A strong brand helps a company stands out from the crowd; consumers love brands that have a strong identity, trust the quality of the companies’ products, and believe in their superiority. How a brand is perceived plays a vital role in its ability to achieve success, regardless whether it’s a large corporation, start-up, or non-profit organization.

To develop a brand, use the following five branding best practices:

1. Use a consistent vocabulary in your marketing content

   Using a set of keywords consistently across your social media, marking, and website content helps form your brand voice and positioning. For example, Audi uses terms such as ultra light and premium consistently in its marketing content to position itself as a luxurious vehicle company that carries lightweight, speedy, and eco-friendly vehicles.

   An example of Audi’s marketing content:

    
   (Source: Audi USA) 

2. Use a consistent font type

   Brands such as Mercedes Benz and Audi use a specific type in their marketing collaterals such as brochures and website content. This contributes to the look of their brand and helps differentiate from competitors.

   Here’s an example of the font type Mercedes Benz uses:

    
   (Source: Mercedes Benz Canada)

   Here’s an example of the font type Audi uses:

    
   (Source: Audi USA)

   Over time, consumers subconsciously recognize the fonts brands use.

3. Present your unique selling proposition, values, or purpose on your homepage

   Moving Brands - a global creative agency that works with top-tier organizations such as Sony, Google, HP, and Netflix, was challenged by Fast Company to design a hypothetical mockup of Hillary Clinton's campaign website. Here's their creation:
    

    

   (Source: Fast Company)
   
   The website presents Hillary’s mission statement clearly on the homepage; she wants to create a society where everyone is treated equal.
   
   This clear presentation of Hillary’s mission (assuming the website were real) positions Hillary as an advocate of equality. It articulates her core values and beliefs to prospective and current supporters, which will help her attract followers who share her values and capture votes!
    

4. Use contrast to emphasize your mission or unique selling proposition

   In the mockup website above, Moving Brands has used a contrasting background color for the world “equal”. This contrast helps emphasize Hillary’s core values by drawing visitors’ attention to the word. This is a simple technique graphic designers use as an effective branding tactic.
   
   

5. Repeat your slogan on your marketing collateral

   Brands such as Nike and KFC include their slogans (Just Do It and It’s Finger Lickin’ Good) in their advertising banners and commercials.

   Examples of Nike ads:

   

   
   
   Examples of KFC’s and web content:

   
    
   
   
   This repetition of the slogan helps brands such as Nike and KFC form the identities they want: a restaurant that offers delicious fried chicken and a sports gear company that advocates courage, strengthen, and motivation.
    
   The core of any company is its brand. The brand represents the company’s core mission, values, and culture. Developing an ideal brand helps businesses attract the right audience and stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. 
   
   By using the five branding best practices above, you can showcase your key believes and values through the repetition of your slogan, presentation of your mission, and consistent use of a specific font type and vocabulary.

Smartt offers branding services: brand strategy roadmap and brand identity creation. 

The Brand Strategy Roadmap differentiates your brand, aligns your stakeholders, and makes your company more valuable to customers, employers, and investors.

The Brand Identity Creation service gives you well-coordinated marketing collaterals such as  logos, brochures, letterheads, product packaging, and sales presentations that build trust across multiple mediums.

If you have any questions about branding in general or our branding services, please do not hesitate to contact us!