Depending on what stage you are at as a company, there are several steps you might want to take in 2018 to enliven your branding and inform your marketing campaigns. In this blog, we take you through some potentially fruitful branding exercises which you could consider in 2018.
1. Create some brand guidelines
Whatever the scope of your marketing activities, they could be suffering if you aren’t working to a set of brand guidelines. So take the time to produce a set of your own, aligned with your business objectives, and what you think your character is as a company. Brand guidelines can cover everything from the colours you use in your marketing campaigns to the typography and tone of language. They can also encompass which kind of imagery you choose to use, as well as the way all of your consumer-facing communication appears. They can save you time in the future, as whoever is working on your marketing will have some guidelines to work to.
2. Tell a story
Does your brand carry a story? Consumers can be much more likely to engage with a brand which not only stands for something but has an interesting backstory which they can get their teeth into. It doesn’t have to be a ‘company history’ type piece; your brand story could just be about the things your company stands for, or strives for on a daily basis. Take time to develop a brand story and make sure it permeates through to your marketing output.
3. Brand refresh
So your brand has been around for some time, but things appear to be getting stale. You can perk up your marketing in 2018 by undergoing a brand audit followed by a brand refresh. Take stock of how your customer base has changed and alter the way you market your brand to them. Conduct research and then put your findings into practice, making sure your brand – be it a name, logo, colours, or a comprehensive overhaul – gets the relaunch it deserves.
So that’s our three branding projects to consider this year. Remember – every business has a brand!