Mastering the Power of Branding

by Roman Daneghyan, Head of Marketing, Renderforest

In today’s age, the word “brand” has become increasingly popular. We often hear this word being thrown around in discussions about business. We can all agree that branding deserves all of its popularity, as it is one of the most important things when it comes to business in the age of technological advancements.

Branding is what sets apart one specific company, business or a person from thousands alike. Branding allows businesses to stand out from the crowd and attract those who relate to their brand. It is a powerful tool that can be used to achieve tremendous success, and everyone should be using it.

Research done by Gensler showed that 94% of respondents said they would be highly likely to recommend their favorite brand to their family and friends. 87% of them also claim to choose brands that match their personal values, which goes to show just how important brand image is.

In this article, we’re going to explore the topic of branding, showing you how to master the power of branding and use it to your advantage.

What exactly is branding?
Branding as a term goes back hundreds of years ago. It was used to describe a specific kind of mark that could be seen on cattle and similar domesticated animals. Ranchers used to “brand” their cattle to make them more recognizable. Even back then, it was used to mark something that stood out from the crowd.

Today, many companies are trying to build their brand in order to stand out from the competition. To do that, they develop a unique collection of features that help distinguish them from other companies. Branding is used as a marketing tool aimed to create a lasting impression in the minds of their customers. Building a brand requires a lot of work, but it is necessary to achieve business success in the 21st century.

Think about it — in today’s age, there are millions of businesses doing the same thing. How is it possible to stand out in a situation like this? The answer is, of course, branding. By building a brand, a company is creating something which will allow it to differ from countless others, making them unique in the eyes of their customers.

Building a brand is not a simple task, it requires a lot of work and effort to pull it off correctly. However, there is a way to make it easier which we will discuss later in the article. There are also many different methods of branding, each with their benefits. These methods can be split up into visual, storytelling and feeling-based branding, which can all be tied together into one perfect brand.

Examples of great brands
If you want to see a great example of branding, you merely have to observe your own daily life. Even though you’re unaware of it most of the time, you are getting bombarded by “brands” on a daily basis. Whether you’re watching TV, visiting a store or driving around in your car, there are brands who are trying to influence you. A great example of this is a company called Coca-Cola. Have you heard of it? Yeah.

Coca-Cola never really forces you to buy their product, they just go around showing you the lifestyle associated with their product. Whenever you see an ad for Coca Cola, you will notice it is portraying a lifestyle filled with happy events, often shared by family and friends. They also have a unique logo-name that has become one of the most recognizable logos in the world. Whether in America, Africa, Europe or Asia, people have heard of them.

If you think about it, Coca-Cola is just a company selling sugary drinks, like thousand others all across the globe. And yet, their company is worth over $170 billion according to Forbes. That’s the power of branding.

Without branding, Nike and Adidas would just be companies that sell shoes and clothes. And yet, nobody really thinks of a “company that sells shoes” when you say Nike. Instead, people think of “Swoosh” — their unique logo, and of all the great athletes that wear their products. Nike’s products are of good quality, but the reason they sell so well is not their quality, but the power of Nike’s brand.
One of the key things when it comes to branding is the logo — just ask Nike about it.

Use of logo in branding
Logos are very popular when it comes to building a brand, and for a good reason. They allow brands to connect with their customers visually, which is one of the best ways to do so. A logo is the face of the brand — the thing that connects everything else into one perfect Brand. It is a powerful tool leveraged by many successful companies such as Nike, Apple, and Starbucks.

While branding may contain many things such as storytelling, typography, colors, and emotions, it’s the logo that brings all of them into one. When you mention a powerful brand name, all of these things come to mind, but it’s the logo that really sticks out. Customers will always remember that visual logo of a company that satisfied their needs. That’s why every serious business needs an awesome logo to represent it.

If you want to stand out, creating a great logo is a good start. But even then your work is not done. There are many companies and logos in today’s age, and many of them are not unique at all. A great logo requires creativity but also other things such as storytelling that will make it great.

A study conducted by the University of Minnesota showed that visual presentations are 43% more persuasive than non-visual presentations, which goes to show how much can a logo help.

Creating a logo doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You can also choose to create your own logo. The whole process of creating a powerful logo can include things such as styling, typography, shapes, and colors. With a little effort, you can develop a powerful brand for your business.