What’s in a brand? (Act I)

By: Mandy Cummings, WildRock Office Administrator

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right? True for star-crossed lovers, but not so much when it comes to branding. When you’re ready to start using marketing and PR tactics to get the word out about your business, it’s imperative to have a strong brand identity in place first.

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” Yes, that may sound like a bunch of industry jargon, but the underlying message is that your brand is what helps audiences identify you and set you apart from your competitors.

At WildRock, we think of branding as one of the building blocks where you shouldn’t skimp. In order to build a cohesive marketing strategy, you first have to invest in solid brand elements that you are proud to share with potential customers. For customers to love your brand, you have to love it first.

For those of you wondering if your brand identity rocks, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Is your name distinctive and reflective of your business?
• Do you have a tagline that captures the spirit of your brand?
• Have you developed a unique and recognizable logo?
• Have you defined style guidelines like font, colors and email signatures?
• Have you created branded collateral pieces like business cards and letterhead?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, it might mean it’s time to invest in branding before launching marketing campaigns to really help your business flourish and grow. While the look and feel of who you are comes innately from within the business itself, it’s also a process that can be refined and guided by an outside set of eyes. Contact us today to learn about branding services offered by WildRock and how to differentiate your rose as more beautiful and aromatic than all the others.