We may have mentioned this before already, but a lot of business owners tend to use jargon daily since they’ve grown accustomed to their field so much. Sadly, we’re no different! Unless you’re an expert in marketing and web design, all of the terms we use may seem confusing; branding is no exception to that either.
In case you’re wondering, yes, we do offer services in branding as well as new website development and building. Today we’re going to help you out and explain each term we may use when discussing your business’s brand. After all, it’s your baby, so the greater understanding you have about it, the better you’ll be able to promote it to your customers! It’s also good to have a refresher on the terms if it’s been a while since you and your team looked at your brand. With that in mind, let’s get started.
Frequently Used Terms
These terms we usually use in conversation and in text, whether it’s during a chat about a new website to build or a new logo design.
Brand – its original meaning refers to livestock owners who marked their herds with a distinctive symbol; that way you knew which livestock belonged to whom. Nowadays, it’s become the term used by a business’s target market to figure out the differences between company A and company B, from their values to their product, even though at face value they appear very similar to each other.
Branding – this term can be used both as a noun and as a verb. As a noun, branding is the image that you present for your business to your target audience. As a verb, it’s the process of communicating that overall image to others.
Customer Service – the experience from a customer’s point of view. Every single member of your organization—that includes you—is responsible for ensuring the experience is a positive one. This is what can either make or break a company’s brand.
Identity – brand identity is the name for all of the attributes that make your business unique compared to the similar company down the road from you. Your business’s name, the logo, the tagline (more on that in a bit), products and services, business cards, and so on—all of these things and more are combined to create your brand’s identity.
Image – the image is how your brand is perceived by your target audience. How it appears is actually essential to a company’s long-term success.
Logo – no, this does not have the same meaning as the term brand—far from it.
Marketing – all of the activities that relate to creating awareness and generating interest in your company, its services, and its products. Activities can include promoting on social media, hosting a blog and sharing its articles, and even traditional activities such as handing out business cards.
Target Market – the desired types of customers you are trying to cater to. Making a ‘customer profile’ can help you and your staff better understand the ideal, potential clients your business is trying to attract.
Values – the core principles your brand is committed to providing to your customers. These also, theoretically, guide your brand’s every action when it’s fulfilling its purpose.
Tagline – a short and simple slogan that captures the brand’s essence. This is usually accompanied by the logo.
Vision – the future of your company. How it will look and operate. These dictate the goal setting and marketing efforts for your brand.
Less Frequently Used Terms
These may or may not come up in regular conversation; you’re more likely to see them in writing, however (which can also be confusing sometimes!).
Brand ambassador – this person is anyone who works for your company and interacts as a representative of it. The person can be a sales person or a customer service representative, to name a few examples.
Collateral – the name of all of the marketing materials used to promote your brand. Business cards, flyers, case studies, email signatures, and so on are all examples of collateral.
Culture – brand culture describes the setting for all businesses, each one being unique from the last.
Equity – brand equity is a description of the brand’s value to its customers. It’s derived from how they view the name of a product or service rather than the actual service or product itself.
Guidelines – brand guidelines are a short list of rules for how a company should be represented visually, textually, and
Message/Messaging – also known as brand message or brand messaging. This is the main value of your company’s services or products. The message communicates what the brand is and how it separates itself from your competitors.
Mission Statement – a more thorough explanation of your company’s major values and overall goal, usually guiding the branding process.
Personality – Any and all identifying factors about your company, specifically how it interacts with your audience, how your brand portrays your company, and any relevant beliefs it holds.
Re-brand – the process of taking a hard look at your company’s brand and making adjustments and revisions to the identity. This is an intensive process that when finished has an impact across all levels of the organization.
Hopefully now you feel a little more enlightened on the subject of branding! In addition to helping business owners out with their brands, we also help with their websites which is our specialty. If you need a new website entirely or want to refresh your brand with an entirely new site, give us a call at V3 Media. We can help!