When Art And Science Collide — The Key To Successful Branding

– Contributed content –

10 August 2017. To build a successful brand, it’s beneficial to combine both art and science. You need to understand what makes consumers tick, but you also need to appeal to their emotions and to capture their imaginations. If you’re working on your company’s brand or you’re preparing to launch a startup, and you need some useful branding tips, hopefully, this guide will come in handy.

(EdgeThreeSixty, Flickr)

Understanding your customer

The key to running a successful business lies in the ability to give customers what they want. This sounds straightforward, but 90 percent of startups fail, so it’ not always plain sailing. The best way to go about building a brand that appeals to your market is to combine research methods. If you use both qualitative and quantitative techniques, you can observe people’s habits, ask for their ideas and gain an understanding of why they behave in the way they do. This two-pronged approach enables you to gain a much deeper insight.

Appealing to both parts of the brain

In basic terms, the brain is made up of parts that are governed by emotions and logic. To make your branding strategy more effective, it’s wise to try and appeal to both parts. You want to trigger an emotional response, but you also want to understand why this response occurs. Consider buying a product as an example. You want that product to prompt an emotional response, but you also want to understand the logic that person uses to decide whether or not they make a purchase. If you can comprehend what makes that person justify their decision, you’re likely to generate more sales.

Getting your brand about

Once you have a logo, a brand name and a strapline and your product is ready to go, you need to get your brand out there. Again, the best way to do this is combine artistic and creative thinking with the use of research and proven methods. You may be aware that a product launch has been hugely successful for a competitor. Taking this information on board, use data from your target market to plan an event that is relevant, intriguing and original. Think about how you can promote your brand. Make use of merchandise, but don’t churn out the same old ideas. The guests you’ve invited probably don’t need another paperweight or key ring, so why not go for something useful and different like portfolios to stay organized? Ensure that everything you do comes back to the brand, from a pitch, to a promotional video to a Facebook post you’re showing to demonstrate the firm’s social media strategy

Standing out from the crowd

You’re standing in front of a shelf at the supermarket. How many different brands can you see? If you’re buying a bottle of gin, for example, what makes you favor one bottle or brand over another? Is it the packaging? The logo? The flavor? The name? The design? Or is it simply that you buy the same product over and over again because you trust the brand? If you’re a new brand, and you haven’t got a client base yet, it’s so important to be able to stand out. What makes your brand different and how can you be original? Use market research and data, but embrace your creative side too.

(Nick Youngson, Blue Diamond Gallery)

Your brand is your identity, and it’s so beneficial to get branding right. If you’re a new business, or you’re considering a rebrand, take these suggestions on board.

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