Whether you own a small local business or run a multinational conglomerate with an established international presence,
branding has never been more important in helping your business stand out among tens of thousands of other brands in
the marketplace.
But with so much 'noise' out there, businesses will need to try hard than ever with their branding if they ever want a shot
at capturing their customers' attention.
Because at some point, the same old things just stop working, as people know what to expect from every other brand
out there...
branding has never been more important in helping your business stand out among tens of thousands of other brands in
the marketplace.
But with so much 'noise' out there, businesses will need to try hard than ever with their branding if they ever want a shot
at capturing their customers' attention.
Because at some point, the same old things just stop working, as people know what to expect from every other brand
out there...
So with that being said, what can you do?
Two words.
As we all know, great branding works... and a branding agency happens to be an expert in delivering that. Their main goal,
of course, is to transform brands from their former selves into wonderful and perfect entities.
For instance…
When you continue collaborating with the same branding agency over a period of time, you’ll likely get a special offer
from them in return for retaining their service!
For instance:
Branding Agency
As we all know, great branding works... and a branding agency happens to be an expert in delivering that. Their main goal,
of course, is to transform brands from their former selves into wonderful and perfect entities.
And in some cases, it could even save a dying business and help them bounce back into the competition (and possibly
become one of the market leaders!) all thanks to the branding efforts carried out by the agency.
become one of the market leaders!) all thanks to the branding efforts carried out by the agency.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what a branding agency can do…
In fact, here are 4 amazing reasons on why should make friends with a branding agency for your business:
In fact, here are 4 amazing reasons on why should make friends with a branding agency for your business:
1) Turning Your Brand Into An Unforgettable Experience
A branding agency won’t just hand you a concept and call it a day, because they know that great branding won’t come
simply from standalone visuals and words that do well on their own.
simply from standalone visuals and words that do well on their own.
Instead, they’ll use this method called ‘visual storytelling’, which aims to transform your brand into an experience your
customers will never forget.
customers will never forget.
With visual storytelling, you’re creating a narrative through the use of photography, illustration, animation and other types
of visual media which ends up as an experience for the people buying from you.
of visual media which ends up as an experience for the people buying from you.
But what makes it so effective?
People can digest visuals more easily as compared to a string of words in a short amount of time. It gets the message
across quickly without explaining too much on the visual context. But if done poorly, it can backfire as people will not
interpret it in the same manner as you intended it to be.
across quickly without explaining too much on the visual context. But if done poorly, it can backfire as people will not
interpret it in the same manner as you intended it to be.
Now, going back to how branding agencies use visual storytelling…
Rather than completely branding your product to have the best features out of all the other brands, they’ll attach
emotions into it instead.
emotions into it instead.
This essentially creates a journey that takes customers on a ride by putting them in the center of attention through
relatable characters, pain points, and purpose.
relatable characters, pain points, and purpose.
In fact, Nike does a very good job of this with their commercials in their ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign.
In those commercials, the story creates a narrative out of everyday people doing everyday things.
But there’s a twist…
These everyday people face everyday struggles when they do them. And because of that, they have now become a
reflection for Nike’s customers as they are able to relate with the character’s dreams, desires, troubles, fears,
emotions, etc.
reflection for Nike’s customers as they are able to relate with the character’s dreams, desires, troubles, fears,
emotions, etc.
And once their customers have finally become a part of the ongoing experience, the branding campaign will then take
them through the character’s full journey of tackling their problems so they can achieve their goals and dreams.
them through the character’s full journey of tackling their problems so they can achieve their goals and dreams.
When that’s fulfilled, your customers will have successfully attached their new-found emotions to the product and brand.
Hence, creating a wonderful brand experience. All that, made possible from simply creating an opportunity for customers
to easily relate to.
Hence, creating a wonderful brand experience. All that, made possible from simply creating an opportunity for customers
to easily relate to.
2) They Put Your Money To Good Use
Next, a branding agency can help you save a lot. (if not, stop you from spending a lot too!)
When you don’t have much to work with, doing-it-yourself seems more viable. However, skipping on proper branding
won’t bring in the results you’d expect to get as compared to getting an agency on board.
won’t bring in the results you’d expect to get as compared to getting an agency on board.
But what happens when you choose to hire a branding agency?
Well, first off… you’ll be putting your money to good use as the branding agency will take your business’s strengths
and capitalize on that to create the most impact on your customers.
and capitalize on that to create the most impact on your customers.
Essentially, you’ll be getting a set of specialized expertise who will not only advise you with their industry knowledge
but will help you execute the strategy in the most efficient manner possible.
but will help you execute the strategy in the most efficient manner possible.
But out all that, the most important thing you'll get is a proven branding process that has gone through years of fine tuning.
After rebranding hundreds of projects, the agency will have racked up enough experience to know what’s needed to
make things work, while avoiding potential pitfalls and obstacles that could hold back the project.
make things work, while avoiding potential pitfalls and obstacles that could hold back the project.
This fine-tuned process only makes their next work even better than their last, which becomes a great benefit for the
next business that gets to reap this lucky opportunity.
next business that gets to reap this lucky opportunity.
For instance…
Rebranding a business takes up a lot of time, effort and money.
From conceptualizing your business’s new direction and positioning, to executing all the planned strategy and tactics,
any business owner will agree that the whole process is incredibly difficult and tedious.
any business owner will agree that the whole process is incredibly difficult and tedious.
With a branding agency, the difficulty level dramatically cuts down as you’ll be bringing on board a department
of specialists dedicated to doing just that.
of specialists dedicated to doing just that.
In fact, involving an agency can do wonders for the entire branding process! Having an outsider perspective
brings new ideas to the table to show you what could be possible.
brings new ideas to the table to show you what could be possible.
P.S. Here’s a bonus tip that’s going to save you MORE money in the long run!
When you continue collaborating with the same branding agency over a period of time, you’ll likely get a special offer
from them in return for retaining their service!
Like any business, you’ll get an exclusive price for projects made specifically for you and you only when you continue
maintaining a great working relationship with that same branding agency.
maintaining a great working relationship with that same branding agency.
Think about it… especially from a long term perspective.
When you’re running a business, you’ll be consciously thinking about the future all the time where you’re calculating the
future costs that you’re going to incur while making room for any unexpected surprises that may come your way.
future costs that you’re going to incur while making room for any unexpected surprises that may come your way.
So instead of hopping from agency to agency to get the best deal, why not stick with the one who knows what you want
and can provide you the service you’re looking for, while offering you a better deal (think more value for cheaper price)
which helps to get rid of some of those business worries you’re having.
and can provide you the service you’re looking for, while offering you a better deal (think more value for cheaper price)
which helps to get rid of some of those business worries you’re having.
3) They Help Manage Your New Brand Even After The Project Is Done
Once your business completes its branding phase, you might think your relationship with the branding agency will
then come to an end.
then come to an end.
You could think that… but what if it didn’t stop right there?
After months of hard work with a group of people to create something you’re both incredibly proud and passionate
about, it would seem weird to just cut things off and never see them again right?
about, it would seem weird to just cut things off and never see them again right?
Instead, continue that relationship or you’ll be missing out on this incredible benefit…
Brand Management
If you think about it, a business that only focuses on building but not maintaining their brand will see all their work
come undone with just a few missteps.
come undone with just a few missteps.
For instance…
Having someone who wasn’t involved in the initial branding process to manage the new brand is a recipe for disaster.
They won’t know what makes your business ‘you’, a.k.a the brand personality, visuals, tone of voice, photography style
and so much more.
They won’t know what makes your business ‘you’, a.k.a the brand personality, visuals, tone of voice, photography style
and so much more.
They could make several educated guesses by doing looking over the marketing collaterals, but that will only get them
so far. Imagine all the hard work and money going to waste in just a short time because the brand was poorly managed...
so far. Imagine all the hard work and money going to waste in just a short time because the brand was poorly managed...
And the horrors of having to re-brand all because of that.
(Kind of like getting a great haircut from your last barber… only to have the next one mess it up like this.)
But when you get a branding agency to continue managing the brand, you’ll have the same people who worked with you
in the initial stages of creating and defining the brand.
in the initial stages of creating and defining the brand.
Essentially, they’ll know what to avoid, what can be improvised, and most importantly… what to do to keep your new
brand consistent with itself.
brand consistent with itself.
From the brand’s initial launch to the present moment, the branding agency will know how to coordinate and incorporate
any new product/service into the brand without straying away from its new positioning and direction.
any new product/service into the brand without straying away from its new positioning and direction.
Not to mention…
This ongoing brand management will free up everyone in your business (including you!) to do the thing they do best.
Running the business.
4) They Help You Grow
With a branding agency, they do more than just help your business find your identity and manage it.
They get you to take risks, to do things that wouldn’t usually work, to go against the norm… to grow.
After a while, your business will have weathered through many storms and finally found their footing in the market.
But some businesses make the costly mistake of staying in that place for too long just because it’s comfortable.
But some businesses make the costly mistake of staying in that place for too long just because it’s comfortable.
But what will that mistake cost you?
For starters, your brand will slowly lose out to the competition who chooses to embrace change, in which they’ll
thrive in the ever-changing business environment.
thrive in the ever-changing business environment.
After all, we live in a world of innovation. If we’re not looking forward, then we’ll always be stuck in the present.
Then, as your customers begin to slowly diverge away from your business, so will their experience of your brand
where you worked so hard to create in the first place.
where you worked so hard to create in the first place.
Being forgotten only creates more opportunities for new competitors to come in, where the fight for the customers’
attention will only become even harder from there.
attention will only become even harder from there.
If you think about it, they’ll have a better shot at capturing customers as they’ll be the ones with innovative
solutions.
solutions.
So how can a branding agency help your business change that?
After going through multiple branding or re-branding solutions, they'll more than likely begin suggesting things
that are out of the blues and might not normally be related to your business.
But when done properly, your brand may even transform into a brand new entity or even capture
a newset of target customers.
For instance: 
KFC Malaysia recently launched a clothing line through a collaboration with the clothing brand ‘Pestle & Mortar’ to
capitalize on the growing street wear trend in Malaysia.
capitalize on the growing street wear trend in Malaysia.
More importantly, they carried this out to celebrate the love Malaysians had for the beloved fast food restaurant as well
as the long-standing heritage it has in the country.
as the long-standing heritage it has in the country.
The result?
By going against the norm of what a typical fast-food restaurant would do, they not only generated buzz among local media
and consumers but managed to sell out all its merchandise every single day for its campaign week!
and consumers but managed to sell out all its merchandise every single day for its campaign week!
However, they didn’t do this to make a quick buck…
But rather, they used this as an opportunity to raise awareness on an important issue, which was world hunger.
By including a CSR initiative into KFC, they got to re-position themselves as a brand whose socially aware and will play
a part in making the world a better place. When you’ve got a business such as this doing their best to create a better future
for everyone, it’s hard to imagine why people won’t do everything they can to support them.
a part in making the world a better place. When you’ve got a business such as this doing their best to create a better future
for everyone, it’s hard to imagine why people won’t do everything they can to support them.
Conclusion
As far as things go, making friends with a branding agency can bring in many more benefits than what's
mentioned above.
mentioned above.
And like any business, building a solid relationship with one of them over the long term will will greatly help yours
down the road, especially when you need their expertise to pull off any branding-related projects.
down the road, especially when you need their expertise to pull off any branding-related projects.
So the next time you get to work with one of them to build up your business’s brand, take the time to get to know
them! Who knows? They might just be some of the coolest people on earth anyone will ever get to work!
them! Who knows? They might just be some of the coolest people on earth anyone will ever get to work!
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