What Is Branding & Why It Matters For Singapore Businesses?

What is branding?

Branding is the process of combining features such as a logo, design, mission statement, and a consistent theme throughout all marketing communications to create a strong, favourable perception of a company, its products, or services in the minds of customers. Effective branding allows businesses to stand out from the competition and cultivate a loyal consumer base. 

Want to understand what branding entails? Read on to gain some insights and tips to good branding.

In a Zendesk survey, 87% of consumers said consistent branding across all online and traditional platforms was important.

What exactly does this mean? Customers want a brand’s tone of voice to be consistent across all platforms, both online and offline, such as social media, website, products, and even your emails! Customers will appreciate your omnichannel presence if you maintain consistent branding.

Online branding and in-store branding can be different. When walking into a store, oftentimes, we can immediately pick up the different branding and tone the store emits, for example, the difference when walking into a Cotton On store vs a Zara store. This is possible due to branding. In-store branding includes the way the products are displayed, the decorations used, the interior design, promotional design, and the choice of music played in the store. It is more user-experience oriented; how a customer interacts with the store has a significant impact on how the store’s branding is communicated.

Online branding, on the other hand, is more of a two-dimensional experience. Good online branding should be able to translate the same experience. Both types of branding, however, rely on consistency in visual elements such as the logo and imagery.

(Cotton On image source Capitaland Mall)

(Zara image source ShopsInSG)

Why Is Branding Important?

Branding is a complicated process that involves meticulous planning and a calculated approach. To avoid working backwards when aligning your brand with customer expectations, you should have your branding strategy implemented before you launch your brand. A successful brand is easy to relate to and draws on qualities that the target audience finds appealing. A strong brand can also act as a safety blanket for firms, preventing them from having to compete on price.

You have the potential to shape your customers’ expectations and create a unique bond that extends beyond the buying-selling relationship by carefully establishing your brand through stories, relationships, marketing messages, and visual assets.

We prioritize branding at Plexxie since it encompasses so much of what we do. Before we can discuss various marketing methods for a brand, we must first comprehend the brand, its identity, and its voice. To stay true with the brand’s objective, we use the brand identity and voice in our visual designs on social media and copywriting on a daily basis. D’Addario & Company, one of our clients, is a good example of this. Despite developing new material on a daily basis, their branding never deviates from their voice and mission.

(D’Addario Instagram Feed image source D’Addario and Co Asia)

Why is Branding Relevant In Singapore?

A distinct brand can have a significant impact by providing you with a competitive advantage over your competitors and assisting you in acquiring and retaining customers at a cheaper cost. In the world of Social Media Marketing, where new agencies (and thus new competitors) pop up on a daily basis, having a strong brand is vital for a company, as it can be an invaluable asset that can garner new customers and generate profit.

Standing out and being known by the world can be a challenge due to our smaller range and diverse target audience.

So how do we start? Here are some key steps to good branding:

• Know who you’re trying to reach. To communicate effectively, you must first identify and leverage the components that affect your target audience. What do they enjoy doing? What entices and motivates them? What aspects of your brand do they find appealing?
• Create a brand persona. A brand persona is your company’s personality through which you will deliver customer experiences. The information you obtain about your target audience will have a big impact on it. What tone of voice will be most appropriate for this audience? Which kind of words will have the most impact? What photos will pique their interest?
• Make your brand promise very clear. What is the most important promise to your customers? What will your products/services do to improve their lives? How are you going to keep your word? 66% of consumers think transparency is one of a brand’s most attractive qualities.
• Perfect your visual identity: name, tone of voice, visual identity design (which includes the logo design, color palette, typography). A brand’s visual assets are all the front facing elements. It’s a powerful branding tool that reaches its peak when all the different moving parts are consistent and work harmoniously. Research shows that having a memorable signature color will increase the chance of customers recognizing your brand by 80%.

In Conclusion…

Your company has a brand regardless of whether you put time and effort into creating a significant branding or ignore it completely. However, how a customer perceives your brand is entirely up to you. 

Good branding is strategic, while marketing is tactical. When you establish the higher objectives and clearly define your brand promise, you can start crafting a marketing plan that’s geared towards achieving those goals.