Strong brand - In the image, a man is front of a laptop with several known brands around it.

Digital Marketing

The importance of building a strong brand in the digital era

Learn how a strong brand is essential for a thriving business!

Thiago Fonseca

12/11/2019 | By Thiago Fonseca

What will we see in this post

Before you read this post, how about a test? I promise you it’ll be quick and easy! So here we go. Think about 5 brands which are the most present in your life. 

Those that are part of your daily life and that are always on your mind, or even those that you would never replace for another one. It can be from any sector, from technology to cleaning products.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock … So, did you do it? 

I bet that you were able to remember them without any real effort, right? After all, certain brands have already been so assimilated by our minds that they end up being part of our routine without us even stopping to really think about it. And this is what we’re going to talk about now. Let’s get started!

The strength of great brands

Certain brands have gained so much strength that they’ve become a segment benchmark and have even named certain types of products. 

And even if you buy from a competitor, you end up calling the product by the strongest brand’s name. 

Just to refresh your memory, I’ll give you a few examples that you’ve certainly heard of: Jet Ski for personal watercraft (pwc), Jacuzzi for hot tubs, Crock-pot for slow cooker, Band Aid for adhesive bandage, Bubble Wrap (yes, it’s a brand name!) for plastic packaging material, Zamboni for an ice resurfacer and even Chapstick for lip balm. 

In addition, Forbes Magazine annually publishes the list of the 100 most valuable brands in the world, based on a survey that takes into account, among other factors, companies’ revenue and profit. 

In 2019, the top 10 were Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Disney, Toyota and McDonald‘s. And I bet you’ve heard of all of them, haven’t you?

Can you see how a brand can be so powerful to the point that it becomes part of your daily life and you don’t even notice that it’s there? This is truly amazing. 

But you can be sure of one thing, getting to this point wasn’t easy for any of them. So keep reading to learn more about all this.

A star is born!

A brand is nothing if the product or service being offered doesn’t have sufficient quality to sustain it on the market. 

Among the examples above, we have companies that were pioneers in their industries, that launched innovative products, knew how to meet or create a demand for their audience, or even those that invested in the best strategy to promote their products.

Brand recognition depends on a series of factors that may or may not be controlled. There are those who say that some were lucky, other conquered their position by not having competitors at the time they were created.

But one thing is certain: a brand doesn’t become strong overnight. And in addition, those who think that this should be a concern for large companies only are mistaken. 

After all, investing time to develop an identity capable of making your company unique no the market is valuable for any type of business, whether digital or not. 

If you want to give more value to your business, you should start thinking about how your brand is perceived by the market and the right strategies to value it. But don’t worry; I’m going to give you a few tips below that might help you. Shall we?

Branding in the digital age

A lot is said about Branding and about its management and brand valuation actions. But for those who work with digital market, is investing in this worthwhile? Does it work as well online as it does offline?

If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, that’s a good sign! This means that you’re concerned with your digital business’ future. 

The answer is yes! Investing in your brand is crucial regardless of the market in which it operates. 

Think about it, with digital businesses gaining more strength, with expanding competition and the growing number of entrepreneurs who appear on a daily basis, is having a good product enough to stand out in this increasingly competitive market?

This is where digital branding comes in. Traditional branding actions that will strengthen your brand and make it recognized are combined with digital marketing efforts, which can help you consolidate it in the online environment.

In addition, having a tone of voice that can be understood by your customers, being present on channels in which they have greater interaction and engagement, producing quality content and having an in-depth knowledge of your audience will help you find the best path to define what your identity and your brand’s personality will be.

Would you like 5 amazing tips to make your brand memorable? Check out this post and learn how to position yourself so that your brand is always remembered by your audience.

Design and purpose: Do we really need it all?

If you think that this isn’t for you or that it’s a stretch for your business, I’d like to reassure you that it can be easier than you imagine. 

And furthermore, it’s critical for you to clearly position your brand on the market and have an increasingly closer relationship with your customers.

Design for everyone

Many people think that design is only used to make things look nicer and that it’s completely unnecessary; therein lies the danger. Design goes far beyond appearances and it can either help or hinder you if it’s not properly applied to your business or to your audience.

Design is one of the most important factors in your brand’s identity. It’s one of the first points of contact with your audience and it is based on it that your brand will take the shape it needs in order to become recognized.

Far beyond than defining colors and shapes, you need to keep in mind that your brand’s design needs to be aligned with your products’ visual identity, with the tone of voice and your position in the market. 

In this post, you’ll understand a little more about the importance of design in your digital business.

And before you panic about not being able to pay an expensive design studio to build your brand, I want to tell you that more important than the value, is the adaptation. 

Therefore, before you start spending your money haphazardly, it is essential that you know who your audience is and how it should perceive your brand.

If this still isn’t well defined in your mind, read this post. It will help you understand the subject better and it has simple tips that you can put into practice and define your business’ target-audience.

A purpose is worth more than a thousand words

Building a brand requires certain important attention so that it can become relevant and understood in the marketplace.

The definition of a purpose is what will guide your positioning and highlight your unique features among so many competitors.

It may sound easy, but it’s not always easy to define the real purpose of a company. Therefore, it’s important to devote some time to find the concept that better defines this purpose. Keep in mind that it’s the basis of everything. An incorrect purpose might position your brand in the market in the wrong way.

What does you brand do for its audience? How can it help them solve their pain? Why should consumers choose your brand and not your competitor’s? 

Can you really deliver what you promise as being unique? It’s based on these questions that you’ll find the best path to define your brand’s purpose.

Would you like to know why your business won’t evolve without a well-defined purpose? Well, read this post to learn more about the subject and the best ways of defining your brand’s purpose.

So get to work: it’s up to you now

It’s time to get to work and start developing your visual identity. Remember that you can count on the help of freelancers to create this brand. The important thing is to convey a professional aspect that is suitable for your audience.

Oh, and above all, don’t forget to establish your purpose and the concept you with to convey. They will help you with your positioning and how your audience should perceive your brand in the market.

In addition, search the web to find references from other companies. This can be in the same segment as yours or others also. This will help you understand what to do and what not to do.

So, did you enjoy the article?

See you next time :)