What is actually in a brand? When we first think of the word, our thoughts are pretty much guaranteed to turn to logos. The Nike tick… The McDonald’s ‘M’… The Twitter bird… some of the most recognisable logos of all time.

Good logos often have a story behind them too – or at least they are designed to represent their owners’ intended message. Take ours, for example – the word tabono means ‘oar’, and our oars represent confidence, perseverance, determination and hard work. All of which are vital when you run a business, and all of which we want to support our clients, to achieve.

But a good logo is only the beginning when it comes to the creation of a strong brand. So what else do you need to think about?

Creating a brand identity

As one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world said:

Branding is what people say about you when you’re not on the room.

Jeff Bezos

And your brand identity is exactly that. It’s the impression your brand gives. How people feel when they engage. How you communicate and what your values are. It’s the promise that you make to your customers, right at the beginning of their relationship with you.

But it doesn’t just stop at the beginning. It’s about how that relationship develops over time. When you deliver on that promise, your brand becomes one that is synonymous with trust. It’s one that people want to promote and to champion. To recommend to others. And to return to. Again, and again, and again.

But if a brand, and it’s identify, is more than just a logo…

What else do I need to think about?

Well, all of the following should be considered when you’re developing your business brand:

  • A colour palette – and make sure you know the colour codes (eg. RGB, hex) so you can maintain consistency
  • Fonts
  • Templates – for documents, social media, advertising etc.
  • Language and tone – are you serious and formal? Or humorous and light-hearted?
  • Photographs – are you ‘formal and posed’? Or more ‘lifestyle’ oriented?
  • How does all of this link with th personal brands of those who represent the business?

These are just the beginning of your branding journey, but the decisions that you make at this stage of the development of your business are crucial. Consistency is key. As are your customers themselves – what are they actually looking for when it comes to engaging with a brand?

If you need some help with developing a brand, we definitely recommend consulting with appropriate professionals. And we are lucky to have two on our Tabono Experts team, who feed in to both our courses and our members’ group. Let us know if you would like an introduction!

And if you want to know more about what else goes into setting up a business, have a read through our Definitive Guide.