What Is Branding?
Branding is the process of building a unified feeling and identity that customers can associate with a business’s products and services.
Branding can include unique names, colors, fonts, images, logos, and slogans that elicit feelings and associations among consumers.
What Does a Branding Agency Do?
A branding agency helps businesses turn the business’s value proposition into an identity that consumers can relate to. They accomplish this by evaluating a business’s current brand and identifying areas for improvement and change.
Branding agencies help businesses identify color schemes, fonts, shapes, and other imagery to use online and in print. They can also assist with creating and selecting a company name, slogan, and tone of voice.
Some branding agencies specialize in helping a business create a visual identity using groups of colors that customers can associate with that business’s personality. Branding agencies often employ designers whose extensive knowledge of visual design can help businesses create a visual identity that reflects the company values. That visual identity can include:
- Brand logos
- Color schemes
- Shapes and other visual designs
Words and text are also an important component of a company brand. A branding agency can help business leaders identify a “brand voice,” or the tone that audiences will identify with the brand. That brand voice can then be used to create a slogan, value proposition, and mission statement to align the brand around a common identity.
What Are the Types of Branding?
There are many different types of branding, and businesses can use several types at once to achieve their goals. Some of the most common types of branding include:
- Product branding
- Corporate branding
- Employer branding
- Personal branding
- Co-branding
Product Branding
Product branding is the process of establishing a brand around a specific product. This brand usually incorporates elements of the business’s brand, while also targets a certain audience using visual themes and promotional copy.
Corporate Branding
Corporate branding involves promoting a company’s brand and name rather than products or services. One example of corporate branding is branded merchandise businesses create and distribute, such as stickers, drinkware, and apparel. Corporate branding helps spread awareness of a business’s brand through means other than the product itself.
Employer Branding
Employer branding is the process of creating a brand around a company’s value as a potential employer. Creating an employer brand is important for businesses looking to hire and communicates the benefits and values of working at the company.
Personal Branding
Personal branding describes creating a brand around a personal identity. Popular social media influencers, for example, will cultivate personal brands on social media platforms using colors, filters, captions, and emojis. Alternatively, job seekers might create a personal brand to help them stand out as a potential employee.
Co-Branding
Co-branding involves two brands entering a strategic partnership to boost awareness of their products and services. One example is if two large corporations partner on an industry survey to expand their audience.
