What is Branding?
Here at Robazzo, we question the meaning of branding quite a lot. What is branding? Is it a logo, website and tagline? The short answer is no, but the long answer is partially, and that’s what we will be discussing in more detail.
So, what is a brand and how does this affect branding?
The difference between the two is simpler than you might think.
A brand is the total vision and mission of the company and its products. The brand represents how the company engages and emotionally connects to its customers. Typically a company will develop a brand strategy which informs everything that comes next.
Branding, on the other hand, is the method and execution of the brand. Branding creates elements which are then used to reinforce the vision and mission of the brand. The act of branding focuses on the customer touchpoints, that being the moments that a company engages or comes in contact with an existing or potential customer.
What are my touchpoints?
Traditionally, the main touchpoints of a business are your logo, your website, your print material, and your marketing efforts. These touchpoints are critical, as many times they are the first point of contact with your customer, but there are so many more touchpoints which differ from industry to industry.
To understand what touchpoints are important to your business, we need to list out step by step how you engage your customers and identify and rank them in terms of importance.
for example,
a private wellness clinic:
Digital Interaction
Google search
Marketing Material
Logo and photos of the space on my google business
Website experience
Social Media and Retargeting
Physical Interaction
Street presence and signage
Entry
Lobby
First interaction with staff
Waiting room
Print literature
Second interaction with staff guiding customer to treatment room
Hallway to treatment room
Treatment room
Practitioner interaction
As you can see, there are many touchpoints that have the opportunity to reinforce a brand in this scenario. By not focusing on this whole experience, you can easily create a disconnect between the brand’s intentions and the overall experience of the customer. Let's say you focus heavily on your graphic brand assets to be sleek, modern and high-tech, but then customers are greeted by a bland, sterile and overly clinical environment. These two opposing experiences create confusion, or cognitive dissonance, of what the brand represents.
At Robazzo, we take a different approach than other creative agencies; we focus on a holistic approach to understanding branding. We look at all the ways in which a customer comes in contact with your company to provide a cohesive & well-rounded brand experience. This comes in many forms, from traditional assets, like logos and websites, to physical objects and space design, but the goal is the same: to create a seamless experience for your customers. After all, great design drives great results.