A few weeks ago I posted a corporate photography picture on my socials that I took for Humac Design with the caption, your branding is so much more than a logo. We had a great response and a few messages about it, so we thought we’d expand on it here and go a bit deeper.
So what is branding?
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Your brand is the combined experience of every interaction a customer has with your business.
Hubspot provide a great definition for the word brand; a set of features that distinguish one organisation from another. It comprises a name, tagline, logo, design, etc but it also refers to the overall experience a customer undergoes when interacting with your business.
This applies to products and service-orientated businesses, but it also applies to your own personal brand.
Product Business
Louis Vuitton makes luxury handbags and accessories. The materials that go into these products are no different to their competitors, who might sell a similar product at a fraction of the price. What sets them apart is the experience they’ve developed, the status that comes with owning a piece of their brand. This allows them a premium position in the market, at a price that customers are willing to pay for.
Service Business
An electrician has established a reputation for a fast and reliable service. They present professionally written quotes and emails, respond quickly and clean up after themselves.
It’s not everyday that the average consumer requires an electrician, but when their friends or colleagues do, they’ll share their experiences – both good or bad!
Personal Brand
I was waiting for a coffee at a busy Cairns cafe last month and watched a young woman deliver a job application.
She was dressed professionally, requested the manager, was very polite and handed over a very neatly presented resume.
It struck me that with so many people out of work in 2020, personal branding is vitally important. As a hopeful applicant, you need to create a differentiator and stand out from your competitors – just like in business!