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Written by Madyson Kiepprien-FraserReading time 3:16 minutes “What will make your branding sharp and pointed?” - Rob HowardDid you miss this month’s episode? Or maybe you’re just looking for a short memory refresher? Either way, welcome to the Spark Compass Blog! A place where we summarize the key takeaways from every episode and share some memorable behind the scenes moments. This week’s episode features Rob Howard, a Brand Rehabilitation Therapist who helped us learn what it takes to make a lasting impression with your branding. What Is Branding?Before we can talk about what branding is, it’s important to understand what it’s not. Branding is not a jingle. It is not the packaging your product comes in or the logo of your business. Most often, branding is intangible - it’s something that cannot readily be held in the palm of your hand. Successful branding can be defined as the sum total of all emotions and feelings associated with your business. It’s how your employees feel about their work. It’s the feeling consumers get when interacting with your business. When asking yourself about branding, consider how you approach and engage with people. The Importance of Good BrandingMispositioning is one of the most common mistakes businesses make with their branding. It’s easy to make assumptions about how your business is being perceived, but it’s harder to validate those assumptions with research. When a consumer identifies a problem, such as being hungry and looking for a place to eat, there are usually 2-3 businesses that immediately come to mind. This is known as an evoked set and, if you’re able to position your business correctly, can be a very powerful marketing tool. Good branding can secure your place in a consumer's evoked set, effectively setting you apart from the competition. But what does it take to make this list?Building A Successful FoundationThere are four essential elements to consider when developing your brand.Brand Purpose - In time, this will become the core of your brand. A good brand purpose allows your consumers to buy into what your brand stands for and can turn customers into believers. Brand Promise - This should be greater than a value proposition. It doesn’t need to be tangible but it’s important to know what your brand promise can be so you can articulate it properly. In Rob’s experience, a successful brand promise is like a relationship. It implies a reward for the consumer. From recognition to a good feeling, knowing what influences your consumer to act is crucial for this step. Brand Personality - This is where the tangible elements of your branding come into play. Things like tone of voice, social media presence, visual identity, etc are all considerations for brand personality. The key to this step is integrating purpose and promise into your personality. Brand Positioning - There are three aspects to this final step. Consider what you do, who your audience is, and what makes you different from similar businesses. Include some supporting evidence to support your claim to uniqueness and boom, you’ve got the initial research needed for brand positioning. Competitive Research & BrandingYou might be wondering what your competitors have to do with developing a successful brand. If you can understand how other businesses are fulfilling the needs of their consumers, it introduces the opportunity to understand what you do differently than them. Competitive research can also create a roadmap for your business. If you’re here today but want to be somewhere else tomorrow, what does your branding need to accomplish to help get you there? If your company has a “best kept secret” that should be known by everyone, then share it! Implement that secret element into your brand to better connect with your consumers. Implementing Your Branding The first fans of your brand should be the people already associated with your business. Advocacy works best when your employees are onboard too. Consider running your purpose, promise, and personality through an internal review to gain support from the people who work hard to keep the business running. A key part of implementing your brand into your marketing is maintaining consistency. Creating brand guidelines and artifacts is a great way of informing your employees about how your brand should behave both on and offline. Start internally, be authentic, and stay consistent. To Summarize It’s important to establish the foundation of your brand before you promote it. The three key aspects of a brand foundation are: Brand PurposeBrand Promise Brand Personality We are Spark!Are you curious about how good branding can benefit your business? We’re here to help!Our Ignite Strategy Sessions are a great way for us to analyze your business and offer customized branding recommendations for all of your marketing needs. Sound interesting? Then consider reaching out to start a conversation!