{"id":557,"date":"2022-11-14T16:03:02","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T21:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/?p=557"},"modified":"2022-12-22T10:17:27","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T15:17:27","slug":"what-does-a-brand-actually-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/what-does-a-brand-actually-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a \u201cBrand\u201d Actually Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Branding. Rebranding. Even brand refreshes and brand equity. These words are thrown around <em>a lot<\/em> in the marketing industry. At Wallace360, we say we <em>make<\/em> brands. But what does \u201cbrand\u201d actually mean? And how does one go about refreshing one, let alone <em>making<\/em> one?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The important thing to remember is that a brand is a holistic summing up of who you are and what you\u2019re all about:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How you <\/strong><strong>look<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>\u2013 your logo, color pallet, typography and graphics\/illustrative elements that together make up what your business or organization looks like&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How you <\/strong><strong>sound<\/strong> \u2013 your brand narrative, messaging, and even the tone you use to communicate whether it\u2019s on your corporate website, emails or product descriptions&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What you <\/strong><strong>do<\/strong><strong> or make<\/strong> \u2013 the product or service you offer and what that\u2019s like<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How<\/strong><strong> you do it<\/strong> \u2013 the customer service and user experience you offer whether it be an e-commerce operation or a restaurant, as well as your human resources practices and how you operate internally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Why<\/strong><strong> you do it<\/strong> \u2013 the values you abide by, your vision for the future and the underlying purpose behind what you do&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A brand is far more than just a logo. And re-branding is more than just a logo update and a new look and feel on your creative. It\u2019s exploring what you are on the inside and reflecting that outwardly. A brand is the sum of all parts, how they work together and what that communicates. And all those parts must be considered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s in a Name?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Miriam-Websters defines \u201cbrand\u201d as \u201ca class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or manufacturer,\u201d \u201ca characteristic or distinctive kind\u201d and even \u201ca public image, reputation, or identity conceived of as something to be marketed or promoted.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"741\" src=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kristian-egelund-wwqRpSNBPq4-unsplash-1024x741.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kristian-egelund-wwqRpSNBPq4-unsplash-1024x741.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kristian-egelund-wwqRpSNBPq4-unsplash-600x434.jpg 600w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kristian-egelund-wwqRpSNBPq4-unsplash-768x555.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kristian-egelund-wwqRpSNBPq4-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s not to mention the other kind of brand: \u201ca mark made by burning with a hot iron.\u201d In the old days, cattle were branded literally for the purpose of identifying who they belonged to should they wander away from their herd. Brands of today \u2013 Nike, Apple, Hershey or even local brands like Bread Craft, Crystal Spring Grocery, Walkabout Outfitters \u2013 aren\u2019t all that different. They all use a mark, or a logo, to identify themselves and their products. But beyond just a means of identification, their branding helps convey what the organization or business is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hidden Storytelling&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you see a bottle of hand soap from Walmart\u2019s generic brand Equate you might think \u201cvalue.\u201d Earbuds from Apple in their sleek white case might signify \u201ctop-notch tech.\u201d And a Subaru Forester might make you think \u201csafety.\u201d There is a lot of meaning packed into brands. And not all of it comes from a logo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What creates this? Well, everything. Take Chick-fil-A for instance. The quick-service restaurant that used to be relegated to mall food courts is now one of the most popular nationwide. Why? It not only built a better chicken sandwich, but a better brand that resonates with those it serves. It\u2019s doing something unique with its core product, but also in how it does things and in what it stands for. It\u2019s closed on Sundays. It runs its drive-thru operation with insane efficiency. Its mascot is not a chicken, but renegade cows. It has mastered customer service and become synonymous with \u201cmy pleasure.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/brad-PpGsqDOaNdI-unsplash-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/brad-PpGsqDOaNdI-unsplash-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/brad-PpGsqDOaNdI-unsplash-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/brad-PpGsqDOaNdI-unsplash-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/brad-PpGsqDOaNdI-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It does what it does with consistency, despite operating under a franchise model, because it\u2019s held together by a strong brand that\u2019s aligned with its values, mission and vision, all backed by its founders, its leaders and its employees. Everyone is onboard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Business of Branding \u2013 Looking Inward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When building or refreshing a brand, the best place to start is from the inside out. Or in the case of the list of identity considerations above, from the bottom up. <strong>The most successful outward displays of branding are always the ones that most consistently and authentically reflect the business or organization at its core.<\/strong> That\u2019s why we at Wallace360 start there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our first steps in any branding exercise is to dig deep into the organization. We talk to founders, current leaders, board members, employees, you name it. Sometimes face-to-face, sometimes through surveys. We ask questions like these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Why did XYZ business open in the first place?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What value do you bring to your stakeholders?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What problem or challenge are you trying to solve for your customers?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flash forward 15 years\u2026 what does the future look like?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Throwing taglines and existing marketing language out the window, how do you sum up what you do?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why do you do it?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We also look to what outsiders say. When you\u2019re immersed in your organization \u2013 \u201cdrinking the Kool-Aid\u201d so to speak \u2013 it\u2019s sometimes hard to see the forest through the trees so this outside perspective is especially helpful. We also look at how the business operates internally: How it makes decisions, how it communicates with and engages its stakeholders and the practices of its leadership.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Truth lies in action but also in perception, and how employees and \u201coutsiders\u201d view you often speaks volumes. That\u2019s not to say we\u2019re digging for dirt. Quite the contrary. We\u2019re seeking to unearth the truth behind a brand in the missions, vision and values that guide its actions. Often that is where the heart of a brand really lies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Personas-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Personas-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Personas-1-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Personas-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Personas-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, we recently completed a <a href=\"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/case-study\/improving-life-in-the-valley-with-rvba\/\">rebrand for Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority<\/a> (RVBA). Since its inception, the organization has set to work laying miles of fiber-optic cable across the Valley. At first blush, anyone would tell you that RVBA was all about providing quality internet access. But just like Chick-fil-A\u2019s not just about chicken, RVBA isn\u2019t just about internet access. We dug deeper and found that at its core, RVBA really exists to make the Roanoke Valley a better place to live and do business.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reflecting the Inside Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What follows as you build or refresh a brand is just working your way up, letting the core of who you are influence those outward manifestations of your identity from the napkins you use in your restaurant and the ambiance of your store to your messaging, logo and user experience on your website. Brands that want a \u201crefresh\u201d are often eager to save money and jump right into new design and a new logo. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A brand\u2019s logo and what it looks like all convey something. And it\u2019s key this be rooted in something more substantive than nice-looking design alone. When this substance is identified, it becomes the glue that holds everything together. Everything ladders up and makes sense. How a brand looks, how it sounds, what it does and the purpose behind that are all aligned. When they aren\u2019t, you\u2019ve got a larger problem, but that\u2019s a subject for another article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you arrive at the heart of your business, it doesn\u2019t just inform your \u201cbranding\u201d and marketing in the traditional sense. It can become an effective filter through which you make major decisions. It will help you ask yourself, is XYZ thing I\u2019m deciding about on target with what my organization seeks to achieve? Is it \u201con brand\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t fall victim to instant gratification and the need for a nicer, newer logo. Take time to step back and do some introspection and discovery work first. This ultimately gets you to a better place faster. And just like Chick-fil-A, it all becomes a piece of who you are \u2013 your brand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Wallace360, we say we make brands. But what does \u201cbrand\u201d actually mean? And how does one go about refreshing one, let alone making one?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"meta_box":{"insight_pre_header":"BACK TO BASICS:"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":618,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions\/618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wallace360.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}