Episode 5
Branding Brilliance Creating a Stand Out Business Identity
In this episode of Marketing Magic in Minutes, I’m diving into the seven core fundamentals that’ll help your brand truly shine. Branding isn’t just about a logo—it’s the heartbeat of your business.
Whether you're rebranding or starting from scratch, I’m sharing practical insights—from knowing your market to tapping into the psychology of color—all designed to help you create a brand that sticks.
So, grab your brew of choice, sit back, and let’s unlock the brilliance behind unforgettable branding. Let’s make your brand one to remember!
Remember to download my FREE GUIDE to get started.
Visit www.tracyheatley.com and use the code POD2025 to win a power-hour session with me!
Transcript
Hi, I'm Tracey Heatley and welcome to the Better Marketing Podcast, bringing you marketing magic in minutes.
Speaker A:In this episode, we're getting into the power of branding and how it's so much more than just a logo.
Speaker A:We'll explore seven fundamentals of developing a strong branding strategy that resonates deeply with your customers and sets you apart in your market.
Speaker A:So whether you're thinking about rebranding or establishing a brand for the first time, this episode is packed with insights to help you create an identity that truly stands out.
Speaker A:So let's unleash the brilliance of branding strategy together.
Speaker A:First of all, let's look at the power of branding.
Speaker A:Branding is the soul of your marketing strategy, embodying everything your business stands for.
Speaker A:It's how customers perceive you, remember you and distinguish you from your competitors.
Speaker A:Effective branding goes beyond visuals.
Speaker A:It encompasses your customers entire experience with your business, from your message and values to the whole customer service and even your online presence.
Speaker A:Lets now focus on my seven better marketing fundamentals of developing a branding strategy.
Speaker A:Number one, research.
Speaker A:Understand your market, competitors and the environment.
Speaker A:Knowledge is power when it comes to positioning your brand effectively in your marketplace.
Speaker A:Number two, customer focus.
Speaker A:Your branding should resonate with the people you serve, addressing their needs, their aspirations and their emotions.
Speaker A:Yes, you need to love your brand too, but always put the customer first.
Speaker A:So when you're developing your branding strategy, always keep your customer at the forefront of your mind and the forefront of your marketing.
Speaker A:Number three is all about marketing awareness.
Speaker A:Being aware of culture, legal issues and market dynamics.
Speaker A:Everything that's happening within your market you need to be aware of, especially when it comes to international marketing, because this will ensure that your brand fits well with the different contexts, different cultures, different languages.
Speaker A:You need to bear a lot in mind when it comes to international marketing.
Speaker A:But even if you're not marketing internationally, keep the marketing awareness at the forefront of everything.
Speaker A:Then let's look at number four, Differentiation.
Speaker A:Massive fan of differentiation.
Speaker A:So highlight what makes you unique in every aspect of your branding.
Speaker A:Like I did with my better networking hubs business.
Speaker A:By choosing a bright yellow color to signify early morning because they're all about breakfast, networking group energy.
Speaker A:Because I find that yellow is very uplifting, isn't it?
Speaker A:It's bright, it reminds a lot of people of spring and makes them feel energized.
Speaker A:And just to distinguish the brand and make it different from a lot of the competition in my marketplace, the colour stands out.
Speaker A:Now number five, let's look at the psychology of colours.
Speaker A:Colors evoke emotions and associations, so choose your Palette wisely to reflect the emotions you want to evoke in your customers.
Speaker A:It's not always about the colours that you like, it's about what resonates with them.
Speaker A:Again, having that customer in mind.
Speaker A:And if you don't know or understand the psychology of colours, find it, research it, Google it, you'll get that information.
Speaker A:There'll be guides out there of what colours goes with what.
Speaker A:But it isn't just about the colours looking good together.
Speaker A:Like I say, it's how you want your customers to behave, how you want them to feel and respond to your brand.
Speaker A:Know when the time is right to rebrand is my sixth point.
Speaker A:It's about timing.
Speaker A:Rebrand when your current identity no longer reflects what your business does.
Speaker A:If there's been changes within your business, if you've acquired another business or you've been acquired, you know, you might be looking at rebranding then perhaps if the market conditions have changed or if your customer expectations have changed.
Speaker A:If you're looking at going into international markets, you might need to rebrand then as well.
Speaker A:Over the years, there's been some quite well known branding issues when businesses go to market internationally.
Speaker A:I believe that Nova in a certain language meant go slow, so that was no good for the car.
Speaker A:You've had instances with what used to be Marathon that became Snickers, because in international markets it was more well known as that.
Speaker A:So here in the UK became Snickers.
Speaker A:There've been all sorts of big brands that have rebranded for particular reasons, many of which was to do with international marketing.
Speaker A:But if things have changed within your business and your market, the upshot is you might want to consider rebranding, but never do it for the sake of it, and always plan and always have a strategy.
Speaker A:And if you don't know how to do that, then come and speak to me.
Speaker A:Let's look at point number seven, a pre launch strategy.
Speaker A:Now, this is really important.
Speaker A:It's amazing how many businesses that actually shout out about their rebrand when it's too early and everything else is not in place.
Speaker A:With your rebranding, it's a really big move.
Speaker A:There's so much to consider.
Speaker A:Not just your socials and your website, your branding.
Speaker A:You spend years, in many instances getting your brand out there and to rebrand is a massive step.
Speaker A:And believe me, I've done it.
Speaker A:I did it for my better marketing with Tracy Heatley business.
Speaker A:I rebranded that within the last 12 months.
Speaker A:Before that it was be better with Tracy Heatley and that was because I was always trying to help my clients to be better.
Speaker A:But ultimately people were getting me confused and thinking I was an all round business coach.
Speaker A:And just because I'm qualified in all aspects of business doesn't mean that's what I wanted to do.
Speaker A:My main area of expertise is marketing strategy and that's what I wanted to focus on.
Speaker A:So, yes, I can mentor businesses and I can help them to feel motivated, of course I can.
Speaker A:I've got all those skills.
Speaker A:But I didn't want to be an all round business coach or an all round business consultant.
Speaker A:So I decided that my brand didn't reflect what I wanted it to.
Speaker A:So I rebranded.
Speaker A:But it is a massive job to undertake and I didn't shout out about it until I had everything in place ready to go.
Speaker A:And I think it's really important to have a pre launch strategy and have all those things in mind before you do actually shout out to the world that you've rebranded.
Speaker A:Although in some instances it can be beneficial because you can create news, you can create a situation where your customers and people are talking about your rebrand.
Speaker A:Rebrand.
Speaker A:Like at the time of recording this episode, quite recently, Boohoo have announced that they are rebranding to Debenhams.
Speaker A:Announcing the rebrand that they're going to do, it creates a stir.
Speaker A:Their big brand is across the news.
Speaker A:Not only are they going to get all the media when they actually do do the rebrand, but in the build up to it, there's a lot of PR that's gone on there as well and even I'm talking about it now, so it's worked.
Speaker A:But their strategy and the reason why they're rebranding is it's quite significant really.
Speaker A: s went into administration in: Speaker A:Some years have gone by and they've now decided that it's the right time to rebrand.
Speaker A:And that puts an emphasis on the importance and the significance of timing when you're rebranding.
Speaker A:This isn't something they've just decided to do, this is something they've been planning to do for a while.
Speaker A:They've got their strategy in place.
Speaker A:Part of that strategy is announcing the rebrand as a pre launch.
Speaker A:So you've got to do what's right for you and your business, but don't do it too soon.
Speaker A:Make sure you've got your strategy in place first before you announce your rebrand.
Speaker A:And actually what's happened with Debenhams and the Boohoo rebranding to Debenhams.
Speaker A:It just backs up my point, really.
Speaker A:That actually is not always about how a brand looks.
Speaker A:This is very much a strategic move on their part.
Speaker A:It's very much a strategic revival.
Speaker A:And actually I'm not going to labor the point in using this example right now with the Boohoo and Debenhams brand, but I did write quite a long article and a blog about it on my website.
Speaker A:So if you want to look into that in more detail, there is a full article on it on my Better Marketing with Tracy Heatley website, which is traceyheatley.com so if you want to find out more about that, just go and have a little read of that.
Speaker A:So the upshot is it's about building a foundation before launching your brand.
Speaker A:So a successful branding or rebranding initiative must be thoroughly planned.
Speaker A:It involves aligning your internal internal team as well, and making everybody aware, including outsourced suppliers.
Speaker A:So if you're outsourcing, make sure that they're aware of what's coming up with the rebrand as well.
Speaker A:Get the opinions of others and get all your marketing collateral, all your marketing materials, everything rebranded in time for when you need it.
Speaker A:Have a clear communication strategy in place as well of how you're going to communicate the details of your rebrand to your target audience, to your customers.
Speaker A:I want to quickly touch on personal branding as well.
Speaker A:So personal branding is more significant than it's ever been before.
Speaker A:It's just as crucial as corporate branding, especially for entrepreneurs and small business owners like you, particularly if you're a service provider.
Speaker A:And if part of your marketing is getting yourself out there as an expert in your field, showcasing your personal values and your strengths, and making your individuality the cornerstone of your business brand is really significant.
Speaker A:So my rule of thumb is incorporate the personal branding into your branding strategy too.
Speaker A:So to sum up brilliant branding is strategic.
Speaker A:It's deeply integrated with your business goals and your target audience.
Speaker A:It needs to resonate with your customers and your prospects.
Speaker A:It's about making a memorable impression that builds lasting relationships.
Speaker A:Get your branding strategy on point, and even if you've been trading for a while, you might not have a branding strategy, but you might need one.
Speaker A:You certainly need to incorporate it into your overall marketing strategy, that's for sure.
Speaker A:That just about brings us to the end of this episode.
Speaker A:So if you found today's insights helpful, don't forget to subscribe to this podcast.
Speaker A:And do please leave me a review and you can check out more free resources available on my website.
Speaker A:Plus, remember, one participant every month will go into the competition.
Speaker A:There's an exciting opportunity for you to win the chance to win a power hour with me.
Speaker A: Just use the code POD: Speaker A:It's a free guide that's available on my website, which is traceyheatley.com Foreign Marketer Tracey Heatley and I thank you for tuning in to Better Marketing Marketing Magic in Minutes.
Speaker A:Next time we'll be exploring how to effectively communicate with your target audience, so don't miss it.
Speaker A:Until then.
Speaker A:Remember, Better Marketing, Better Business.
