Creating A Distinctive Brand

Your brand is your company’s personality. It helps to distinguish you from other companies out there and it can include everything from visual branding (e.g. logos, colours) to your tone of voice. Having a distinctive brand can help boost sales – people are more likely to trust a company with an established brand. Here are just a few ways in which you can create a distinctive brand.

Identify your brand message

Firstly, you need to work out what the message of your company is – this will help to shape the nature of your brand. Your message should be a story or a cause that your target customers can relate to. A few examples of brand messages could include a family restaurant trying to bring wholesome home cooking to fine dining, an office furniture manufacturer trying to use environmentally friendly practices or dog toy retailer that specialises in indestructible dog toys. Try to make your message unique to your competitors in some way.

Identify your tone of voice

When it comes to your website, social media posts, newsletters and other forms of written copy, it’s important to have a distinct tone of voice. This should match your brand message. For instance, a dog toy retailer specialising in indestructible dog toys may want to adopt an informal, playful, tough-talking tone of voice that represents their message. An office furniture manufacturer that uses environmental practices may want to adopt a more formal tone but with a slightly emotional edge when talking about the environment.

Design your brand visuals

Visuals are one of the things that most people think about when they hear the word ‘brand’. A logo could be important for visually identifying your brand – this should help to deliver your brand message (a retailer of indestructible dog toys could use a burly dog as their logo, while an environmentally-friendly office furniture manufacturer could convey their message by use a desk with a plant on as a logo). A colour scheme and specific font could also be other visual indicators to consider.

Incorporate your brand into all forms of marketing

You should try to incorporate your branding into all forms of marketing so that you create brand awareness. This could include everything from your social media posts to packaging to flyers. There are even companies like Wunderlabel that could create branded clothing labels for you if your product is clothing. Avoid any inconsistencies – if all forms of marketing use the same colour scheme avoid printing of a business card that incorporates a different colour scheme as it will make your brand identity less clear.

When it comes to the spaces that you have full control over, such as your website, you want to make sure this creates the strongest impression for the brand. Rather than pasting your brand imagery over a pre-existing framework, work with a website design agency to ensure that your brand is built into it from the ground up. Use the website to emphasize the brand messaging in ways you can’t in other mediums.

Protect your intellectual property

You don’t want other companies to steal elements of your brand. Registering a trademark could help you to protect your brand identity. While you generally can’t trademark a tone of voice or a brand message, you may be able to trademark your name, a logo or a slogan. Sites like Rocket Lawyer offer more information on registering a trademark. Patents meanwhile could be useful for protecting a unique product design, which may include elements of your brand (such as a uniquely shaped bottle).

Having a distinctive brand can help boost sales – people are more likely to trust a company with an established brand. Here are just a few ways in which you can create a distinctive brand.

Identify your brand message

Firstly, you need to work out what the message of your company is – this will help to shape the nature of your brand. Your message should be a story or a cause that your target customers can relate to. A few examples of brand messages could include a family restaurant trying to bring wholesome home cooking to fine dining, an office furniture manufacturer trying to use environmentally friendly practices or dog toy retailer that specialises in indestructible dog toys. Try to make your message unique to your competitors in some way.

Identify your tone of voice

When it comes to your website, social media posts, newsletters and other forms of written copy, it’s important to have a distinct tone of voice. This should match your brand message. For instance, a dog toy retailer specialising in indestructible dog toys may want to adopt an informal, playful, tough-talking tone of voice that represents their message. An office furniture manufacturer that uses environmental practices may want to adopt a more formal tone but with a slightly emotional edge when talking about the environment.

Design your brand visuals

Visuals are one of the things that most people think about when they hear the word ‘brand’. A logo could be important for visually identifying your brand – this should help to deliver your brand message (a retailer of indestructible dog toys could use a burly dog as their logo, while an environmentally-friendly office furniture manufacturer could convey their message by use a desk with a plant on as a logo). A colour scheme and specific font could also be other visual indicators to consider.

Incorporate your brand into all forms of marketing

You should try to incorporate your branding into all forms of marketing so that you create brand awareness. This could include everything from your social media posts to packaging to flyers. There are even companies like Wunderlabel that could create branded clothing labels for you if your product is clothing. Avoid any inconsistencies – if all forms of marketing use the same colour scheme avoid printing of a business card that incorporates a different colour scheme as it will make your brand identity less clear.

Protect your intellectual property

You don’t want other companies to steal elements of your brand. Registering a trademark could help you to protect your brand identity. While you generally can’t trademark a tone of voice or a brand message, you may be able to trademark your name, a logo or a slogan. Sites like Rocket Lawyer offer more information on registering a trademark. Patents meanwhile could be useful for protecting a unique product design, which may include elements of your brand (such as a uniquely shaped bottle).