Branding 101: How To Build A Strategic Brand in 2024

Summary

Stephen Houraghan from BrandMasterAcademy.com introduces 'Branding 101', a guide to constructing a strategic brand that captivates audiences and outshines competitors. He explains that branding transcends visual elements like logos and involves a comprehensive ecosystem that appeals to a specific audience. Houraghan emphasizes the importance of understanding audience needs, differentiating from competitors, and crafting a brand strategy that includes a clear brand identity, messaging, and storytelling. He outlines the foundational pillars of successful branding, such as brand DNA, target audience, positioning, personality, verbal identity, and visual identity, advocating a systematic approach to building a brand that resonates with and influences the audience's buying decisions.

Takeaways

• 📚 Branding is about making a business more appealing to a certain group of people than competitors and influencing their buying decisions.
• 🎨 Brand identity includes visual elements like logos, color palettes, fonts, and image styles that represent the brand visually.
• 📈 Brand strategy is the plan behind the brand, focusing on how to engage, resonate, and connect with the audience to influence their decisions.
• 🧬 Brand DNA encompasses the brand's purpose, vision, mission, and values, serving as internal guideposts for decision-making and brand direction.
• 🎯 Target audience identification is crucial for being relevant and specific to a particular market segment, rather than trying to appeal to the entire market.
• 🔍 Positioning strategy involves understanding competitors and finding gaps in the market to offer something different and valuable to the audience.
• 🌟 Brand personality is about showing up in the market with a distinct character that resonates with the audience's traits and aspirations.
• 🗣️ Verbal identity is an extension of brand personality, defining how the brand communicates in the market, including language and tone of voice.
• 📣 Brand messaging is critical for strategic communication with the audience, focusing on what, why, and how the brand wants to be perceived.
• 📖 Brand story is more about the audience's journey and experiences with the brand rather than just the founder's story.
• 🏷️ Brand name and tagline are strategic tools that communicate who the brand is and what it stands for, ideally developed after establishing the brand strategy.

Q & A

What is the fundamental purpose of branding according to the video?

The fundamental purpose of branding is to make a business more appealing to a certain group of people than its competitors, with the aim of influencing their buying decisions.

What is often misunderstood about branding in terms of its visual aspects?

Many people believe that branding is solely about the visual appearance of a brand, such as the logo. However, the video emphasizes that while visuals are important, they are just the tip of the iceberg, and a true brand involves a machine of elements working together.

What are the two terms often confused in the context of branding, and how does the video differentiate them?

The two terms often confused are 'brand strategy' and 'brand identity'. The video differentiates them by stating that brand identity is the visual representation of the brand, while brand strategy is the plan behind the brand that engages, resonates, and connects with the audience.

What are the key components of brand identity as mentioned in the video?

The key components of brand identity include the logo, color palette, fonts, and image style, which are all the visual assets that the brand uses to show up in the world.

Can you explain the importance of understanding the target audience in branding as highlighted in the video?

Understanding the target audience is crucial because it allows a brand to be more relevant and appealing to that specific group of people. Without a clear understanding of the audience, a brand risks being too generic and failing to connect with any market segments effectively.

What is the role of brand personality in attracting and retaining the audience's attention?

Brand personality is important because it helps draw in the audience by showing up with a distinct character and traits. It makes the brand more relatable and engaging, which is essential in capturing the attention of modern consumers who have limited focus to give to brands.

How does the video describe the relationship between brand strategy and brand identity?

The video describes the relationship between brand strategy and brand identity as one where they work hand in hand. The brand strategy provides the plan and messaging, while the brand identity visually represents the brand to the audience.

What are the fundamental pillars of a successful brand as outlined in the video?

The fundamental pillars of a successful brand, as outlined in the video, include brand DNA (purpose, vision, mission, and values), target audience, positioning strategy, brand personality, verbal identity, brand messaging, brand story, brand name and tagline, and visual identity.

Why is brand messaging considered an impactful tool of influence and often overlooked?

Brand messaging is considered an impactful tool of influence because it defines what a brand wants to communicate to its audience and how it wants to be perceived. It is often overlooked because many brand leaders focus more on the visual aspects of the brand rather than the strategic communication of messages.

What is the significance of a brand's story and how should it be aligned with the audience's journey?

The brand's story is significant because it helps create an emotional connection with the audience. It should be aligned with the audience's journey by resonating with their experiences, challenges, and aspirations, thus making the brand more relatable and appealing.

Why is the order of developing a brand name and tagline towards the end of the branding process recommended in the video?

The video recommends developing a brand name and tagline towards the end of the process because by that time, the brand's strategy, positioning, personality, and messaging have been defined. This allows for a brand name and tagline that are more aligned with the overall brand strategy and effectively communicate the brand's position to the audience.

How does the video emphasize the importance of the visual identity in the overall branding process?

The video emphasizes the importance of visual identity by stating that it is often the first thing people notice about a brand and has a significant impact in a short amount of time. It should be designed with the brand strategy in mind to ensure it reflects the brand's personality and appeals to the target audience.

What is the final takeaway from the video regarding the perception of a brand?

The final takeaway from the video is that a brand is a perception that lives in the marketplace, and as brand builders, the goal is to influence that perception through position, differentiation, personality, messages, stories, and visual identity.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Branding 101

Stephen Houraghan introduces the concept of branding as a strategic tool to make a business more appealing to a certain audience, emphasizing that branding goes beyond visual elements like logos. He explains that branding is about influencing buying decisions and involves understanding the audience and creating an ecosystem around the brand. The importance of branding is contrasted with the alternative of trying to sell without influencing the audience, highlighting the competitive nature of the market and the need to stand out.

05:03

🔍 Understanding Brand Strategy vs. Brand Identity

The script clarifies the difference between brand strategy and brand identity. Brand identity is the visual representation of a brand, including the logo, color palette, fonts, and image style. In contrast, brand strategy is the plan that guides how a brand will engage and resonate with its audience to influence their decisions. The importance of both elements working together is stressed, as well as the need for a messaging strategy, storytelling, and brand personality to effectively communicate the brand's position and value.

10:06

🏛 The Pillars of Successful Branding

The video discusses the fundamental pillars essential for building a successful brand. These include brand DNA (comprising purpose, vision, mission, and values), which serves as an internal guide for decision-making. The target audience is highlighted as a critical aspect, with the advice to segment the market to be more relevant. Positioning strategy is also covered, focusing on finding gaps in the market to differentiate from competitors. Brand personality is described as a way to connect with the audience on a personal level, and verbal identity is presented as an extension of the brand personality, guiding how the brand communicates.

15:08

📚 The Importance of Brand Messaging and Storytelling

Brand messaging is identified as a crucial tool for influencing audience perception. It involves defining what the brand wants to communicate and how these messages will be distributed across channels. The script also emphasizes the power of storytelling in branding, suggesting that brands should focus on telling the stories of their audience rather than their own. It mentions the use of case studies and testimonials to resonate with potential customers and the importance of aligning brand stories with the audience's journey.

20:14

🎨 Developing a Visual Identity and Brand Name

The script explains that the visual identity of a brand is a critical element that should be developed with a clear strategy in mind. It argues against focusing solely on the visual identity early in the process, suggesting that understanding the brand's position, personality, and messaging first will lead to a more effective visual representation. The brand name and tagline are also discussed as strategic tools that should reflect the brand's market position and value proposition to the audience.

🛠 The Process of Building a Brand

The final paragraph outlines the process of building a brand, starting with establishing the brand's purpose, vision, mission, and values. It then moves on to identifying the target audience and differentiating the brand in the market through a unique positioning strategy. The brand's personality, verbal identity, and messaging are developed next, followed by crafting brand stories that resonate with the audience. The process concludes with designing the visual identity and implementing a marketing strategy to engage the audience effectively.

Keywords

💡Branding

Branding is the process of creating a unique name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product or service from others in the marketplace. In the context of the video, branding is about making a business more appealing to a specific audience than its competitors. It's not just about visual elements like logos but also encompasses a strategic ecosystem that influences buying decisions. The video emphasizes that branding is crucial for businesses to stand out and influence audience perception.

💡Brand Strategy

Brand strategy refers to the long-term plan and actions designed to develop and maintain a strong brand image in the market. It is the plan behind the brand that includes how to engage, resonate, and connect with the audience to influence their decisions. The script distinguishes brand strategy from brand identity, highlighting that while identity is visual representation, strategy involves understanding the audience, competitors, and positioning in the market to devise effective communication.

💡Brand Identity

Brand identity is the visual aspect of branding that includes elements such as logos, color palettes, fonts, and image styles. It is how the brand appears to the world visually. In the video, it is mentioned as distinct from brand strategy, emphasizing that while identity attracts attention through visuals, it is the strategy that influences the audience's buying decision.

💡Audience

The term 'audience' in the video refers to the specific group of people that a brand aims to appeal to and influence. Understanding the audience is key to successful branding because it allows a business to tailor its brand to meet the needs, desires, and expectations of that group. The script stresses the importance of segmenting the market and targeting a specific audience to be more relevant and appealing.

💡Positioning Strategy

Positioning strategy is the method by which a brand places itself in the market relative to its competitors. It involves identifying gaps and opportunities in the market to offer something different or better. The video explains that a good positioning strategy gives the audience a reason to choose one brand over another by highlighting unique offerings or a distinct brand experience.

💡Brand Personality

Brand personality is the set of human traits that a brand conveys to its audience. It helps to create an emotional connection with the audience and makes the brand more relatable. In the script, brand personality is discussed as a way to draw in the audience by reflecting their own traits and aspirations, making the brand more appealing and memorable.

💡Verbal Identity

Verbal identity is an extension of brand personality, referring to the language, tone, and style a brand uses to communicate with its audience. It's how the brand speaks and the type of language it uses. The video script mentions that verbal identity should align with the brand's personality and the traits it wants to convey to its audience, playing a role in how the brand resonates with them.

💡Brand Messaging

Brand messaging is the communication strategy that a brand uses to convey its value proposition, mission, and brand story to its audience. It's a critical tool for influencing audience perception and decision-making. The video emphasizes the importance of clear, strategic messaging that aligns with the brand's personality and positioning to effectively communicate with the audience.

💡Brand Story

A brand story is the narrative that a brand creates to connect with its audience on an emotional level. It often includes the founder's journey, client success stories, or the brand's mission and values. The video script suggests that the most impactful brand stories are those that resonate with the audience's own experiences and aspirations, rather than focusing solely on the brand's history.

💡Visual Identity

Visual identity is the visual representation of a brand, including its logo, colors, typography, and imagery. It's the first thing that people notice about a brand and can have a significant impact on their perception. The video explains that while visual identity is often the first aspect people think of when considering branding, it should actually be developed last, after all other strategic elements have been defined.

Highlights

Branding is about making a business more appealing to a certain group of people than competitors.

Branding is more than visuals; it involves a machine of elements working together to influence buying decisions.

Brand strategy and brand identity are often confused but represent different aspects of branding.

Brand identity focuses on visual assets like logos, color palettes, and fonts.

Brand strategy is the plan behind the brand, engaging and resonating with the audience.

Understanding the audience is crucial for building a brand ecosystem that appeals to them.

Brand DNA includes purpose, vision, mission, and values, guiding the brand's internal decisions.

Targeting a specific market segment is more effective than trying to appeal to the entire market.

Positioning strategy involves finding gaps in the market to differentiate your offering.

Brand personality helps draw in the audience by showing up with a distinct character.

Verbal identity is an extension of brand personality, defining how the brand communicates.

Brand messaging is a powerful tool for influencing audience perception.

Brand story should resonate with the audience's journey, not just focus on the founder.

A brand name and tagline are strategic tools that should reflect the brand's market position.

Visual identity, while often the first considered, should be designed with the brand strategy in mind.

The process of building a brand involves developing each pillar in a chronological order.

Branding is about influencing audience perception through position, differentiation, personality, messages, stories, and visual identity.

Transcripts

What's up brand builders Stephen Houraghan  here at BrandMasterAcademy.com and in this  

video you're going to learn branding 101 how to  build a strategic brand so you can understand the  

machine that influences audiences to choose your  business of your competitors again and again so  

what exactly is branding well look it's a pretty  broad question and when you sit down and think  

of it there are many different perspectives on  this a lot of different players with different  

opinions and different positions on what branding  actually is but when you strip away all of that  

complication and really think about what branding  is it's about making a business more appealing  

to a certain group of people than the competitors  and the aim of the game here is to influence their  

buying decision now a lot of people believe that  branding is about how a brand looks you know the  

the logo how it appears visually and for the most  part the they are right to some extent but really  

that's only the tip of the iceberg beyond the  iceberg below the surface you have a machine of  

elements all working together to make up the brand  if all you have is a logo if all you have are  

the visuals then there's no mechanism behind that  brand to make those connections with the audience  

so to answer the question what is branding it's  all about understanding exactly who that audience  

is and then building a brand and an ecosystem  around that to make that business more appealing  

to that group of people so why exactly is branding  so important well think about the alternative for  

a second you have a business and you want people  to buy your stuff but in order for them to buy  

your stuff you're going to have to influence  them now if all you know about branding is that  

you need a logo on a website and you go ahead  and pay a designer to get that logo and to get  

that website and you put that website out into the  world what do you have to influence those people  

the Assumption there is that people are just  going to come to your website and see that you  

have a good looking brand you have a website copy  telling them what you do and then they're just  

going to hit that buy button but the reality is  completely different there are so many businesses  

vying for the attention of your audience and  they're doing their very best to influence their  

buying decision and they're not just using logos  and websites they're digging deep to understand  

exactly who Their audience is how they tick you  know what makes them tick what drives them what  

motivates them what what what are their fears  what is it that they really want to achieve and  

what problems do they have that the business can  solve once they understand all of that then they  

can devise a plan of how they will communicate to  them that will influence how they feel and think  

about that brand which will ultimately influence  their decision okay so what is the difference  

between brand strategy and brand identity these  are two terms that are often used synonymously or  

if people see these terms side by side they can't  really differentiate between the two the brand  

identity is the visual brand it's how the brand  shows up in the world visually so we're talking  

here about those visual assets we're talking about  the logo the color palette the fonts the image  

style you know everything that the brand uses  to show up visually is the brand identity that's  

how the brand is represented visually the brand  strategy on the other hand is the plan behind the  

brand and how they're going to engage and resonate  and connect with that audience again to ultimately  

influence their decision now the brand identity  will have an influence on the audience they will  

see that identity and if the colors and the style  match what they like it will draw them in but it  

won't influence their buying decision just with  the visuals behind those visuals there has to be  

some kind of strategy and some kind of messaging  that's going to speak to who they are that's where  

the brand strategy comes in within the brand  strategy you understand who that audience is  

you understand what the competitors are offering  them and then you have a position in the market  

that's different from those competitors and  that difference is going to offer your audience  

an alternative to what's already out there in  the market and with that difference with that  

understanding of what you do and the value you're  going to bring to the table it's going to help  

them to make their decision with that position  you need to communicate that position well and  

you do that through your messaging strategy you  do that through your your storytelling and you  

also do that through your brand personality  they are the characteristics that you use the  

traits that you use the verbal identity how you're  going to speak to your audience are you going to  

be cheeky are you going to be fun are you going  to be formal or authoritative what is it that's  

going to draw them in to help them to choose you  over your competitors all of these elements come  

together in the brand strategy and that is the  makeup of the strategy and on the front lines of  

that is the visual identity so they work hand in  hand together to ultimately influence the audience  

the perception they have of the brand and their  buying decision now behind every successful brand  

are a set of familiar fundamental pillars that  provides the foundation for that brand to grow  

so let's dive into each one of these pillars first  up is the brand DNA now within the brand DNA you  

have a few key ingredients here you've got your  purpose your vision your mission and your values  

now this is probably the most common common area  of branding the people are aware of before they  

get into positioning and differentiation and  personality they will probably come across  

these elements first and foremost and they tend  to be overlooked a little bit in terms of their  

importance people put together a purpose statement  a vision statement a mission statement some values  

and then they don't know how to communicate them  but communicating them is not the name of the game  

the brand DNA is about who the brand is internally  and it's there to guide decisions and actions as  

to where that brand is going where they're going  in the future what are they committed to in order  

to achieve their vision for the future what  do they hold dear in the way they do business  

through their values these are all internal guide  posts to help the brand make the right decisions  

so that the brand stays on track it stays on brand  in terms of where the leaders want that brand to  

go and what perception they want to create in  the market so it's really important to have the  

Brandy and a first and foremost the leadership  team and everybody within the brand knows where  

they're going next up is the target audience now  I have seen this mistake time and again Business  

Leaders they come to the table with a business  plan and they have an idea for a product or a  

service but they really haven't taken the time  to consider exactly who they're trying to help  

they know there's a market out there for their  products and their services but every Market is  

broken up into segments and if you turn up with a  product or service to the market that is meant for  

the entire Market most likely you're going to miss  out on pretty much all of those segments because  

you're not relevant enough to those segments so  think of your Market as a pie now if you turn up  

to the market and you try to appeal to that whole  pie then chances are you're not going to be able  

to do that if on the other hand you segment or you  slice up that pie and you hone in on a particular  

slice then you can identify what differences  those people have within that segment to the  

rest of the market and when you understand that  when you understand those differences when you  

understand what makes them tick then you can  appeal to them more specifically so this is  

without a doubt one of the most important aspects  in the whole spectrum of branding and marketing is  

getting clear on exactly what segment of the  market you want to Target so you can appeal  

to them more specifically and be more relevant to  who they are next up is your positioning strategy  

now again going back to the leader going into  the market for the first time having a product  

and a service that the market wants is great but  if your product and service is the exact same as  

everybody else in the market first of all you're  at a disadvantage because those are the players  

in the market already have that awareness they  already have a head start on you so you're not  

giving your audience anything to really choose you  over them so you're at a complete disadvantage if  

you just have the same as everybody else so what  you need to do is you need to understand what  

your competitors are offering your audience and  then look for gaps and opportunities as to what  

the audience wants and what they're not getting  from your competitors in the market and that's  

where your opportunity for your positioning  strategy lies and your differentiation in  

the market so this is really about showing up to  the market with something different to offer an  

alternative to what's already out there and look  this doesn't necessarily need to be disruptive  

you don't need to be an Uber going into the market  disrupting the the taxi industry it just needs to  

be something slightly different maybe it's the  way you provide your services maybe it's done  

with you instead of done for you maybe there's  a an element of convenience to it maybe there's  

something along the brand experience that's a  little bit different to what your competitors  

are offering but this is really really important  to show up to the market not just with the same  

as everybody else not the same price products in  the same Services targeting the same people Target  

someone different Target a specific segment of the  market and give them within the market something  

different than your competitors are offering and  they will turn their attention towards you the  

next pillar is your brand personality now showing  up to the market with a great visual brand is a  

really good way to get some attention to get  some visual attention but let's say for example  

you have a beautiful looking website you have  a beautiful logo and then your audience turns  

up to your side and your website copy is Bland  and it's dry and there's there's nothing really  

there to draw your audience in you're speaking in  corporate tones it's very very easy to lose the  

attention of modern consumers today because quite  frankly you know this yourself we don't have a lot  

of attention to give other people or other brands  and we really need to feel drawn in to give our  

attention and brand personality is a great way  to do that and this goes back to understanding  

who your audience is not just what they want not  just their desires and their fears but also what  

is their personality what traits do they have  what is it that they're trying to achieve in  

life are they you know chilled out do they have a  connection with the Earth are they driven are they  

full of energy do they want to save the world are  they authoritative do they have a desire to have  

a high status in society what is it that drives  them and what are their personal quality traits  

when you really understand that you can understand  how to show up with your brand and archetypes are  

a very very good foundation for you to build your  brand personality with if you don't know what  

archetypes are I have a video on brand archetypes  I'll leave that in the description but it's about  

understanding the personality of your audience  and then really putting together a personality  

that's going to appeal to who they are and using  traits within how you communicate and not just  

your visuals here but your messaging as well what  tone of voice are you going to use what traits are  

you going to use within your communication within  your writing and that will really help to draw in  

your audience because you're showing up to the  market with a bit of personality and something  

different to what's already out there the next  pillar is your verbal identity now I touched  

on this with the brand personality and verbal  identity is essentially an extension of your  

brand personality it's the way your brand speaks  in the market how it it talks the language that  

it used the the the tone of voice it's going to  use so you know are you going to show up with you  

know rough language rugged language are you going  to be a little bit edgy or are you going to show  

up a little bit more relaxed more eco-friendly  a little bit more soft in how you communicate  

with your audience so there's a lot of scope for  differentiation here just within your your verbal  

identity alone so really thinking about you know  how we are as people how we connect with other  

people and the people that you like within your  lives you know do you tend to have a group of  

friends that are energetic and a little bit more  edgy and you know use bad language or do you tend  

to gravitate more towards people who are kind of  laid back and you know speaking soft tones so just  

understanding this alone about yourself and your  own life and the the people that you're attracted  

to will help you to understand how brands use  verbal identity and again this this goes back to  

who your audience is who you're trying to connect  with who you're trying to appeal to but as I said  

there's a lot of scope for differentiation  within your verbal identity but it's really  

understanding the role that you're going to  play in the market who your audience is and  

the way you're going to resonate with them next  up is your brand messaging now this is probably  

the one of the most impactful tools of influence  that any brand has and it probably overlooked more  

than not by brand leaders who go into the market  trying to build a brand they put all this focus on  

how the brand looks you know the logo the website  how they're appearing in the market and they put  

very little emphasis on the messaging that they're  going to put out there in the market now I'm not  

just talking about copywriting here copywriting  on your website this is the whole spectrum of  

communication within your brand you know you need  to Define exactly what you want to say to your  

audience what's important to your audience when  it comes to choosing a brand when it comes to over  

coming the problem that they have what is it that  they're they're looking for and what signals will  

provide them with the idea that you have what they  need so your brand messaging is super important in  

determining exactly what you want to say to your  audience and how you're going to distribute those  

messages across channels now again this goes  hand in hand with your brand personality the  

messages that you put out there into the market  is what you're going to say and the personality  

and the verbal identity is how you're going to  say them so understanding what you want to say  

is super critical in influencing how your audience  perceives your brand the next pillar is your story  

now your Brand Story can come in different forms  of course you have the Founder's story so who the  

founder is where they've come from where they're  going to now in all honesty your audience is not  

too interested in who the founder is now that will  probably crush a few egos here but really building  

a brand is not about you it's all all about  your audience the story that your brand needs  

to be telling or certainly needs to be focusing  on is the story of your audience now you can do  

this in many different ways you can look at past  clients or past customers that have been through  

the process that you provide and document  that document that through case studies and  

testimonials so that they can tell their story  that will resonate with your future audience  

or with your future customers but this is really  about resonating and connecting we're all drawn  

in to stories we certainly remember stories a lot  more than we remember facts and if you're able to  

make that emotional connection and if you're able  to tell a story that kind of aligns with who your  

audience is the journey that they're on where  they're coming from where they're going to the  

challenges that they're having along the way  they're the kinds of stories that draw Us in  

and if you think about this yourself when you sit  down to read a story and there are many different  

characters within the story you tend to take the  a position of the protagonist within the story  

and you tend to follow their journey and that's  exactly what we want to do with our audience we  

want to tell that story and if your story is  super aligned with the journey that they're  

on they're going to be drawn in so thinking about  exactly what you do as a brand where you've come  

from where you're going is is great but when you  really nail down your audience and their story and  

you weave that in to the stories that you tell  and the messages that you put out there in the  

market then you're really going to draw your  audience in because you will confirm to your  

audience that you understand their Journey what  they're going through where they're going and  

what they're trying to achieve and then of course  you have your brand name and your tagline now this  

might seem strange that it's so far along and we  haven't mentioned this before but really if you  

think about it your brand name and your tagline  is a strategic tool it tells your audience who  

you are and what you're about and if you do this  early on in the process then you're not going to  

have the added advantage of knowing the position  that you want to take in the market the difference  

you're going to offer the personality that you're  going to show up with and the messages that you're  

putting out there into the market when you have  that information putting together a brand name  

and a tagline is far more effective because it's  helping you solidify that position it's helping  

you to communicate to your audience exactly how  you're going to help them and what you're all  

about so this is a really really important part  of branding and you know it tends to be kind of  

tacked on to services that are out there but in my  opinion this is probably one of the most important  

aspects in the whole spectrum of branding because  when people see your brand name and they see your  

tagline you know you think about how many people  will see that and if you're able to throw a hook  

out with that brand name and that tagline and it  resonates with them quickly it tells them quickly  

what you're about and what you can potentially do  for them that will help them to bring them into  

your world so really Define finding a brand name  that is aligned with your position in the market  

and the position that you're trying to own and  the message that you're trying to get across to  

your audience is really important if you do this  too early in the process you're going to miss that  

opportunity and unfortunately that's how most  brand names are created they're created by the  

business owner before considering the strategy but  the right way to do it is to consider the strategy  

then develop the brand name And the tagline and  last but not least you have your visual identity  

now we're getting to the visual identity at Point  number nine when a lot of people believe when they  

think about a brand or building a brand this is  the first point that they will look towards to  

build their brand but really think about all the  elements that we have considered up until this  

point we've considered who the audience is we've  considered the competitors in the market how we're  

positioned in the market the difference we're  going to make the personality that we want to  

show up with what those traits are and the verbal  identity within that personality as well and the  

messages and stories that we want to send out into  the market now think about all the tools we have  

at our disposal to design the visual identity  and think about the designer in this position  

being able to reflect on the strategy and allowing  that to guide their designs compared to a designer  

who is sitting down with an open brief to design  a visual identity for you know brand name X so  

designing the visual identity with the strategy  in mind is the best way to do this because we  

can really consider that personality and those  traits and weave that in to the person into the  

visualized identity that we are designing so again  a really really crucial element in the brand when  

we see the brand for the first time it has that  immediate impact on us and there is no element  

within the brand that is as impactful as that  visual identity in that short space of time that  

we have to really draw our audience in so it's  really really important but it's really brought  

into the context of how important it is is really  under the microscope when we consider the strategy  

beforehand and we consider how that strategy can  influence the design so now that we know all the  

pillars what is the process in putting all this  together in building the brand and building those  

pillars and then getting that out there into the  market well simply following those pillars that  

I've put forward which are in chronological order  should be developed in that chronological order  

the purpose the vision the mission the values  understanding what's important to the business  

leader where the brand is going and what they are  committed to in the way they do business and then  

looking into the market to who the audience is  and what really they're trying to achieve and  

what segment of the market you're going to Target  because remember you can't Target the whole Market  

or you're simply going to blend in you're not  going to really appeal to those because you don't  

have enough specificity targeting a segment  within the market gives you that opportunity  

to to add specificity and then when you know that  Target you want to go after you can look at who's  

already serving that audience and what they're not  doing well what gaps they're leaving in the market  

that's where you find your positioning strategy  that's where you find your difference and that's  

where you're going to be able to add value to the  market once you've done that once you've defined  

your position then it's all about how are we going  to show up in the market what's the personality  

we're going to lead with what are those traits  and what are those verbal identity elements that  

we'll use what are the traits that we're going  to use when we speak to our audience then we move  

into the messaging and the storytelling so we're  understanding what we want to say to our audience  

so that when we go out into the market and  communicate with our audience we're influencing  

their perception about what we mean in a strategic  way instead of just blurting out anything that  

we think they want to hear we have methodically  sat down and understood what perception we want  

to have in the market and what messages we need  to put into the market in order to achieve that  

percent exception then we go into the visual  Identity Design we get our designer on board  

and we put that visual identity at there into the  market now that is just building the brand that is  

building the vehicle that is our brand that we're  going to be able to use to communicate to the  

audience then it's about your marketing strategy  a lot of people think that the brand strategy and  

the marketing strategy are running the same they  are not now it's about understanding where your  

audience is congregating where are they online  where are they physically and how are we going  

to engage them on the front lines of the market  what are they going to respond to and how are we  

going to draw them in do we have a funnel are  we going to guide them along every step of the  

journey until they become a customer so thinking  about all those different steps of the funnel all  

those different potential channels and platforms  that we can use to engage is super important in  

getting your brand out there into the market it's  not just about building the vehicle it's about  

understanding where that vehicle must go in order  to appeal to your audience now look at the end of  

the day as I said in the beginning branding is  simply about making a business more appealing  

to a certain group of people so that they choose  that business over the other businesses that are  

in the market offering similar products or  services so really thinking about who your  

audience is and what they're going to respond to I  can't emphasize how important that is because your  

brand is not about you your brand is not for you  your brand is owned by your audience because it's  

a perception it's not a tangible thing it doesn't  live on a billboard or a website or even in your  

office it lives out there in the marketplace as a  perception and all we can do as brand builders is  

try to influence that perception as best we can  so if you think about your brand and branding in  

those terms as something that is out there in  the market that your audience is going to form  

by themselves then we can think about how can  we help them to form that perception and that  

what is what branding is about at the end of the  day it's about understanding that your brand is  

a perception and all we have as brand builders is  the ability to try and influence that perception  

through our position through our differentiation  through our personality our messages our stories  

and our visual identity when you understand what  branding is from that perspective you have the  

tools at your disposal to be able to influence  your audience now if you want to dive deeper  

into brand strategy then this video here will  help you out but before you click it if you want  

to become a master of brand make sure you hit  the like And subscribe to get notified when new  

videos like this come out until next time Brian  like a master and I'll see you in the next video

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