Askanny

One Sunday afternoon, I turned on the TV and switched the channel to Nickelodeon. Dora the Explorer was about to start. My three-year-old daughter saw the logo and said, “Dora! Dora! Dora the Explorer!” She was jubilant. My perplexed brother-in-law asked if she can read. We said not yet. My daughter recognized Dora’s logo and colors and associated them with the cartoon.

To my daughter, branding is inconsequential. But to people who understand branding and brand identity, it is a business’ best weapon. It is their asset. The creative team behind Dora’s branding did their job really well. They’ve created a lasting impression, even to non-readers.

A memorable brand and identity takes time, money, and effort to create. Don’t feel helpless if your company’s brand doesn’t have the same lasting impression as Starbucks or McDonald’s.

Keep in mind these companies started out as small businesses, just like you. Or in Dora’s case, reached a small audience. All hope is not lost. If you’re thinking of developing your brand and brand identity, you need to start out by being creative and thinking outside the box.  Your brand needs to stick in your audience’s mind, like how my daughter remembers Dora the Explorer.

The brand you’ll be creating will be the center of all your advertising efforts, traditional and digital campaign. You need to consider these elements: recognition, trust, and indelibility:

1. Recognition - Your logo creates your business’ first impression. You need to be careful when designing your logo, because it will be the first image your potential customers will see. In terms of brand visibility, your logo will be on your business cards, social media profile picture, and website. Be sure your logo will leave a lasting impression.
2. Trust - The voice and personality, e.g. your mission statement, persona, and written content, will create a trusting element for old and potential customers. Make sure your brand image is in-line with your site’s contents and are professionally written, yet personable enough to create a bond with site visitors.
3. Indelibility - In designing brand identity think of stamping your identity in your customers’ minds. With the right logo and ethos, you’ll cultivate loyal customers.

Discipline and consistency are key elements in developing brand identity. An experienced digital marketing manager, such as AskAnny.com, will create and promote your brand identity. Your SEO Strategist will come up with a detailed plan of designing your logo, website, and flyers. They’ll also spearhead your advertising campaigns, social media engagement and work on your reputation management so you can maintain a positive ranking in search engine results.