Concepts | Zesty ✴︎ Branding Agency Vancouver, Package Design, Graphic Design

A brand isn’t one thing. It’s the combination of several components functioning together to create a reputation.

Let’s think about a bike to help understand the complexity of a brand. The look of the bike can be considered your logo, it’s the visual expression of the brand. We know what makes a bike great isn’t simply how it looks though…it’s the experience it delivers.

Too often a logo is seen as something that exists on its own, disconnected from what makes it whole. Within the bike for example, lies the unseen, yet critical components that support it and make it unique; the purpose behind its build, its values that match one rider versus another, the personality that speaks to a certain target market.

All of the different parts of a brand work in harmony to create a whole. Each component is as critical as the next and you can’t have one without the support and strength of the others.

To create a strong brand, you need to think past your logo and visual identity. You must have a clear purpose, mission, values, personality and demonstrate what you stand for and why. Your goal should be to affirm the truth about what makes your brand incomparable to the customers you desire.

Before trying to manage communications your brand must be stripped down to its simplest form: one big idea that everything else builds on.

If it can’t be said simply, how can you expect customers to quickly connect with the heart and value of your brand?

Simplify to Amplify

It’s common to want to list every bell and whistle on your brochure or package design, but your customers will be overwhelmed. In a world of increasing complexity, a clever bunch of organizations have found that embracing simplicity can deliver far-reaching results.

At our Vancouver branding studio we teach clients to simplify. Our client HITCASE for example could say all of the reasons why their product is great for surfing; waterproof, durable, comes with flotation attachments, has a super cool variety of lenses to snap on, etc etc. Instead they say one thing “Made for this”. In taking this strategy they achieve everything they want and evoke emotion—with only three simple words!

Brand differentiation

Branding is a way of clearly highlighting what makes you different, and more desirable than the competition. Effective branding elevates a product or organization from being just one commodity amongst many identical commodities, to be something with where there is no substitute.

You don’t need to have an exciting product or service, you just need to have courage and imagination. Even though every brand wants to lead, unfortunately most end up doing things that are very similar to their competitors…blast everyone and anyone with confusing and complex messages.

A better brand experience

A great strategy to start simplifying your brand is customer journey maps. When you understand each and every point of interaction with your brand, you can more easily maintain a seamless experience. The more you know, the better able you’ll be at striking a chord. And the less value you’ll see in a shotgun approach.