Designs
Strategy
Identity
&
Brand
brand strategy is a long-term plan for the development of a successful brand in order to achieve specific goals. A well-defined and executed brand strategy affects all aspects of a business and is directly connected to consumer needs, emotions, and competitive environments.
Alright...
So you’ve got a business and you’re ready to push your branding efforts online. The first question you encounter is “How do I go about with branding?”
But the real question is...
How well do you know the difference between BRANDING and MARKETING
Well if your business focus is on...
● Logos, color schemes, and website design
What should my logo be? What colors represent my business best?
How do I go about with my web design?
● Brand mentions, links, and social popularity
I have to be as visible online as possible, because this promotes brand recall
● SERPs visibility, ad campaigns, and other promotional efforts
Although you are definitely at the right place
The items mentioned are all marketing tools and strategies, and they only scratch the surface of branding.
So you are probably thinking where do I go from here
Here at Distant Corner Designs, we have a complete all-round comprehensive Brand and Marketing strategy tools to help grow your business and reach all areas in all avenues.
Firstly let us understand the difference Branding and Marketing
"Have you ever wondered what the difference is between branding and marketing?
If so, you are not alone".
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While the two are undoubtedly connected, there are slight differences between the two.
As a business owner, it is essential that you understand branding and marketing both in great detail, so that you can effectively utilize them together. Below is a closer look at the differences between marketing and branding.
What Is Branding?
Branding is who you are and marketing is how you build awareness. Branding is your strategy, while marketing encompasses your tactical goals. In order to determine who your brand is, Distant Corner Designs needs to ask several questions. Questions that go beyond industry generalizations, and services or products offered and also questions to determine who you are as a company, and more importantly, who you are as a brand. Distant Corner Designs will look into these areas of your business before we begin:
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What are your core principles and values?
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What is your mission statement?
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What inspired you to build your business?
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Why do you want to offer your products or services to your target audience?
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What makes you unique?
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What is your internal company culture?
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What is your professional sense of style?
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What are your communication characteristics?
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What do you want to come to mind when someone hears your business name?
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How do you want people to feel when they think of your business?
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How do you want customers to describe you as a company?
By Distant Corner Designs gathering all the Answers to the questions above will help you to understand the difference between branding and marketing. What you will notice, is that all of the questions are related to your internal operations and your internal culture. Therefore, what you build on the inside, is what will emanate externally.
Your branding will cultivate what your consumers can expect of you, and what they will experience when they utilize your products or services. By clearly defining who you are, your branding can then be utilized to precede and underlie your marketing efforts—both today and for years to come.
What Is Marketing?
When speaking of marketing vs. branding, marketing refers to the tools you utilize to deliver the message of your brand. Marketing will continually change and evolve, just as the products and services you offer will continue to change and evolve. Marketing will be directly and specifically geared towards sectors of your target audience, all while supporting the core values of your brand.
Marketing is vast and wide. It can be heartfelt, funny, or serious. It can be any mix of text, keywords, photos, charts, graphs, and videos. Marketing can be performed by us at Distant Corner Designs on a variety of online and offline methods—some of the most common being:
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SEO - Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
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Content Marketing
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Social Media Marketing
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Pay Per Click Marketing
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Mobile Marketing
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Television
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Radio
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Print Campaigns
However, there are many other methods of both online and offline marketing for you to consider while working with Distant Corner Designs on your marketing campaign. While marketing methods will come and go, and the methods we utilize may change drastically from year-to-year, or from season-to-season—your brand will always remain constant.
Think of restaurants and retailers in your local area (independently owned, or major corporations), it is the brand that keeps customers coming back generation after generation. As an example, consider where you order and pick up prescriptions for yourself and your family. Whether the pharmacy or drugstore you shop in is locally owned, or part of a larger chain—they have built your trust and your loyalty, and you have most likely been a customer with them for many years. While you can purchase the exact same prescriptions at any other pharmacy in town, it is their branding that keeps you coming back time and time again.
Which Comes First—Marketing Or Branding?
Branding is at the core of your marketing strategy, so branding must come first. Even if you are a startup business, it is essential to clearly define who you are as a brand.
Before Distant Corner Designs begin to devise your specific marketing methods, tools, strategies, and tactics.
Your brand is what will keep your clients coming back for more, it is the foundation upon which you will build consumer loyalty.
While marketing methods will evolve, and respond to current industry and cultural trends—branding remains the same. Even if Distant Corner Designs make adjustments to your brand, they will typically be in response to your growth or expanded services offered—but is rarely an overhaul of your core principals, mission, or values.
Your branding includes attributes such as a high commitment to quality, community, convenience, communication—or an ongoing commitment to a specific need your target audience needs to be fulfilled.
Also, keep in mind that branding is something you and your team must do on a daily basis, and with every transaction processed, with every phone call received, and email responded to.
When speaking of branding vs. marketing, branding is who you are—while marketing is how you attract consumer attention.
Also, think of branding as the way you keep current clients and marketing as how you attract new clients.
The Importance Of Understanding Branding vs. Marketing
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CREATIVE // WITHOUT STRATEGY IS CALLED 'ART'
CREATIVE // WITH STRATEGY IS CALLED 'ADVERTISING'
Jef L. Richards
If the difference between marketing and branding are now clear, but you are still unsure of the importance of understanding the two—it all comes down to conversions. While you could create your marketing strategies with nothing other than keyword trends, and the most effective marketing methods within your industry—your conversions will be lower if your consumers are not connected to you as a brand.
Your branding is what generates a timeless connection. Even if your current marketing efforts are designed to engage, it is the ongoing branding that keeps customers coming back. Competition is fierce, and the fact of the matter is that there are companies who offer comparable products and services—or even the exact same products and services that you offer. It is your branding that will keep your customers returning for more. It is your branding that builds loyalty and trust. It is your branding that makes you unique.
Without branding, you may achieve success, but with branding, your success will be far more substantial. All strong structures have a solid starting point and foundation, and understanding the difference between marketing and branding will allow us at Distant Corner Designs to build your foundation of branding—and your extensions via marketing.
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Building your
Brand Strategy
Building a brand doesn’t happen overnight; it’s an ever-evolving process. But there are intentional moves you can make to get yourself on the right track. If you’re ready to revamp your brand strategy and tell your brand story more effectively -
DISTANT CORNER DESIGNS is here to create and guide your business through these steps to successful growth .
Identify your Brand Heart.
Every brand is built on a set of core principles. Distant Corner Designs will work together with you to identify your purpose, vision, mission, and values.
Complete your full brand strategy.
You need a strong foundation to build upon, and a brand strategy gives you just that by helping you identify your values, goals, and more.
(Re)align your content strategy.
Your content strategy is technically part of your brand strategy, but many brands are working with a content strategy that is disconnected from those larger goals. Distant Corner Designs will work with you in creating a cohesive brand.
Create a visual identity that reflects your brand.
Your content strategy is technically part of your brand strategy, but many brands are working with a content strategy that is disconnected from those larger goals. Distant Corner Designs will work with you in creating a cohesive brand.
Refine your brand messaging.
You need consistent messaging to tell a powerful brand story. Distant Corner Designs will ensure your tagline, value prop, and messaging pillars are aligned.
Tell stories that matter.
Customers are people with their own thoughts, interests, desires, fears, and feelings. Distant Corner Designs will focus on creating a brand experience that taps into those feelings, whether business will be helping your customers solve a problem or enhance their life.
COMMUNICATING YOUR BRAND ... to Your Audience
Finally, you get to the point where marketing comes in – you now have to decide how you want to raise awareness about your brand. The previous steps, combined with market research and analysis, will play a huge role in determining how and where you communicate your brand to reach your target audience effectively
The following will be the most important points to discuss when planning communication strategies :
Your company’s mission statement, which we can easily derive from your purpose;
The benefits your customers will get from your business (the answers to the why’s)
The platforms and the appropriate media for each
The calls to action – the goals you have,
and the plan to entice your audience?
Conclusion
Branding isn’t the same as marketing – branding is the core of your marketing strategy.
In order to build an effective brand, you need authenticity and clarity, allowing your target market to identify with your brand personality and values successfully.
One final thing to remember – and a very important point – is that branding isn’t a one-time thing that you do at the beginning of establishing your business.
It is an ongoing effort that permeates your processes, your culture, and your development as a business, and it requires your dedication and loyalty in order to reflect in your work.
At the end of the day, the true measure of your branding success is in earning loyal customers who become your brand ambassadors as well.
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Whether you’re facing an economic downturn, a bungled launch, or internal friction, there are always stresses and strains that can challenge your brand, but a brand strategy helps you navigate these difficulties much more effectively.
It can be hard to make the right choices for your brand in the long term if you’re facing challenges today. This is why so many brands overreact or make impulsive decisions when trouble comes along—often to their detriment.
At Distant Corner Designs, we know it can be tough to build a brand from scratch, especially if you don’t have much bandwidth or resources. That is why we supply a wide range of business marketing and management solutions strategically crafted for your needs.
Get in touch with us today and let us get started building your foundation towards Success
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Fitting the missing piece to your
SUCCESS
