To brand or not to brand – that is the question…

Well obviously the answer is to brand…need I say more?

Yes, of course I do and am happy to, because this is a subject close to my heart (and that of my lovely colleagues as well I know).

We all know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but in conflict with that little saying is the one about first impressions…confusing huh? Well the truth is that, moral or not, people do make snap judgements based on their first look. So guess what, more often than not potential clients who don’t already know you, will take one look at your logo/brand and make the decision (consciously or sub-consciously) on whether or not to do business with you.

You may well still be thinking, ‘come on Zoë, it really is just a logo’, but consider this, it is estimated that 96% of the value of Coca Cola is attributable solely to its brand. That’s the equivalent of $150bn.

When I talk about brand I’m not just referring to your logo, it’s much more than that. It relates to everything from how your phones are answered to the style of writing you employ right up to you business objectives, values and mission and the stakeholder’s perception of the business. Your brand should reflect your business aspirations, the type of experience you would like your clients/customers to have with you and the relationships you have with your employees. Now take an objective look at your brand, which is essentially your business’s face. What do you see?

Consider some of your favourite brands, how do they express the vision of the company and you’ll see what I mean? You’d never mistake the purpose and function of Waitrose for Asda for example.

A re-brand needn’t be a painful process, in fact it should be liberating and positive. There are several very good reasons to rebrand. They include:

• To stay sharp, competitive and in tune with your market(s)
• To bring the internal and external parts of the company in line with each other for a more cohesive and effective offering
• As a result of mergers or acquisitions
• To accommodate changes within the business
• To accommodate more effective business practices and streamlining
• To allow for effective application and presence across a range of appropriate media including online.

In conclusion, you have a brand for a reason, it should be a summation of everything your company believes and promises, its style and personality. That’s what your customers initially buy into and that’s what they expect, anything else will be a disappointment.