Hustler Series: Branding

14: Branding

We’ve just about wrapped up the technical challenges required to launch a new product so the next few sections will cover more of the business side of things. And to start things off, I’d like to go over branding. Let me be clear when I say I’m far from an expert at branding. But I think I can at least help you gain a general understanding of what you need to be thinking about on the subject. This should get the wheels turning and, if you need more guidance, I strongly recommend hiring someone who does branding for a living.

So what exactly is branding? It’s the human side of a business. It’s what turns a sterile corporation into an engaging entity. And it’s crucial to success in the modern economy. Why does branding work? Because of human nature. We are social creatures and we love storytelling. Understanding these aspects of the human condition will help you understand the basis for branding.

People are social creatures. We like to engage with others. We like to express ourselves. And we like to feel like we’re a part of a community. Branding embraces this idea. Your company’s brand is basically its personality. It’s how you set yourself apart from the millions of other companies. And when a consumer feels a particular connection to your brand, they see you as more than just a company. They see your products as a means of self-expression and your logo as an emblem for their newly joined community. They form a connection with your company the way they form a connection with a friend. Understanding this idea is important to effective branding. Your company’s personality must be something that consumers can connect with.

And the way you create that connection is through storytelling. People love storytelling. We’ve been listening to stories since before we could talk and we’ve been telling stories since before we could write. In its essence, storytelling is how people communicate. And communicating your brand is no different. Every consumer-facing aspect of your company should, in some way, communicate your brand. Each font has its own personality. Each photo has its own message. And each sentence has its own tone. It’s important to understand this when putting together your website and advertisements. Try to make sure each individual element is cohesive with your broader brand identity. And make sure, together, they communicate what your brand is about.

So that’s my general theory behind branding. It’s a bit theoretical in nature but I hope by breaking down the underlying psychology you will now see how to capitalize on branding opportunities. In addition to that, here are a few more practical tips to consider.

1. Create a logo. A good logo helps you tell your story. Consumers will associate your logo with your brand identity so make sure it’s cohesive with your message.
2. Find your personality. If your brand was a person, how would it talk? How would it look? How would it act? You want all aspects of your company to reflect the answers to these questions. From the company website to the product packaging to the customer support emails, your brand personality should shine through.
3. Form a tagline. What is the essence of your brand? It’s a lot easier to stay on message once you have this written down. Let it guide your marketing decisions.
4. Be cohesive. Use the same fonts and color schemes throughout all of your content. The key to a strong brand identity is cohesion and consistency.
5. And be you. Don’t try to copy another brand identity. You’re a unique person and your brand should be too. Authenticity is everything.

For Hez Cases the brand identity revolves around my grandpa. The company is named after him and the tagline “honest, hard working cases” represents the values he helped instill in me. Namely that you can accomplish a lot through honest, hard work. So everything is an extension of this theme. The clean, minimal look of the product. The rustic look of the recycled cardboard packaging. The frank yet positive tone of the website. The charity aspect of giving back to the community. It all forms a unique brand personality that stands apart from the existing smartphone case companies. And I hope it feels authentic because it’s an extension of myself.

So there you have the basics of branding. It’s how you turn your company into something more human and how you can create a deeper connection with consumers. Above all else, remember that people are social creatures that love storytelling. If you keep that in mind you should be on your way to creating an engaging brand.