Brand strategy is the key to building the reputation of a company and most of all, creating existence in national and international markets. It uses the concept of elements including the purpose, core values, personality, and identity of the brand. It can be complex or simple, based on the services or products a business offers and its targeted audience. To understand brand strategy, we must go back in history beginning in the Stone Age when man made tools out of stones to the 21st Century.

Although, the term branding didn’t exist during the stone ages, the man who made it most likely received recognition for making stoned tools. It is the same application entrepreneurs use today when identifying their products, companies, and profession. Consider a pottery piece made of a brick, there is a symbol or marking to identify the manufacturer or brand name. For many centuries, governments, commerce and religious groups used images and symbols to communicate a message and for identification. Examples of religions include the early Christian Church, Jewish communities, and the Muslims which used symbols and color as identifiers. 

What Is Branding?

Branding can have a variety of features including a logo design, name, symbol, initials, and/or a term that identifies a good or service of a company or profession. Hundreds of years ago, the extent of branding had its limitations for marketing and advertising. In the 1700s, a proprietary mark was common among producers of luxury porcelain to increase its value and authenticity. Ranch owners used a unique hot branding iron to brand cattle which is prevalent today for identification.

Branding in the 19th Century to the Early 20th Century

Industrial Revolution in the 1800s changed the US economy with huge productions, creating less competitiveness because of limited availability of brands. With access to faster transportation and mass productions, things changed in the 1900s with consumers having more alternatives for products. Competitiveness escalated during the time among manufacturers requiring quality products, value, good reputation, and a logo to grasp the attention of consumers. In 1911, Morton Salt launched a national advertising campaign and adopted the Morton Salt Girl and the slogan, “When it rains, it pours”. The girl and the slogan worked as a visual and message of the quality of Morton’s salt product.

Morton Salt’s visual and the message stayed in the minds of consumers for over one hundred years, making it the best-selling brand on the market today. Companies including RCA and Coca-Cola adopted a similar branding approach and used clear illustrations and a slogan. Coca-Cola designed a unique bottle shape to help distinguish its brand from other soda brands on the market in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, the company promoted its brand as part of the American way of life, bringing a clearing understanding of the message and brand management.

While Morton Salt is a company using a cohesive message and illustration, some companies such as Kodak used its name to maintain the dominance of its brand and value. Kodak was the first company to sell cameras that takes photographs with instant printing capabilities. To keep its status in the market, the company simplified the product using “ease-of-use” their primary branding message. The message gave consumers an emotional connection to the brand and broaden the understanding of branding for companies.

Modern Branding in the Mid-20th Century to the 21st Century

In the 1950s, television was the main advertising tool along with radio ads placing second. In the advertisements, the message was consistent to create interactions with the audience and listeners. The rise of ads continued which delivered importance to the brand’s message. The core of a brand should always stay the same whereas campaign ideas may change to attract new customers and maintain interest of existing customers. Volkswagen’s is an example of a company who changed its campaign but left its main story the same. The auto manufacturer changed the copy and imagery of the ads and stayed with the message to its audience that the brand is an alternative and made for people who value independence, rather than status.

The internet was a valuable tool in the 1990s for brands to explore websites as a way of communication, marketing and branding. Mobile media became an asset, as well for companies to create a brand message with consistency and clarity. Today, branding is more complex in the 21st Century compared to the 1950s. Although, the job remains the same, communication outlooks and technology create complexity with constant changes. Business owners have to determine a clear and unique message with compelling words or symbols for their brands, whether it’s a logo design or trademark.

What is Brand Strategy?

A brand strategy is a fixed marketing reinforcement for a brand based on the behavior of consumers and their preferences and expectations of a specific brand. It is more than the company’s name and logo, but a thorough branding strategy with a concept which quickly penetrates the minds and hearts of prospective customers. Brands require molding your actions, communication, customers’ interaction, and messaging what you want your customers to know about your brand.

Key Elements for Developing A Brand Strategy

• Brand identity is identifying your core values of what you and your brand stand for. A company’s values is a guide to make decisions about the products and websites, for an instant. For as websites, a business owner can decide whether to have a detailed or simple site.
• Logo and trademark brand communication helps to build the identity of a brand and are tangible designs assets. This includes the brand name, shapes, typography, and color schemes.
• Brand awareness is an element through creating a personality. Look at your brand as a person or made-up character.
• Brand management or strategies involves finding your true purpose of what you really want to accomplish. If you make a promise to customers, be sure to keep your word.

Benefits of Brand Strategy

• Use the brand strategy as a guide to make important business decisions pertaining to the services or products. It is helpful for presenting and marketing the voice tone of communication and selecting the right content on websites.
• Differentiate your business from competitors to stand out in the market.
• Attract new customers and win their loyalty.
• Higher sales and revenue.
• A branding strategy keeps entrepreneurs in a logical state of mind with consistency and coherency.
• Ability to set higher prices for products and services.

In the 21st Century, companies and professionals are using a unified visual message and imagery to communicate as a culture in Las Vegas and other US cities. As times changed, so did the advancement of branding strategies throughout the history of the commercial world. Dating back to the Stone Age, man had ways of producing products with an identity, such as stone tools. From the 18th Century to the 21st Century, branding and brand strategy transformed with companies using marks, symbols, logos, slogans, and names to make its brands distinguished from other competitors.

In 2019, the internet, social media, and mobile media are changing how businesses are marketing and branding it services and products. The branding concept expanded to include marketing and communication strategies to help with distinguishing a company or products from other competitors or brands. The key is finding something impressive that attracts customers and easily stays on their minds. To ensure you have the proper brand strategy in Las Vegas, get a free touch-point analysis of your brand today!

Your brand is everything. Business owners in Las Vegas turn to us at Peak Image Designs for new projects and brand tune-ups. We can help with brand identity design elements such as; logo design, flyer design, brochure design, and web design. We hope these tips help you assess your current situation. We are available to partner with you on your upgrade project.