Why branding is important

The question why branding is important is one that we are often asked and, in truth, it’s a simple answer. But, as we’re so passionate about the importance of getting your brand right, please forgive us in advance for the slightly more detailed response!

Your brand is how you communicate to your customers – both the potential customers you are trying to attract and the customers you already have. It’s how they feel about you, almost on a sub-conscious level without them even realising it. Our job is all about how we help you to communicate the right feeling to your customers.

That sounds a bit ‘fluffy’ right, but it’s not. It’s gets to the heart of everything you want to tell your customers about you, even before you’ve had a chance to interact with them on a personal level. Think of your brand in these terms: Does it make your target customer believe you are a trustworthy business? Does your branding communicate to them that you are professional, that you’re a luxury, lifestyle business or that you sell everyday products at affordable prices? Whatever you want your customers to think about you, that is what the right branding will achieve for you.

When a client contacts us for help, often they just ask for logo design. But the creation of your brand is so much more than the logo itself. To become your brand, the logo needs its own identity creating. This identity creation needs to be completely integrated within and around your logo.

It’s the colours we choose, the typeface and different font weights we choose, it’s the strapline we come up with, it’s the tone of voice we use when writing the copy on leaflets and website and it’s about ensuring all of these different elements work consistently across everything you do.

By the time we have completed the creation of your brand, you will have so much more than just a logo. You’ll have a clear understanding of how all your marketing materials can and should look going forwards. You’ll have examples of how the design of your promotional materials should look, which typeface and fonts to use, the Pantone references of your brand colours (and how and when to use the different colours). Depending on your business and what it is you’re selling, we will give you guidance on how to use imagery in marketing materials and what visuals you should be using on your social media. And of course, we can go on to produce these things for you over the coming weeks, months and years as required and as relevant to your business.

All these elements must work together on a consistent basis, not just as you launch your new business (or re-launch your existing one) but every, single day. The brand is you, and you are the brand. It’s about every piece of communication you put out – both direct to your customers and to the wider world.

This is a quote from one of our clients Willow & Puddifoot based in Oxford and it sums up our branding process:

“As I was setting up a brand new business for the first time, I really appreciated the experience, professionalism and broad range of skills Wetdog Creative brought to the project. They helped me with everything to do with my branding, printing and website. To start with, Caroline sought to understand my business vision and that was reflected that in the design options they provided. They offered a number of alternatives for the branding design – all of which looked great. Once I had chosen my preferred design, they provided me with everything I needed to build the brand including image files, a brochure and a website.

As well as providing graphics and copy they also liaised with the printer to make sure everything I had printed was top notch (and as environmentally friendly as possible). I’m proud of the website they’ve built and feel confident that it conveys the right impression of Willow & Puddifoot. All-in-all Wetdog Creative offer professional advice, great customer service, proactive ideas and a fresh style.”

So this is what the creation of a brand means. And it is the long answer to the question of why branding is important.

If you would like to talk to us more about why branding is important, and to discuss the branding or re-branding of your business, please get in touch today. We look forward to hearing from you.