The process of Branding in 5 simple steps

The phrase “branding” refers to a multifaceted process created to assist firms in intentionally and purposefully defining, articulating, and translating their value. While the visual aspect of a brand is frequently what we as customers notice and recall with the greatest clarity, a brand is unquestionably not only about fantastic looks. There are many more processes involved in creating a successful brand, and in this essay, we’ll focus on the 5 essential ones.

Step one: Brand Strategy & foundation

Building a solid foundation is the first step in the branding process before any visual work is done. Similar to constructing a house, without a solid foundation, the walls and everything on top are far less dependable or sustainable and undoubtedly won’t endure as long. Depending on the type of business involved and, of course, the brand designer/agency/studio working on the project, this fundamental phase often consists of two components.

Research

We always begin with some sort of research; this phase entails comprehending the target market, auditing the current brand’s identity to find gaps and opportunities, ensuring that we are aware of the competition and the market environment we are operating in, as well as taking into account the company’s potential objectives. This is sometimes done in conjunction with the brand strategy phase over the course of several seminars or work sessions.

Defining the brand’s strategy

A brand strategy serves as a guide. It is only a tool that aids in defining and assembling all the results from the previous stage. Here, we strive to clarify the company’s key message and transform it into a clear purpose, vision, and mission statement as well as to specify some of the brand’s underlying values and long-term objectives. It ought to support maintaining the company’s stakeholders’ alignment and attention on a common strategy and goal. In order to subsequently develop messaging and marketing to assist verify that path, I prefer to incorporate more formal user personas as well as a customer journey map, which helps plan how a consumer may come to know the company.

Step two: Visual Direction & Creative exploration

You can utilize design to make your roadmap come to life now that you have one. Design is the method we employ to convert concepts into the visible realm, allowing concepts to be perceived, felt, and heard. Returning to the example of the house, design is where we see the house begin to take shape with paint colors, trims, and details that give it a personal touch.

However, we need to consider every option available to us before we can select exactly how that visual language will appear.

Step three: Creating the Visual Identity

We now combine all the concepts and start developing concrete brand components. Here is when we start creating the logo itself, accompanying markings, and graphic components that will convey the brand’s narrative. Despite not being the brand itself, the logo is nonetheless quite significant. It serves as the brand’s distinguishing feature, serving as a reminder to customers of the company and its values. It’s critical to keep in mind that a logo is not meant to perform ALL of the brand’s functions; it shouldn’t be an amalgam of all the concepts and narratives that make up the brand. All it needs to do is help buyers recognize the brand.

Step four: Brand Application & Style Guide

Beyond the logo, the brand must be present in several contexts. Whether building an identity for the internet or offline world, we must take into account how the brand will be utilized. The aesthetics of a brand should be adaptable and diversified across all platforms, from business cards to signage and social media, to ensure that clients get a complete experience. If your home doesn’t have any furniture for visitors to sit on when they visit, what good is having a gorgeous red front door?

The Brand Style Guide comes last. No longer an option, and more important than ever in assisting businesses in maintaining flexible yet consistent branding. We’ve worked hard to create a consistent brand identity and structure by this point; it would be unfortunate if it were to be misapplied. If you can’t drive it, what good is it to own a lovely car?

Style guides (also known as brand bibles, brand guidelines, etc.) are a technical instrument that must always be followed throughout the life of the brand. They typically consist of:

Brand story (Purpose etc.)

Voice, Tone, Values etc.

Logo usages (and how NOT to use the logo)

Imagery or Art Direction

Color palette (with exact color codes)

Typography

Graphic assets and application (illustrations, iconography etc)

Step five: Implementation — marketing, awareness & consistency

The rollout of the new brand is sometimes overlooked but is just as crucial as the identity itself. It is important to consider this phase as a crucial step in the branding process even though it isn’t always the responsibility of the identity designer to execute it. Sometimes the marketing team or brand manager is in charge of this.

This is a continuous process that frequently involves social media, the web, and content development.

Conclusion

To summarize, the process of creating a brand can take many different shapes based on the agency’s or designer’s unique methodology, but it often involves these 5 fundamental components (or at least it should). The branding process has changed throughout the years and will keep changing along with businesses and markets. To guarantee your branding process as a designer is productive and that your branding is constantly top-notch as a business owner, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the trends and adjust as necessary.