What does branding mean?

The word branding in the design world is often one that’s met with confusion. However, it is one of the most important parts of your business. And it delves deeper than your logo, letterhead or business card design. These are all part of your brand identity, however, this is only a small part of your branding.

Branding is more about how people view your business, along with how your employees and yourself view the business. Fundamentally, your branding is your what, why and how along with your businesses personality or voice.

It’s important to note that your designer can’t make your brand, they create the brand identity which communicates your brands messages clearly and through a visual format.

Developing a brand strategy before hiring a graphic designer is imperative. If you can provide a detailed document which outlines your business’s core values, a designer will have a better chance of communicating your message clearly and consistently.

Some questions to think about when creating your branding strategy include:

What is your mission statement or core values?
What makes your products/services unique?
Define your target market?
Why will customers buy from you (as opposed to your competitors)?

These are just a few questions which can help form the foundation for your brand strategy. Having clear answers to these questions will also help your designer clearly communicate your brand through their design.

Overall, it’s important to note that there’s a big difference between branding and brand identity. Having a clear idea about your brand and answering the questions above can help your brand identity to clearly communicate your message. This will add a level of trust to your brand visually and appeal to your target market. Ensuring you’ve got a clear idea about your businesses values will make your brand identity more relevant to your brand.