When people think of a fizzy drink, the first brand that will likely come to mind is Coca-Cola, and if they are imagining a coffee company, Starbucks will be the first that pops into their head.

These are great examples of companies with great branding strategies. Branding can be defined as distinguishable features that a business may have. It can dictate many things such as awareness (how many people know of the company), consumer loyalty (the likelihood of clients returning), and even trust (whether or not the company is reputable.Organisations should take the time to create effective branding to cater to all of these things. But this will be a difficult task if you do not have a well-thought-out plan. When creating your company’s branding, here are some of the things you can do to make your strategy successful:

Understand your audience

When creating your brand it is first important to understand your market. You should be able to know what your company can offer them and how you can market to their needs. Know which aspects of your business will entice clients to acquire your services or products and lean into them. If your target market prefers organic goods, make sure that this is highlighted in your branding. If they like quick and efficient services, ensure this is integrated into your company slogan. Branding is all about highlighting the benefits customers will have when supporting your company so it is important to gain a good understanding of their needs.

Create something unique to your company

Branding should be something unique to your company. A great example of this is Starbucks. The company’s green and white mermaid logo is quickly identifiable and easily associated with them. You should create a brand that is unique to your organisation so you can build it to be synonymous with your business. For example, speciality food producers should create a logo, products, and packaging that highlight that they are artisan goods. Your audience will associate your products with a sense of quality, as opposed to mass-produced commodities, because this is what is represented in your branding. Creating a strategy specific to your company will help set you apart from the competition.

Instate a company vision

Companies shouldn’t only focus on building their brand externally, but internally as well. You should create a vision that aligns with your business goals for employees to follow. When creating branding decisions, your vision can serve as a guide since it dictates what you want to achieve within your organisation. This will keep your brand uniform and organised. Externally, this also assures your clients that you are staying true to your values and that you will remain consistent. Instating a company vision can be done easily– just be sure that it truly reflects the ethics that you believe in and are capable of as a business.

Make sure it is reflected in the company culture

Employees are also representative of who you are as a company so your company culture must reflect the values you stated in your company vision. Unfortunately, many businesses struggle to do this with a recent study finding that 52% of employees in the UK can’t recite their organisation’s vision, and nearly 49% can’t recite their organisation’s values. This reflects poorly on a company and gives the impression that the brand has no solid sense of direction. Your leadership must be aligned with what your company stands for. You should be able to guide your teams and assess how they can better reflect your organisation's brand. Having cohesion between you and employees will not only foster better branding, but it can also lead to unity and belonging amongst your team, which is great for your brand image. Internal branding, such as company culture, will help strengthen your identity as a company and aid in achieving your goals as an organisation.Crafting a brand fit for your company is a difficult task. With so many factors to consider, it is important to have a carefully thought out plan to have an effective strategy. You can also work with designers and artists to help turn your external strategy into reality. Just be sure that your company also reflects your brand from within.