What is branding, & why is it important?
BY KEEMY MARTINEZ
Brat Green. The New York Times.
When you look at the color in the image, what do you think of? For anyone on social media and up-to-date with music, then you’ll think of the summer 2024 album “Brat” by music artist Charli XCX. Why is this & and what is this called? This is known as branding. Branding is a marketing technique focused on creating an identifiable or distinct identity for a product, company, or service that aims to resonate with the target audience, helping keep the brand at the forefront of their minds and clearly differentiating it from its competition. In today’s world, where there are a multitude of businesses, branding is one of the most important factors when it comes to marketing. You might be wondering, well how can I create a brand for myself or my product? Well look no further, because I’m here to tell you.
In order to brand your product, service, company, or even yourself as a person, you need to first consider how you want to come off to your audience. This is also known as creating a brand identity. Do you want your product or identity to be portrayed as luxurious, friendly, approachable, reliable, or perhaps something else entirely? In order to figure this out you first have to identify your target audience. Who is this brand for? You can do this by creating a buyer-persona. A buyer-persona is a representation of your ideal customer, backed up by real market data and research. Creating this will help you establish some initial ideas for your branding. Another factor to consider when establishing your branding is the branding of your competitors. This is incredibly important when trying to put your product or company out there because you don’t want to be easily confused with them by consumers or have consumers thinking you mimicked the competition's image. After this is done, the fun part begins. You now need to create your branding image. This means considering the design, color palette, typography (font), the imagery, and most importantly the message you are trying to convey. Many different sites can help you in this process such as Canva, White Unicorn, design.com, and many more. You’re not done here. Perhaps the most important step is the consistent implementation of your branding across all platforms. This will help in building brand recognition.
If you aren’t branding a product or company, but instead yourself, you need to think about what you want professionals to see and think when they first see your information. If you are looking for a job as an artist you might consider bright colors as a background on your LinkedIn account, but if you’re looking for a job as a lawyer you’re going to stick to more neutral colors to convey a more serious image. You also need to consider more than just the background. You need to ensure consistency in your profile by having a professional headshot. This is more so if you’re trying to enter a professional field, but if you’re looking for a more creative role your headshot might showcase more of your personality while still keeping it traditional. In order to support that image you are trying to convey, your summary should also be carefully written to highlight all your skills and aspirations. Personal branding extends beyond just your profile. The way you engage with others in your professional community shapes how professionals perceive you.
Now that you know what branding is, its importance, and how to build it up, you’re ready to build a strong & recognizable identity for yourself or your product. Good luck!
