What is Identity?
Identity is who you are. Brand identity is something to recognize your brand. When people see your brand, people think of something that is connected to your brand.
“Branding is the science and art of making something that isn’t unique, unique.”
Branding creates attention, set you apart from the other, helps build reputation, loyalty and trust. It aids as a promotional tool.
Branding is not marketing. Branding helps to recognize who you are, marketing helps to communicate who you are. If you have a good brand, it’s easier to have good marketing communications.
Some of the brand challenges are:
- How to create value for your brand and position your brand
- How to get people to adapt to your brand
- How to come up with relevant messages
- How to manage a crisis
- Lack of creativity and innovation (if you are ever in the same position, you don’t grow)
Source: Rawpixel
To create a strong brand awareness, it’s necessary to work on social responsibility, drive your cause, be creative and innovative and use social media to brand your business. It’s important also recognize brand opportunities.
People can know your brand using brand community online, campaigns, a strong brand personality, influencer partnerships, contents driven (be able to create relevant content).
If you want know how good your brand is, how it is performing and perception in the market about your brand – create and conduct a brand audit!
Simple steps on how to create a good brand
1- Have a clear purpose (your why, why you are doing what you are doing). If it’s not clear your purpose, you can’t create a good brand.
2- Design your vision and mission. Your mission is your current position, what you do now while your vision is your future position – what you will do in the next 5 years? What will be your future goals?
3- Have clear values and intangible assets that help to create a strong brand.
A strong brand is able to:
- Identify stakeholders and target audiences
- Identify and amplify your brand’s value proposition
- Create strategies and package
Communication Plan
A communication plan enables you to effectively deliver information to appropriate stakeholders. The plan will identify the messages you need to promote, to whom you’re targeting those messages, and on which channels. Communication plans can be used in times of crisis, but they are also used when pitching new initiatives or launching new products.
A communication plan is created to clarify your purpose (for example with SWOT Analysis) and to create a road map (with tactics, time line, budget, action plan).
When you have a brand recognition you are able to clearly segment, target and position your brand in the market.
To align your brand, you need to think about your resources, your touchpoints, your strategies, your performance and your organization’s goals.
The main focus is to Educate, Execute and Engage with your brand.
If you need any help in creating your brand, drop us an email to accelerator.kenya@e4impact.org and we shall support you.
