Every branding decision you make should revolve around this, you have to be thinking about how what you make will make people feel.
It’s so simple that it’s not. Branding is who your company is. Branding is how your company expresses itself. Branding is how you make consumers feel. Branding is everywhere your company is present. Anything your company attaches its name to is a form of branding.
So, why should you care?
Consistency. Without it, you’ll appear confusing and undefined. To master the complex art of branding, you have to know your brand inside and out. You have to lay the groundwork for yourself so you can express your brand the right way every time. Branding your company is about defining who you are and how you want people to perceive your business.
CBD Pros is designed to leave their guests feeling taken care of and calm after interacting, hence the relaxing colors, soft type, and simple messaging. This is carried out across everything, from in-store signage to packaging.
Branding accounts for almost every move a company makes, which is why it's so important. Now more than ever, consumers care about how products make them feel, and it’s on us as advertisers and business owners to make sure we portray our companies correctly.
We hope this helped you learn more about branding, for cattle and for businesses. You can see branding in action by taking a look at our CBD Pros Case Study.
