Image: Creative Commons License Flickr: bjornmeansbear

October is “Branding Month” here at Sage Wedding Pros.  We’ve been discussing how to create a brand for your company and how a designer can create identity to bring your brand to life.  Today, let’s talk about “Solid Branding”.  A company that has a strong branding strategy has competitive advantage over those companies that do not.

What exactly does strong branding achieve?

We asked our branding specialists for their thoughts on good branding.  Here are their thoughts…

Creates an Emotional Connection

A solid brand connects emotionally with its target audience. It triggers the audience to want to learn more about the brand and hopefully, keeps them coming back for more.
– Heidi Bartlett, Idieh Design

Establishes Trust

Solid branding will assist in earning the trust of prospective clients. Your company will enjoy greater recognition and provoke excitement. Great branding will also create consumer loyalty. It’s a cliche example, but Apple enjoys a massive cult following in large part because of their excellent branding strategies.
– Kelly Ashworth, Kelly Ashworth Design

Attracts the Ideal Match

If your branding accurately reflects your company and what you like to do and excel in, you will attract your ideal clients! It’s just like having the “right” tools for the job. It’s having the correct “flavor” of bait for the type of fish you’re trying to attract. It’s finding the couples/clients that align with your thinking & style and will love everything you do. It also weeds out those type of clients you don’t want.
– Cathy Olson, Love-Inspired

Creates Consumer Recognition

A thoughtful, consistent, and well-placed visual identity will convey worlds about both your company and your style before you can even begin to describe them. Effective branding facilitates consumer recognition and it contributes to your reputation as a polished service provider both within the wedding industry and among potential clients.
– Sarah Kate Snyder, Studio Snyder

Signals Your Commitment to Business

Solid branding shows current and potential clients you have dedicated time establishing your organizations mission and professional image which reinforce your legitimacy as a business. Consistency across all mediums: print, social marketing and web, creates a positive first impression.
– Kari Becker Beard, Sugar B Studio

Defines a Business’s Personality

Branding defines the personality of the business. A well-defined brand is more than just a logo, but rather the consistent combination of all the elements that make up the overall image and public voice of a company. Solid, strong branding will define a company’s culture and, over time, can be a part of or enhance its heritage.
– Whitney & Jonathon Speir, Brown Sugar Design Studio

A GOOD First Impression

When a bride chooses you over your competition it is often based on a first impression of your website or marketing piece. For some reason they feel a connection to you and/or your business, more often than not this is a subconscious feeling but it drives them to contact you. They feel comfortable and confident because you have presented them an organized and unified design that appeals to them. If you do not have a solid brand they will find someone who does.
– Nikki Nukkols, Doodledog Advertising

Defines YOU!

Concrete branding is not just about your logo or printed piece. Your brand is you…you’ve got to live, eat and drink it. The world will know your brand by your actions, customer service, quality of product and values. It’s not just about the packaging on your product or service.
– Carla David, Carla David Design

What do you think?  What does good branding achieve for your business?