Blog Tag: Brand Strategy

Ways of branding differ by product, type of business, target market, and many other factors. And one of the most challenging yet exciting businesses to be branding, is a clothing company or a fashion label.

What comes to your mind when you think of the brand Zara? Apart from the elegant outfits and accessories? You may think of its ‘fast fashion’ retail approach. You may also have heard that the brand’s customers have always defined its culture. The company thrives on this principle – to give customers what they want, and get it to them faster than anyone else. Now, why do we perceive Zara the way we do? Because it has consistently branded itself that way.

That said, are you someone who wants to start – or is starting – a clothing company/brand, or a fashion label? Then here are some useful tips to help with its branding. Because branding is important, for any business. And the right branding can do wonders for it. Especially in the fashion industry, branding has become more like a competitive strategy. It is what helps most of the successful companies to dominate the others. A wise decision here is to take the assistance of experts in branding. Because they will help you to effectively create and promote a compelling brand.

Understand and appeal to a target group

You may have an online store (e-commerce), an offline store (retail store), or follow both the online and offline business models. No matter how you sell your products, it is important to have a target market. Because trying to appeal to everyone will put your efforts all over the place, and it won’t set you apart. Narrow down on what kind of products you will be selling, to what kind of people.

A lot of your decisions will depend on your target customers. Their lifestyles, values, aesthetic preferences and spending behaviors. So you need to research and understand them, to find out how your brand can offer value. International fashion brand Versace targets people who prefer to live a luxurious life, dress with style and personality. The brand’s design style is very distinctive and inventive.

Portray certain attributes and differentiate your brand 

Think of 4-6 characteristics or attributes that you want your brand to represent. Be specific, unique and infuse these attributes in your branding activities. They can reflect in your advertisements, social media and website. Understand how you can differentiate yourself from other brands.

When fashion giant Chanel started out as a clothing brand, it differentiated itself, and attracted the attention of customers. By portraying certain attributes – like defying social norms and empowering women. It challenged the status quo by defying social norms in its designs, colors and marketing. This branding helped it to position itself well and rise above other brands at that time.

Leverage emotions to make connections

Emotional branding clearly distinguishes you from your competitors. It helps to create deep intrinsic relationships between your brand and its buyers. There is a growing trend of consumers seeking emotional relationships with a brand. So, brands often employ emotional branding to engage with their customers, be it current or potential.

Many research studies mention that emotions are key sales and retention factors too. And facilitate stronger brand loyalty from customers. You can leverage emotions to make connections, and make your target market bond with your brand.

“Build a lifestyle around your brand, and the audience will follow.”

Eva Chen, Director of fashion partnerships at Instagram, fashion editor, author.

You should strive to develop meaningful relationships and cultivate lasting customers. Your branding and marketing efforts should strike an emotional chord with your target market. The emotional appeal could be anything from youthfulness to innocence to status. And if customers feel you reflect their identity or aspired identity, that will form a bond.

Have great product pictures 

When it comes to clothing, customers buy a product when they feel it will look good on them. And that calls for lovely pictures that showcase your best products. Invest in a professional photographer and a model (number of models is your pick). Have your products looking great on every photograph. Use these photos on your website, social media and marketing collaterals. Good marketing is important for your clothing business to garner attention, visibility and reach.

Fashion balances both art and commerce, but at the end of the day, it is a business. You need to project what garners attention. What sells. While branding your clothing line, or fashion label, always put your customers’ perspective over your own. Create a character for your clothing, and link it to the branded image. Make something different.

Of course, your designs and products will differentiate your brand. But not enough to be remembered and chosen over and over. That differentiation requires branding. And branding is much more than the logo or a well-placed advertisement. It goes deeper, consisting of the voice, values, etc. Along with the human side of your business and the promise you make to your customers. Follow the above tips, as you begin your journey. On that note, here is a quote you can live by –

On your journey of building a business that is just starting out, you might feel a range of emotions. And uncertainty can set in often. But, things become a lot smoother when your startup’s branding is done right.

A great brand identity has its own set of benefits for your startup. It is great to go to a theme party, knowing the theme. Isn’t it? Branding always comes before great marketing.

Your startup’s branding will give a clear message to your target audience, and differentiate you from the other competing brands out there. It will help to establish a strong brand image right from the start. A unique brand identity goes a long way. Because customers want to see, and know, what is different about your business. And why they should choose you over other brands.

Here is an insightful guide for effective startup branding

Vision

Before you start the process of branding your startup, you need to be clear of your business vision. What do you aim to accomplish in a specific time frame? What are your short term and long term goals? Where do you see your company in the near and far future?

The vision is a set of ideas and strategic goals that will define you and guide you, as you build your brand. It will tie all your efforts together, and give your branding a direction. Helping you to create plans and make decisions. You will also be willing to make changes in your business, according to the vision.

Purpose

The vision is about you, but the purpose is about others. Do you want to build a brand that influences a lot of people? Then you need to figure out why your startup exists, what your startup’s purpose is. A startup that makes people’s lives simpler or better, can influence them and grow into a bigger brand.

Have a strong understanding of your target customers. Who they are, what they want, what they like, what they dislike, what their lifestyle is like. Know in-depth about the product/service you are developing or selling, and what problem(s) it will solve. Ensure you deliver and keep the promises you make, right from the start. Aim to become a well-perceived brand with a purpose. And more importantly, convey that purpose to the audience. Be fairly transparent in your dealings. And honest about how you are trying to make a difference in this world. They will notice it, and find it engaging.

Brand Persona and Brand Story

A brand persona is a collection of human traits, characteristics, and emotions embodied by your brand. If your brand were a person, what would he/she look like? How would he/she greet people, especially your customers? What would their conversation be like? Think of all the physical and psychological attributes of this person. And use them to present your communication online or offline. In the tone, language, design, voice and other elements that would set your brand’s unique identity.

A brand story is like a starting point. All the facts, feelings and interpretations related to your brand align with it. It is a cohesive narrative that inspires curiosity or an emotional connection with customers. Try to make your brand as thoughtful and memorable as possible. That is how you make it real, and connecting. Working on your brand persona and brand story will help you realize where you fit in the market. And help your customers to understand and relate to your brand better.

Visual identity and language

The public will form an opinion about your brand, even before they interact with it. That will be from its visual identity and language. Aspects of branding that evoke certain identification, feelings and experiences with the brand. Such as your brand logo, typography, colors, graphic style and other visible elements. We all love to associate ourselves with good things, don’t we? The same goes with brands. People will love to be connected with your brand if you sell a good product/service and have a solid visual identity and language.

When done well, they will give information about your business, while also giving a feel of what the brand is like. Many brands have an emotional appeal in their visual language. It is always better to have your visual identity and language planned and designed by experts. Who know the craft, and can give meaning to it all.

Consistency

Make efforts to standardize the way your brand communicates across all platforms. That will result in significant brand recognition and recall, which can help your startup big time! Establish your brand’s personality and use it across all your collaterals. Otherwise, your brand may come across as inauthentic. Without a uniform branding via the brand’s tone of voice or the colors used, a clear message can’t be sent to the public. Consistency is key.

Your customers form opinions about you through everything they see, read and hear from you. And through every interaction that happens. You can’t market without first having a solid game plan. Consider the information you are now armed with, work on it, and brand your startup for sweet success over time.

Apple, McDonald’s, Burberry, Old Spice… Yes, these are the names of four huge and historic brands. It has taken years for them to establish themselves as what they are today. But interestingly, there is one thing that is common in all these brands. That they have all undergone rebranding at some point, for various reasons.

What is rebranding?

Rebranding is a process, by which the corporate image of an organization is changed. It could involve giving a new name, logo, marketing activities, or change in design for a brand. Often, it makes a company more attractive and solidifies its brand identity.

The brand makes a significant change in any of its elements, or all of them. And the change is very obvious. The idea is to create a different identity that is unique from its competitors. And to reposition the company or brand.

Why is it done?

There are several reasons why a company could go for rebranding. One main reason is to connect with its customers, and gain their trust. With new businesses sprouting everyday, the usual goal is to influence a customer’s perception about a product/service. Or the company as a whole.

The company may want to grow or expand. And innovate by tapping into new businesses or customers on this path. Mergers and acquisitions can also lead to a rebranding.

Or it might have developed a questionable reputation in the public eye, and may want to change that. Rebranding allows it to distinguish itself from the negative opinions. Another instance where rebranding is considered, is in times of legal issues. Such as issues about trademark rights of the brand name.

Change in the company’s top management may also result in changes. In the organizational structure and the way the brand presents itself, such as a change in the logo.

The rebranding can be due to the company’s willingness to adapt to the changing times. And changing consumer preferences. Else, to keep up or stay ahead of its competitors. The reasons for rebranding are many, and subjective.

At ADAMS, we believe that rebranding can breathe new life into your business or product. Which is possible with mindful strategizing and creative vision. Along with great attention to detail and avoidance of cliché.

Below are some company rebranding examples, where we have helped to successfully revitalize brands.

Shooting a brand to new heights – Kairali TMT

In June 2015, we realized that the brand had to overcome the identity crisis it was facing. It had to identify as a separate brand from its earlier parent brand Kalliyath Steels. Though it was one of the first brands in Kerala to actually brand steel bars, it wasn’t being able to live up to that.

The brand’s visual identity – use of colors yellow and red – was being duplicated by every competitor. So, there wasn’t really a visual differentiation. The brand was losing its voice, with a gradual drop in its sales as well.

A complete rebranding along with strong marketing activities was essential. Thus, we created a new brand identity for them. The rebranding process helped the client to make a big leap, way forward than its competitors. Following our efforts, Kairali TMT’s monthly sales doubled from 3,000 tonnes a month to 6,500 tonnes a month. Thoughtful rebranding and marketing can catapult a company to new heights.

GreenSol – A new identity for a strong brand image

GreenSol was established in 2012. Five years later, they were working with international clients and meeting people from abroad. They reached a point where they felt the need to revamp their brand identity. As they realized they had to look better in the public eye. And their corporate identity had to be on an international level too.

Designing the new logo needed a lot of thought, and creative vision. We researched on their target audience, and crafted a story. You can watch an interesting visual of how the logo was made. With our deep knowledge of visual identity design, we created their new identity and website. We also standardized the way they communicated with the outside world.

The rebranded image matched the values of the client, making them look credible and approachable with a differentiated corporate identity. Today, some of GreenSol’s clients include Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Bosch in Nashik, BEL Bangalore, TR Agro in Punjab, etc. Their revenue is expected to grow from INR 6500 Lakh to INR 20000 Lakh between 2018- 2022. The company is growing continuously, set on the path of massive progress.

An uncluttered and impactful branding – LetsTransport

LetsTransport is a new-age logistics and truck aggregation platform that serves businesses and individuals. It aims to disrupt on-time delivery with last-mile efficiency, and is one of the fastest growing startups in India.

In 2019, they partnered with us for their rebranding activity. Their old logo looked cluttered and old-fashioned. It did not truly reflect what the brand was like.

We designed their new logo to represent the company, and give an indication of its core function. In a way that gives it a classic, distinguished, and impactful demeanor.  Their new website has also been designed and developed by us.

Their current brand identity looks neat and contemporary. It has given them a differentiated corporate feel. Along with helping them to connect with their customers, partners and stakeholders better.

Rebranding can seem daunting, and at times be risky. It requires proper strategy, fruitful interactions and memorable visuals. ADAMS’ strategic and creative approach is unique for every client. That makes it a rewarding process with noteworthy commercial advantages. If you want to rebrand your company, or need any kind of assistance on that front, please feel free to connect with us.