Branding: how are you telling the story of your business?
Have you heard the expression, “your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”? It was coined by the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, who probably knows a thing or two about effective branding.
On the surface, your brand may seem like logos, fonts and colours, but in reality, it’s so much more. It’s the identity of your business – made of ideas, memories and relationships, that come together to tell your story. Your brand is your business reputation. If you don’t tell the market your story, then they’ll define it for you.
Like storytelling, the art of branding uses voice and vision to creatively evoke emotion. Your brand is a chance to tell a compelling story, not just of what your business does, but how it can enhance the lives of your consumers.
Furthermore, having a unique brand is vital to business growth. Your brand doesn’t just represent who you are, but it is also a perception of your goals and who you want to be. Everything your brand does should work towards that perception.
When it comes to consumers, we are in an era of technology, visibility and social connectivity, where individuals have the power to voice what they believe in. They want to be part of communities whose values align with their own, including the brands from which they purchase. Today’s consumers seek purpose-driven brands that are motivated by a core mission and are actually 4-6x more likely to purchase from them. Your brand is ultimately the reason a consumer chooses one product or service over another, so make sure you’re giving them a good reason.
Part of creating an effective brand is creating one that is timeless. Certainly, as times change, so can your look and feel, but by identifying strong core guiding principles, the heart of your brand can stand the test of time and remain recognizable even through its evolution. Your brand can serve as protection against external business factors you can’t control. Consider the impact of COVID-19 on brands worldwide. Brands that stood out were those that clearly communicate who they are, what they believe and how they can continue to provide value.
Our approach to branding does just this – we tell the story of brands to create something that is memorable, impactful and resilient; as portrayed through our rebrand of GulfCare, a regional health insurance brand formed as a result of a partnership between two leading companies within the insurance industry: Qatar Insurance Company and Mercer Marsh Benefits.
One key factor always to be considered when it comes to branding is how can you resonate with your target audience? For GulfCare, the goal was to design an identity that reflected a delicate balance between professionalism and approachability. Our design approach was clean and contemporary, amplified by regional accents to truly push the boundaries of creativity, especially in such a corporate industry, while still highlighting the brand’s USP’s: regional expertise, customer-centricity, and innovation.
