HUSL Today Presents: 6 TIPS for building your brand

Lets start with the basics...
What is a brand?

A brand is a symbol. Symbols are designs which represent something else, and a brand is meant to package all of the associations, experiences and characteristics into an abstract construct.

Why are brands important?
Your brand can help you win new customers and keep your existing customers coming back. Branding helps you set yourself apart from others and makes your approach memorable.

Now that we are all on the same page lets get down to business. Nearly all industries can benefit from a branded product, hence here are 6 TIPS for building your brand:

1. Give your brand CHARACTER. Infusing your brand with a little personality can help you define what it stands for. For example, if your brand is about cowboys in Texas then infusing your brand with wooden elements and other elements of the wild west can be very effective. Think of your brand as a person you want most people to like. Shape your brand’s character towards something which your audience will like to associate themselves with. Consider the wild success of the Mac vs. PC ads like the one pictured below.

2. Make your brand HONEST. People welcome honesty and transparency, and your business will be rewarded for it. Don’t offer something you can’t deliver. Instead, admit your fallibility and deliver on your promises. Integrity goes a long way.

3. Make your brand SPECIFIC.  Your brand promise should be precise and attainable, and you should be able to communicate it clearly. For example, consider the YKK zipper; their discret brand is probably on your favorite jeans and you may not have noticed. Their purpose is on connecting things and they have increased their market value because they do it well.

More after the jump.