Reilly Newman | “Brand” has become such a buzzword these days that many lose sight of what it actually is… or more importantly, what it entails.
Off the bat, many confuse brand with just a logo. Yes, logo is one part of your brand’s identity system, but is not solely your brand.
“Brand” is the perception your audience conjures up based on their experience with your business.
Now, this brand experience is made up of different points of engagement your business may have with the buyer – from a business card to signage, billboards, websites, and invoices. These points of contact (or “touchpoints”) help make up your brand’s equity. A brand is the collective effort among all touchpoints and experiences.
These points of engagement between a business and consumer don’t just happen, but must be designed with a strategy to ultimately create a positive impact, which in turn builds a successful brand.
The pitfall that most businesses experience is that these elements of a brand must work together to fully leverage the investment into the touchpoints produced and the experiences crafted.
A Brand is Greater
Think of it like buying top-quality ingredients (touchpoints) for an exceptional recipe (strategy) that will be plated and presented to perfection (the experience).
You see, each point of this “trifecta” increase the perception that is created in the mind of the buyer. Just as much as quality ingredients can increase the taste, every good chef knows that the plating is just as (if not more) important due to humans “eating with their eyes first”.
Ultimately, this trifecta creates a brand that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Anything else will fall short as it is fragmented and not fully leveraging the investment in either of the three areas. Not reaching the full potential of the investment leaves unprotected opportunity for the consumer to perhaps conjure a negative association to be embedded in their perception of the business’s brand.
