So, when marketing companies say, “We want to help you define your brand,” what are we really talking about?

Establishing a well-defined brand strategy will provide a valuable roadmap to guide your sales and marketing efforts, and will ultimately help you take command of your brand.

Everbrave has pulled back the curtain to give you a look at some of the key processes we follow and the types of questions we ask when putting together a comprehensive brand strategy for our clients. It is available for free, in a new e-book entitled: Managing Your Brand – A Best Practices Guide. It is the first book in The Brand Survival Series.

Below are 5 Insights every brand needs to know:

 Insight #1: A brand goes far beyond your company name, logo and colour scheme.

 It extends to how you are perceived in the minds of your customers and potential customers. What impressions do people have of your company? How are you seen in the marketplace? What do you (and your products) stand for? What do people think of you?

Insight #2: Your brand is defined at every single touchpoint you have with clients and prospects.

 Any time a client sees your logo, scans your marketing materials, or engages with your company – your brand is making an impression (good or bad). That is why it is important to be aware of all touchpoints you have with the public and to make sure you are consistently managing your brand at every point of contact. (Business cards, uniforms and social media are just three of the common touchpoints outlined in the guide).

Insight #3: Developing a well-defined Brand Vision is a crucial step in the shaping of your brand the message.

A Brand Vision sums up the impression you would like your audience to take away. Essentially, it describes how you wish your company to be perceived by the public. The Managing Your Brand booklet includes an exercise to help you develop a basic Brand Vision… so you can start taking control of your brand message.

Insight #4: You cannot be all things to all people.

What words best represent your company and define your brand personality? Part of the branding exercise involves choosing no more than four or five words that reflect how you want to be seen in the marketplace. Twenty-one common brand-attributes have provided in this guide.

Insight #5: To prevent others from “messing with your brand”, it is recommended that you develop a Graphic Standards (or Brand Standards) Guide.

You would be amazed how often we see logos inappropriately altered – which ultimately reflects poorly on the brand. The solution? Create a Graphic Standards Guide outlining proper and improper logo, colour and font use.

Spoiler alert: it’s vital to share such a document with everyone in your company (and outside sources) who are responsible for reproducing your logo. Inside the Managing Your Brand booklet are examples of the key areas typically covered in a Graphic Standard Manual.

Establishing a well-defined brand strategy will provide a valuable roadmap to guide your sales and marketing efforts, and will ultimately help you take command of your brand.