What is brand development, and why does it matter?
Brand Development is a creative and strategy-focused process that involves distinguishing your business’s image, products, and services from those of your competitors. It aligns your brand with objectives or pillars, effectively communicating your brand to your target market, and creates a positive reputation that will finalise sales.
The process is ongoing, for example, ‘How long is a piece of string?’. A brand development process serves as the foundation for a business’s go-to-market approach and long-term strategy. It can include defining brand goals, purpose, audience personas, competitive positioning and brand character.
A well-developed brand is a powerful asset in today’s growing online world. It helps businesses stand out and builds trust and loyalty with customers. If done correctly, brand development plans for your business can help you cement your company in the market and make you the go-to choice.
Brand development is about creating lasting impressions. A brand design can only take you so far, so a great pairing of your logo and brand strategy goes hand in hand.
Brand development is different from brand design, I will explain what this means, how it helps your business, and the return you can see from capitalising on a key part of being a successful business.
Why is Brand Development Important?
Brand development is a forgotten process for businesses aiming to establish a strong market presence and to build their customer base, successfully implementing a strategy can directly impact a company’s success. As experts in the field, it is always clear who has a plan and who hasn’t. But why is it essential for you?
1. An extra set of hands to build trust and loyalty
As any good business owner knows, trust is a fundamental cog that influences consumer purchasing decisions. A recent study found that 81% of users need to trust a brand to consider buying from it1. Additionally, 46% of customers are willing to pay more for a brand they trust. You can’t be showing off your personality everywhere at once, so a consistent and strong brand does the work for you. Authentic brands build trust, increasing customer loyalty, repeat business and ultimately more sales.
2. Stand out in a competitive market
Saturated markets are becoming all too common in an expansive online world, so distinguishing your brand is essential. Effective brand development creates a unique brand identity that resonates with your target audience. 50% of customers are more likely to purchase from brands they recognise1, so all the social media, ads, and website changes that you think make no ROI (return on investment)… really do.
3. Enhancing your business performance
Strong branding directly impacts business growth. Research shows that 60% of companies reported that consistency in branding assets and platforms added 10-20% more growth to their company1. This consistency allows your customers to have a clear understanding of your brand values and positioning, reinforcing their decision to choose you over someone else in your field.
4. Influence purchasing decisions
Brand perception directly impacts consumer behaviour. Studies show that 82% of users purchase based on brand trust1. A concrete brand communicates value and reliability, which can be key factors in achieving any business’s ultimate goal: sales.
5. Supporting your marketing efforts
A cohesive brand strategy enhances the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. In the modern world, seeing ROI for marketing becomes the only metric for the untrained professional, so consistent branding unifies various channels and works toward the same objective, making it easier to track.
Investing in brand development is not just about creating a logo or a catchy tagline; it is about making that design mean something, what it represents for you and your business. While anyone can create a basic logo on AI platforms nowadays, it is the comprehensive business strategy that influences perceptions, drives loyalty, and ultimately contributes to sustained business success. The 3 C’s of brand development are a great test to find out where your business is on the brand development road.
What does Brand Development Include?
Brand development contains several key components that collectively build a company’s identity and influence in its market sector. Understanding each element is essential for crafting a cohesive and effective brand strategy that brings success.
1. Brand Identity
A brand’s identity is its visual mark, including a logo, colour scheme, and typography. These visual elements are the key pillars in a customer’s recognition of you, regardless of the platform or digital space. If done correctly, your customers will recognise you from a glance at your social media post, for example. Consistent branding across all platforms has increased revenue by 23%2. This alone highlights the importance of aligning your identity with your business message and values.
2. Brand Positioning
Another element of brand development is brand positioning, which defines how a business will differentiate itself in the market and how much space it will take in customers’ minds when they think of using the company’s sector. Companies that achieve strong positioning often experience a significant increase in their market share, sometimes tripling it compared to their respective competitors2.
3. Understanding Your Target Audience
Identifying who will be buying is vital to any successful business. Understanding who your brand will reach allows for tailored messages and offerings that will breed success because no guessing is involved. Tailoring to your audience can increase marketing effectiveness by up to 60%2.
4. Brand Values and Your Mission
Outlining core principles on your website and brand positioning your business ensures purposeful company actions and communication. 77% of consumers buy from brands that share the same values as they do2, so showcasing these to your customers can be the last push for that sale.
5. Brand Messaging
Creating a consistent tone of voice across your business ensures the brand’s message resonates with the audience. If done correctly, it can build trust, which 81% of customers say they need before using a company’s services or buying their products3.
Focusing on these five key areas in brand development allows you to develop a robust brand that stands out in the market and builds lasting relationships with customers that can grow your business.
Why Brand Development is the Foundation of Success
Investing time and resources into brand development is one of the most strategic decisions a business can make. A well-crafted brand identity is more than just a logo or a catchy slogan; it is a complex spiderweb of an identity built up over time that tells your story, connects with your audience and sets you apart from your competitors.
Brand development is not just about standing out in a saturated market. It’s about connecting with your target audience and establishing your brand to resonate with their values and needs. From building a consistent visual identity to defining a unique position in the industry, every step in the brand development process shapes how your business is engaged with.
If you are ready to take the next step towards defining your place in the market and growing your brand, now is the time to act. Whether you are launching a new business or refining an existing one, investing in this process will yield one of the best ROIs you will have.
Stay tuned for more insights and strategies in our upcoming blogs, where we will explore every part of making a brand successful.
Ready to transform your brand? Explore our portfolio to see how we’ve helped businesses like yours succeed, or if you are prepared to start your brand development journey, contact us today.
