How many times have you seen a brand and thought that “oh I think I can rebrand this in a better way”, “hm I wonder what’s their branding process or branding strategy?”or what was the brief that this Singapore branding agency got? For outsiders looking in or brands that are looking to revamp or rebrand themselves, a lot of thought has to go into the branding process and deciding the brand strategy. When talking about your brand strategy – how you want to be perceived by your fans or consumers – will determine/guide how you plan to share your brand story. This is part of the branding process which consists of market research, deciding your strategy, coming up with your brand story, designing consumer touchpoints and finally, launching and tracking.
If you’re looking for a branding agency in Singapore to help you with your rebranding, drop us a message for our insights and maybe fill you in on an Enterprise Development Branding Grant and your FAQs as well.
So what is branding?
What is branding? According to Hubspot, it is “the process of researching, developing, and applying a distinctive feature or set of features to your organisation, so that consumers can begin to associate your brand with your products or services”.
Branding is the process that help sets your products apart from others and for a general overview, is done by creating a vision, mission and brand story.
What is the branding process?
The branding process consists of 4 to 5 steps depending on what you know:
- Market research
- Developing a brand strategy
- Developing your brand identity
- Developing a style or brand guide
- Executing brand campaigns
This branding process gives both the client and branding agency the power to craft the brand story to suit the target audience and vision. As such, this branding process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to get it right. Chances are, you don’t want to have finished prototyping or have your style guide done halfway to realise you forgot to seek the opinion of a key stakeholder. Make sure due time and attention are given to the entire process.
How to get the branding process started
Getting the branding process started starts with market research. Understanding the current market forces, the current positioning of your products, how your products compare to competitors, the psyche of your target audience and industry forecasts are just some of the factors when it comes to understanding where the brand is it. More often than not, professional market analysis companies are engaged to conduct a thorough scan.
If you do not intend to pay that kind of money, creative agencies are also equipped to handle such requests but on a smaller scale. Do set expectations before to ensure that relevant information is shared
What is brand strategy?
Next on the list is brand strategy. Brand strategy as mentioned above is a how you want to be perceived by your fans or consumers. There are also triggering factors that may require you to rethink your brand strategy.
Why is a brand strategy needed then? It is needed to:
- Sets apart your brand from competitors
- Helps to integrate your vision and mission into your digital marketing strategy to present a cohesive plan
- Presents a united front to investors as a brand that has their affairs in order and able to lead its employees with a clear vision.
- Attract talent and/or consumers through a powerful brand/message.
If you still need further convincing, here’s an article about the importance of brand strategy, especially for startups. Having a good brand strategy will set the right tone that will positively affect everything else.
How to implement brand strategy
How do you then implement the brand strategy throughout the branding process? The brand strategy starts after you finish market research. Crafting a brand strategy it is essentially building a strong foundation that will guide your brand story and identity. Take a look at Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy, one of the most well-known soft drinks in the world. Or even Nike’s high-performance marketing as the most known sportswear company.
Implementing a brand strategy generally covers and guides the entire branding process. At the end of the day, having a sound and sensitive strategy will avoid any faux pas and help you avoid ending up on the front page of the local newspapers or getting flamed online.
Drop us a message to see how a branding agency can value add to your brand. Whether is a branding design or making use of a branding grant, the only way to find out is to ask.
