Branding is forever.
This is more important than your brand strategy, but you aren’t giving it thought. You’re too focused on something else.
Branding is often referred to as the visual design.
Though not expressed but felt and that’s wrong.
It’s not your fault if you don’t understand this, you simply didn’t get the full gist.
You see, “branding” in this form is in the present tense.
This means it is happening now. It is taking place as you read this.
If you’re helping people, you are doing branding. In your sleep, branding is taking place. So, it really never ends.
Branding is infinite.
The thought of “I will start my branding next month,” is wrong and wrong grammatically too.
You are never really done branding because branding is forever.
Even when you’re dead.
It happens each time you hit post.
It happens each time someone comes across you (offline or online).
To you, after you’re done with your visual identity, branding is over. But the reality is, it’s not.
To others, it is forever.
Whatever you leave on this earth marks as branding. It’s like holding up a sign board saying, “I did this.”
You did it, and you influence what you say it is, but branding is actually what “they” say it is.
They are the people you inspire. The people you work with. The people you help.
That is why it is important to build a brand not for status, but to improve the quality of people’s lives. Quality experiences that are unforgettable and quality communication.
That is branding and it is long-term.
Thinking that branding is what you do in the short-term only is vague. It is important to understand that the good things in life take time. Building a good reputation takes time. Becoming fit takes time. Branding takes time.
In every interaction, every post, every story, every piece of content, branding takes place.
Talking to your client is branding. Because you’re influencing what they think of you, and it’s instant.
It’s like meeting a new person and having a conversation with them. As the words and expressions come out of them, you’re forming an image of them in your mind and at the end of the day, you have an impression about them.
This is exactly how branding works when it comes to communication. That’s why it’s also important to have your own personality and own it. Not copying others’ personalities just because you think they’re cool.
Once you leave the conversation, what they think matters, so make an impact.
Commenting is branding.
You form impressions after leaving a comment on a piece of content. It might be hilarious, it might be firm and bold, it might be argumentative and pissing. That’s branding.
There are many other activities that either makes branding easier or difficult.
This should make you to understand that branding is not only about visuals (visual identity) and a visual identity is only a part of brand identity.
If you’re a brand identity designer, you can’t sell what you don’t know.
A visual identity is only a part of brand identity.
A brand identity consists of:
- Brand Story
- Brand Personality
- Brand Name
- Services or Products
- Verbal Identity
- Visual Identity
Then the visual identity itself consists of:
- Logo Design
- Color Palette
- Typography
- Photography
- Layout & Composition
- Iconography
- Packaging & Print
- Digital Presence
So, you see, branding is a lot.
And you can’t do it alone.
You need a problem solver. You need a powerhouse. I design brand identities for impactful & bold brands that have a purpose. If you need a brand identity, reach out to me on LinkedIn.
Back to the story.
Think of branding as the little things you do every day.
It’s those things that really matter.
A brand that doesn’t do the little things, sadly, is short-lived. They don’t last long.
To summarize it even further:
Over the short term, not so many results.
Over the long term, unbelievable results.
You can only win in the branding game if you don’t give up.
So, show up, be kind, caring, creative and happy.
I could continue that list, but the visual makes it clear.
Brand Design is a part of branding.
Brand Strategy is a part of branding.
The little things are part of branding. And the most important.
And guess what?
The little things never end.
As long as the brand exists, there will always be the little things.
The packaging quality, the front office (if you have one), the thank you card, the merch. They all take part in branding.
PLEASEEE DO NOT IGNORE THEM.
IF YOU DO, YOUR BRAND WILL DIE.
Thank you for reading, I know you now know what you never knew. I discuss this further in my e-book, The Mini-Art of Branding.
Thanks again.
