Branding and brand building are essential parts of Creative Blend Design’s wheelhouse, and our team has an extensive track record of success. Today, branding is more important than ever because of the ever-increasing brand outposts and marketing channels.
This post outlines what a brand is, the benefits of a strong brand, when to rebrand or refresh (or not,) and what to look for in a branding agency. Finally, we share Creative Blend Design’s branding process.
What is a Brand?
A brand is the values, image, reputation, products, services, and, most importantly, consumers’ perceptions associated with your business. A brand is so much more than a mark, logo, or name. A company’s brand differentiates itself from competitors. A strong, focused brand builds immediate connections with customers and prospects.
In 2024’s increasingly fast-paced media environments, target audiences’ first impressions and perceptions are more important than ever. Customers’ first impressions and perceptions can be shaped and strengthened with a relevant brand backed by strategic marketing campaigns. Perceptions can guide beliefs. Customer beliefs spark actions and behaviors online, on the phone, or in a store.
Executed correctly, a brand becomes a business’s identity and its most valuable asset.
The Benefits of Branding
A strong and well-defined brand delivers numerous benefits for businesses:
- Engaging branding is a deciding factor in purchasing decisions.
- Well-thought-out branding defines a business’s identity.
- Unique branding differentiates a business from its competitors.
- Strong branding drives brand recall and memorability.
- Unified branding supports unified marketing efforts.
- Recognizable branding bolsters trust and credibility.
- Consistent branding inspires customer loyalty and retention.
- Intriguing branding encourages consumers’ word-of-mouth.
- Genuine and transparent branding shares company values.
- Strong branding builds internal employee morale and pride.
- Memorable branding supports the introduction of new products or services.
These branding benefits help position businesses for higher Returns On Investments (ROI) and increased profits. A strong brand developed with market research and graphic design expertise empowers a company to command premium pricing, build stronger brand loyalty, attract the right customers, and scale business revenue.
When to Rebrand, Refresh, or Not
Let’s say a business is established with a good track record of success and profits. Then something happens. A technology disruption. An industry change. A societal or behavioral change. New industry, services, or products. All of this occurred in the past few years or is happening today. Each event offers substantial challenges and opportunities.
For instance, think about how the pandemic changed restaurant and grocery businesses into even more service-centric brands. Consider how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change your industry, operations, products, and services (Pssst…this should be top-of-mind for you).
However, there are instances when you should not rebrand or refresh:
- A competitor(s) have rebranded—branding is not about keeping up with the Jones—stay true to your business’s brand and the equity built over time.
- You are the new head of marketing and want to make your mark—just don’t do it—you’re too new, and it’s VERY RISKY.
- You “feel” like your brand needs a refresh—don’t leave a major initiative like a brand refresh or rebrand to a hunch—conduct customer market research and analyze your business’s goals and market position FIRST before going on intuition.
What to Look for in a Branding Agency
- Your business is ready to consider a branding refresh or rebrand. How do you select the right agency partner? Here’s a list of important considerations when choosing a branding agency:
- Does the agency’s values and culture align with your business?
- Can the agency show you a track record of success with detailed case studies and references?
- Will the agency guarantee that senior-level talent is involved in every step of the branding process?
- Can the agency demonstrate a deliberate and methodical strategy?
- Does the agency excel at creative execution across media platforms and environments?
- How does the agency use new technologies and design principles?
- How strong are the agency’s project management capabilities?
The Branding Process at Creative Blend Design
While some agencies pitch branding projects with platitudes, jargon, and unclear processes, Creative Blend Design focuses on transparency and clarity. Our branding proposals and agreements clearly outline our strategic branding approach, how our time is spent, what deliverables your business receives, and a clear project budget (or cost). Here is an overview of what to expect when working with our team on a branding, rebranding, or refresh project.
- Research – Our team conducts in-depth competitive and market analyses to develop valuable insights about your business. These insights are used to craft a brand based on your business goals. Our research deliverables include a brand audit, competitive and market analyses, and listening insights.
- Strategy – We focus on using research and data to build your brand’s strategic pillars—mission statement, values, and vision—that craft the visual aspects of your brand. Our strategy deliverables include naming and brand messaging recommendations.
- Identity – Our design team takes our research learnings and strategy pillars to develop visual options for your brand. Our identity deliverables include logo designs, font and typeface options, color palettes, and iconography recommendations.
- Saturation – When you launch a new brand, it must be everywhere. Customers and prospects must see the new brand on your website, social media accounts, print collateral, advertising, signage, email signatures, and more. Our team acts as your new brand advocates, ensuring the new brand identity is updated universally. Our saturation deliverables include copywriting, updating digital platforms (website, social media accounts, SEM, email marketing, etc.), print collateral and advertising design and printing, packaging, and signage.
- Application – In this final step, we hand your team our branding toolbox so that you can take the reins and own your new brand. Our application deliverables include brand guidelines and brand applications.
Creative Blend Design’s tried and true branding process consistently delivers outstanding and effective brand identities for our partners. See the “Our Work” section of our website for examples of our brand projects.
Are you struggling with your business’ branding, strategy, or marketing? Don’t know where to start with updating your company’s brand, website, and marketing campaigns?
Creative Blend Design can help! Our results-driven agency has almost two decades of experience helping businesses and organizations like yours grow efficiently. We’re experts in creating and optimizing our clients’ marketing strategies, branding, search engine optimization, social media campaigns, and much more.
Let’s talk and see how we can help your business grow. Connect with us today!
Stephanie Farber is the Founder & Creative Director of Creative Blend Design. Since 2004, Stephanie has led the development, launch, and optimization of hundreds of targeted, multi-channel marketing plans for non-profit and business clients in San Antonio, Texas, and across the U.S.
