What does branding mean?

As a leading branding agency in Cheltenham, the SOZO team often gets asked by clients what the term actually means. Our answer can be eye-opening. Branding means far more than a flashy logo or cutting-edge website (although both of these are core elements of branding).

Branding is the art of making people think about your firm the way you want them to. Everything you say and do, the products and services you put out there, the values you stand for – it all impacts on your brand, or how you are perceived, for better or worse, by your customers. Social posts, marketing literature, business cards – there’s nothing that branding doesn’t touch.

Branding can be bewildering, but the good news is that you can master it – with a little help from an expert branding agency. Since 2000, SOZO has helped more than 300 businesses develop their branding in Cheltenham and beyond. Here’s a quick introduction from our branding agency experts.

How can a branding agency help my business?

Effective branding means different things for different businesses. The branding of a multinational fast-food chain, for example, takes a very different approach to a domestic legal firm – and a good branding agency will approach the project accordingly. Drawing on two decades’ experience as a respected branding agency in Cheltenham, SOZO can develop every element of your brand, from the visible brand identity across your marketing materials to the tone of voice in your messaging. But our branding agency experts go deeper – with everything we do underpinned by the brand story.

How can a branding agency help with a brand’s story?

Think of your logo and company name as the tip of a branding iceberg. Just below the surface is your brand story, meaning the fundamental essence of who you are as a business, taking in everything from values and culture to ambitions and mission statement. Unlike your logo, the brand story might not always be visible, but it’s always there at the heart of your company, driving internal strategy and sending out subconscious messages to your customers. At SOZO, one of the first things our branding agency experts do is sit down with you to understand what makes you unique, before developing a brand strategy that lets you capitalise on that individuality.

How can a branding agency help with brand strategy?

Alongside a clear and consistent brand identity, a brand strategy means deciding how, when and where you will deliver your brand messaging, who you’ll be targeting, and what success looks like to you. Your brand strategy is a central part of our branding agency work at SOZO. Trust our team to show you the way forward, from the big launch of your rebrand to any twists and turns the future may hold.

Why is branding so important?

For as long as there have been competing companies, customers have been brand-aware, but in 2020, it’s more important than ever to put your business in the hands of an expert branding agency. Statistics reveal that businesses with an authentic and ethical brand identity outperform the stock market by 134%. On the flip side, the companies that have gone off-brand during the COVID-19 crisis and Black Lives Matter movement have turned off customers and tarnished their reputation.

As a leading branding agency in Cheltenham, SOZO can help you master your brand. To discover how we can help, call us on 01242 511912 or email info@sozodesign.co.uk

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