This seems like an easy question but the more people I meet, the more I get the answer, "Oh they just change the look."
ughhhhhh.......
Let's start with a definition:
Branding is the process of developing the corporate image of an organization. It is a market strategy of giving a name, symbol, and design elements that represent the values of the company. The idea behind branding is to create a different identity from its competitors, in the market. The purpose of branding is knowing and consistently creating from an identity, so that executive leadership, sales, marketing, product, support, operations, and corporate culture all align.
A brand is the reputation built that ultimately decides why a consumer will buy. Branding is important because it increases the potential for future business by building a reliable reputation along with a standard for service, experience, and providing leverage for investment opportunities. Branding generates new customers, increases business value, improves employee pride and satisfaction, earns recognition, and creates trust within the marketplace.
Wow! That was long ... oops.
But it does cover the extent of it.
A BRAND IS NOT A LOGO!
Branding is also much more in-depth than a logo. It's staggering how many times I have had to redirect a conversation about branding away from the logo. It's not enough to slap some icon on the face of a company and say "we have a brand". A brand is a promise fueled by goals, understanding your market, and creating a company culture that believes and follows the brand.
In my developed step-by-step process of proper branding, we don't see design of any kind until Stage 2. Before you begin designing, there's a lot of Initial Planning that goes on to help a company understand their current audience and the audience they are trying to gain. This usually takes a lot more time than people expect because you need to gather a lot on analytics to get the full picture of where you stand in the market. If you are a new company starting then, "first impressions" have never been more important. Regardless if you're selling a product or a service, you're still selling! And you need to convince people to buy into you!
Think B.R.A.N.D.
I mean ... that's what I do.
Business: The priority of any company is communicate. Whether it's about their policies, service, products, or community.
Reputation: The whole point of branding is to build a positive reputation. Reputation sells.
Aesthetics: Sophisticated, appealing, and consistent collateral promotes professionalism and sells an identity.
Niche: Differentiation is key for branding success. Find the niche for your company and focus on it.
Discipline: It is the responsibility of each individual and leader of the company to implement and enforce the branding guidelines.