Brand
What do people say about your business when you’re not there?
The answer to that is your brand in action.
The words and mental images people – your current and potential clients – use to tell others, and themselves, about:
- How you are
- What you do – that they value about your service
- What it’s like working with you.
What they believe is remarkable, memorable, distinctive about your business.
You can either leave that to luck – or take control and influence it.
Your brand is a promise
Your brand is a promise to others about two things:
- That when they work with you they will experience something that they want and value.
- And it is what sets you apart, Stand Out – answers, “why you?”.
It is much deeper than your visual identity.
Yes, your logo, colours and fonts are important. But they're like the clothes you wear. They signal to others that you belong, fit in, and first impressions do count.
But a logo does not explain your business.
It doesn’t answer why they should buy your services, or products.
Value of a brand
The commercial value of a brand has been validated innumerable times.
A strong brand provides cut-through in the market. It:
- sets you apart from the competition
- fast-tracks the buying process. Clients will know the who / what / why of your business
- creates a perception of quality and value – higher fees for you
- increases client loyalty – more word-of-mouth referrals
- increases the value of the business if it’s sold
A well-articulated brand is also an important tool to onboard new staff.
Upgrading your visual identity
The power of a brand lies in consistent repetition. You might have a tactical campaign that plays to an element of your brand, but the song remains the same.
- If your current logo looks old, tired, dated
- If your business has moved to the next level and you need to look the part...
...then you would refresh your visual Identity and send out a positive message to the world.
New visual identity for Dr Ralph Stanford
The old logo was dated and generic. Many spinal surgeons use a spine in their logo. And the design confused some people – they thought they looked like fish bones.
The new logo: vibrant, strong, distinctive, with a subtle entwining of the S in Stanford and the curvature of a spine. More importantly, his referrers noticed and made positive remarks.
New visual identity for Oracle Group
The new logo presents a modern, fresh and dynamic business. Founded in the trust and integrity of blue, balanced by the friendly optimism of orange. It is impactful and makes Oracle stand out from the crowd of more staid insurance broking groups.
Brand Essence
For service-based businesses, how you are is your brand. That is what effects your customers and their experience of you.
That is your brand in action.
A brand essence is a distillation of what your business is about, and underpins all communication and behaviours.
- It outlines the key messages you want to say to say to your key audiences.
- Identifies how you behave, your core principles and values.
- The fundamental promise you make – that is at the heart of your brand.
Your brand essence is also a recruitment guide, performance management tool, and provides guiding principles for significant business decisions.
It makes decisions faster, easier, simpler.
A Remark-able Brand
Existing service providers were conservative, yet craft brewing has a distinctive sub-culture. We met clients in their world by developing a distinctive brand with its own character.
“[prospects] always comment on the branding at our first meeting. They feel that we get them, and it makes us memorable. Which always makes the selling that much easier.” Matt Denehy, Director, Craft Brewery Insurance
Oracle Group Brand Essence
Oracle Group Insurance Brokers are a nationwide business working with Authorised Representatives as well as Oracle Group brand brokers.
Their Brand essence document is an internal brand bible summarising their business position and its core messages.
It is shared with all ARs and staff and informs all communication & behaviours. It is used as recruitment guide, an onboarding tool for new people, a performance management tool, and as a reference point for major business decisions.
