Branding 101: Secrets To How Big Brands Made Their Names
Here’s a challenge. I want you to close your eyes and think of a brand that coincides with each of the categories given:
- Largest social media platform
- Most popular beverage brand/drink
- Largest information technology company
- Biggest sports brand
If you answered: Facebook, Coca-Cola, Apple & Nike then fair play, you’re quite a brand savvy! 😉
But why do you think these brands stand out? What could be their secret? And how could we actually confirm that they are indeed a brand that’s on top of their game?
1. Why do these brands stand out?
You’ve probably heard it a million times and you’ll hear us say it again:
“Your Brand is Your Identity.”
It may seem simple but this is one of the reasons why these brands dominate their field. They know their identity and they “own it”.
Okay, point made. But then “what makes up a brand’s identity?” you ask.
Contrary to what people think, your brand is not just your name or your logo, your business card, your website or even your product; your brand is an experience.
Let’s look at Facebook for example. Beyond its iconic blue & white “f” logo, Facebook made itself known as the prominent social media platform that “Connects People”.
Its brand was built on the core idea/belief that people can do more together than alone, that they can do more when connected. Thus, from start-up to present day operation, Facebook had no other goals than that – provide people with the “experience of being able to connect”.
A brand is a culmination of your experience and the experiences you allow your customers to have.
What made Facebook and the other brands stand out is that they stayed true to one idea/goal from ideation through daily execution, making them successfully provide their customers with a unique experience (which they’re known for) and that became their identity.
2. What could be their secret?
Okay, so we now know that those brands stand out because they know their identity and that such identity is not just their visible elements (logo, name, brand colour, font, products, etc.) but more so the unique experience they allow their customers to have.
The next pressing question is: “What could be their secret? How were they able to stay true to their brand identity?”
Again, contrary to what people think, a successful brand doesn’t only revolve around the traditional 7Ps of marketing, rather they fortify their often unspoken Fundamental 2Ps: PURPOSE & PASSION.
Your purpose is the main reason for your existence as a brand – in an entrepreneurial context, your purpose is the solution you provide to the problem you deemed to address. Once you set your purpose, your identity will be greatly defined.
You say Facebook is addictive… well, that’s because Facebook has embraced its purpose and they continue to do so. Just take a look at their current state, the website alone offers some really engaging features, those that serve their purpose and backs up their identity as a brand.
At the same time, PASSION should be present for without it, all the efforts in defining the purpose and knowing the identity will be useless.
PASSION is the one that drives you into exploring the field, being consistent on doing the effective strategies and pushing yourself to do more, grow more.
Facebook could’ve just settled on providing its users the means to connect to others by adding them as “friends” online, but they didn’t. They improved the existing features and even added more to it. Messenger for example, didn’t exist before but now, it is one of the key features of Facebook, providing people an opportunity to message, voice or video call, watch together etc.
3. How do we confirm that these brands are indeed on top of their game?
Simple, you know a brand is successful when people don’t only recognise them but also love them.
And that, my friend, is your goal!
Make people love you!
And how do you make this possible?
Another secret that you have to remember:
Don’t just talk about your values, you have to live and breathe them.
Focus on what your customer expects to experience for it will be their fundamental basis for coming back. Make their product/service experience unforgettable to the point that you are the only brand they TRUST.