5 Tips for Building a Strong Visual Brand

Countless strategies have been developed for the sole purpose of developing a strong visual brand. The secret behind gaining a strong visual presence is to toss old strategies to the side, and create your own branding path. Everything that every other company utilizes to build their brand has already been tried. In today’s fast paced world, in order to stand out, you must be willing to take chances.

In the past, prior to any branding campaign, risk assessment was practiced. The actual act of comparing demographic data with common social trends, in an effort to determine the percentage of success, which a specific branding campaign would have. The point of risk assessment was to naturally determine success rates, however it also provided the ability to prevent damaging a company brand. It allowed companies to establish their brand, while playing it safe.

Today, consumers are no longer falling for ‘safe distance’ branding. They demand companies on the cutting edge. To gain a following, you need to cater to the wants and desires of modern consumers. To build a strong visual brand, amongst the demands of todays consumers, you must be willing to throw caution to the wind and take a leap of faith.

Tossing branding strategies to the side, and implementing these five branding tips, will help to ensure, that your company has what it takes to stand strong amongst modern day consumers.

1 – Center Your Company around Innovation

Emphasis is consistently placed on incorporating innovation into a branding strategy. However all the innovation in the world won’t matter if it doesn’t spill into the core of your company. To ensure that your company is innovative, you must always be evaluating what you can do to make change, improve the latest product and provide a true solution to whatever the public needs.

In order to achieve this, you’ll need a set of innovative teams working within your individual company departments. This should span from marketing to invention, to manufacturing and beyond. By keeping innovation within the core of your company, you’ll have a solid company that will develop a strong brand through reputation.

2 – Brainstorm Ways to Reinvent Your Company

The companies with a solid brand, that seem to always stay on top, consistently evaluate how they’re doing. If a problem is discovered, or it appears that they have stalled, they hit the drawing boards. By having brainstorming sessions, they can bounce back.

Whether you have seen a slight decrease in your consumer following, or your company is a year or two out from an initial startup phase, using brainstorming sessions to reinvent yourself can do wonders in keeping your company and brand strong. If consumers are able to consistently see your dedication to changing, so that you can be on top, they will become loyal to your company. In fact, they’ll connect your logo with a solid company that evolves with passing trends, so as to give consumers what they need.

3 – Provide a value to the Consumer

Marketing and branding is often determined through consideration of what consumers want. It’s configured through getting to know your customers. However to strengthen your company, you need to do more than get to know your consumers; you need to educate them.

If you really know your target audience, then you also know what they want and need. This will allow you to teach them how you can provide a solution. It also allows you to show your expertise by giving them more than just a solution. You should be able to give them a clear understanding of any product that you have.

If you sell dog products, you should be able to provide a high degree of information about all canines. You can use your website, along with other websites to generate content, detailing specific breed diet needs, common health problems and training tips that are breed specific. This type of education to consumers can be implemented across all industries.

4 – Be Bold

In order to build a strong visual brand, you need to take chances. Your decisions must be bold, and you absolutely must follow through with the decisions that you make. Bold branding requires that you step away from common trends. You must learn to embrace new courage. Consider the branding strategies that are currently being performed, and alter them to something unique and unchartered. This type of bold branding will show consumers that you are an industry leader and that you have the strength and confidence to stand alone.

5 – Practice Synergy

An aspect that can ruin any branding strategy is a lack of synergy. In order to build a strong visual brand, you need to follow simple rules of synergy, By combining all branding elements, you’ll have a synergy that will make your branding whole. Business cards, ad campaigns and even the company letterhead needs to follow the same style. Additionally, your path of contact must be the same through all material. Practicing synergy will provide consumers with trust that your business will always be approachable.

Use Branding Tips that are Deeper than Tired Strategies

Common branding strategies lack the effectiveness that they once had. Today’s consumers require more than just gimmicks. If you want to be acknowledged and recognised as a trusted force, you need to use deep branding tips that expand beyond a simple commercial element.

Solid branding connects all aspects of your company; business practices, innovation, and advertising. Through relying more on your company and less on what new tactic can be used, you’ll build a company brand that relays trust.

When considering top industry companies, Nike, Apple, Canon and Kellogg’s, you’ll discover one identifiable characteristic that they all have in common. That is, that each of these companies rely in their company to gain consumer trust. These companies are consistently improving their products through innovative thought. They provide a value within their niche from health tips, to computer tutorials. Additionally, they each follow synergy rules, ensuring that customers are able to understand them at all times.

This post by Stuart Crawford was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.