When we talk about building a brand, people often assume that we are talking about designing a logo, choosing the right colours and fonts, creating graphics and illustrations, selecting taglines, setting a tone of voice, and applying it everywhere possible because it makes the business look attractive. However, a brand is much more than that.

I am not saying that these elements are not important but rather are only a visual and verbal aspect of a brand. In reality, a brand is everything your business does and stands for, including the experiences you create for your customers while they interact and engage with your brand, it’s products and/or services. Therefore, whether you’re a manufacturer, service provider, or trader, building a thoughtful brand is extremely essential for making your business successful and sustainable.

Let us begin by first understanding what exactly a brand is. A brand is simply the outcome of everything you do, and everything that you do over and over again is what your customers will remember you for. For example, if you focus on delivering a decent-quality product or service at a good price, people will remember your brand as value for money, or if you focus on innovation, people will remember your brand as technologically advanced, and so on. But the fact is, even if you are not building a brand, the ultimate question, “What do you want to be remembered for?” still remains unanswerable by most businesses.

To answer this question, we need to look at the other side of building a brand and bring complete clarity to where your business stands today. This involves going through a process of differentiating your business from your competitors and positioning it in a way that makes your business recognisable and memorable. Differentiating from competitors is a critical step if you are looking to go further in a competitive world like today and, therefore, create a position for your business in the marketplace. This will not only help your business stand out but also contribute to customer loyalty, profitability, and long-term viability by giving your audience a compelling reason to choose you over others.

A brand is the essence of your business, the soul of your organisation, and the key to unlocking the doors of opportunity. Today, where the world is full of choices, the next question to ask is: where do I stand? And what can I do to be the “customer’s choice” over the thousand others out there? The whole purpose of building a brand is to discover the ‘why’ of the company, i.e., the reason for the business to exist beyond making money and everything that it stands for to bring the change you want in society through your business.

Building a thoughtful brand creates a foundation for your business, shapes the perception of your business, influences every decision, and enables you to expand into new markets. It is the vessel that carries your message across all touchpoints, creating a unified, seamless, and memorable experience for your customers. It is the only intangible asset that appreciates over time when done right, providing a foundation for collaborations, partnerships, and growth.