You’re here as you want to explore our ‘7 must-read articles about brand’. However, the word ‘brand’ may feel quite abstract or intangible for non-marketers (and marketers too!). We all know that brand is important and significant for business success. But, sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin with improving (or starting) your brand. That’s why we’ve rounded up our must-read articles about brand!

The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s glossary says a ‘brand’ is:

“The set of physical attributes of a product or service, together with the beliefs and expectations surrounding it – a unique combination which the name or logo of the product or service should evoke in the mind of the audience.”

When Googling queries about brand you’re often shown articles about design or logos and taglines. Time and time again we reiterate across our content how your brand is so much more than ‘look and feel’. And, how your brand should be consistent AND evolving. The CIM refers to ‘beliefs and expectations’ with their definition and it is this ‘stuff’ that really matters and sets you apart! 

Some of our priority recommendations would be:

• A clear and consistent design beyond just a logo. You should have guidelines that include rules around logo use, colour pallet & artwork requirements etc.
• Clearly defined mission, vision and values. This sets the scene for everything!
• A distinct tone of voice. Your verbal brand is arguably more important than your visual brand.
• A messaging tool kit. What are your main USPs? What are your main call-to-actions? How can you summarise your offer?
• A brand awareness plan. How can people become familiar with you and fall in love with your brand? This is specifically about your brand, not your products or services.

Now, we do encourage you to research! We encourage you to look at what your competitors are doing and make a plan to be better than them. But, most of all to be authentic and original. Brands need to be honest and your outputs should genuinely reflect what you can offer. You should be sincere (not gimmicky) with your approach. 

When we launched our brand we did a lot of reading about small business brands. As a result, we continue to keep reading on this subject to ensure we’re on top of our game and not being complacent.

We’ve rounded up our must-read articles about brand for you to explore too…

1. How to create a brand identity for your business | Enterprise Nation
2. Confused.com’s CMO on how to get CEO buy-in for long-term brand building | Marketing Week 
3. Ten ways to build a brand for your small business | Marketing Donut
4. Building a purposeful brand | The Marketing Society
5. 5 actionable strategies for social media branding | Sprout Social
6. How do you define your personal brand | Saltoria Marketing
7. 15 Inspiring Examples of Small Business Branding | HubSpot

Have you come across any must-read articles about brand recently? Please share them with us on our social channels or by emailing us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear what you’ve found!

Do you need to review your company or personal brand? Then sign up for our brand identity workshop!

Your visual brand is very important, but your verbal brand is even more important!

• Do you know your vision, mission, values and USPs yet?
• What message do you use to engage with your potential customers?
• Can you describe your tone of voice?

Book your slot now: Our ‘Transform your brand identity & messaging’ workshop is now available!

In this workshop, we’ll help you refine or refresh your brand identity and as a result, ensure you stand out against your competitors. This workshop is suitable for both companies and individuals.