How to Brand a Business

ReThinc Advertising is a full-service ad agency in Phoenix that exceeds the marketing needs of some two dozen clients in four states. My elevator speech goes something like this: “We excel at graphic design, website design, and website development while offering a full suite of digital marketing services that include search (SEM and SEO), OTT, digital display, social media (paid and organic), and email marketing.” 

“I’ve got great people doing great things … what floor would you like?”

What I almost always fail to mention and need to include is our ability to create pretty much everything you need to brand a business. This includes a lot of what I mentioned above with the notable skill of coming up with a name and a tagline that differentiates a business in what is almost always a crowded and competitive category.

Admittedly, in the 15-some-odd years we’ve been doing this, branding projects aren’t as prevalent as site builds and digital campaigns but that doesn’t mean we aren’t good at it. I’ll go further and say that we approach branding a little differently than other advertising agencies. 

Then again, we probably approach a lot of things differently than other advertising agencies.

Defining Brand

Before we get to your floor let’s define branding to the best of our ability (it’s a tall building).

Let’s start by establishing the very definition of the word ‘brand’ as oftentimes there is some confusion associated with the word. The base component of a brand is a brand name that’s made into a logo. Yes, we do that.

The “dictionary” definition of a brand tends to lean into the ‘type of product’ version (i.e. a new brand of detergent). Marketers like to see the brand as the recognizable identity of a given product or service. Perhaps a better-stated brand can be thought of as your reputation and or the feelings you evoke when a consumer interacts with your product or your advertising. 

I’ve embedded a video here that will cost you 4 minutes of your life but does do a fairly good job of defining the brand as we marketers see it:

Important Considerations When Naming a Brand

This truly could be the longest elevator ride of your life.

Oftentimes, the first, most challenging step in creating a brand is coming up with the name. This happens long before we put the work into the art and the messaging that make the brand appealing.

At ReThinc, we always look to position a brand in as unique a space as possible. Simple scores points but memorable wins the game. Clever is especially impactful with millennial and Gen Z audiences but clever can also be less than desirable in certain cases. 

It’s important to remember that the typical American consumer is exposed to something like 4,000 – 10,000 ad messages in a given day. Might be good to read the last paragraph again. If you want your brand to stand out, keep it simple, and keep it real … knowing that both will be difficult to do. 

Differentiation can be achieved in several ways. Often times brands look to highlight the key differentiating attribute in their name. Brawny is a tougher paper towel, Energizer batteries are long-lasting batteries… see what I’m getting at?

Lastly, and probably most importantly for a new brand, you can’t violate an established trademark. This can be the most difficult step for businesses that may have a niche but share a name with a similar company in New Hampshire.

How Do I Brand a Business?

As we get to the end of our ride let’s end up where we started (so to speak). Hiring a group of highly talented ad types is a good first step to branding or rebranding your business. Just like cutting your own hair, you can try to do this yourself but you most likely will end up wearing a hat, if you know what I mean.

It’s also a good idea to use a trademark attorney once you’ve settled on a brand name to not only research that your new brand is clear but to also file the appropriate documents to protect it from Fivrr pirates. It’s important to note that you should do this BEFORE you spend the time and money on developing any collateral assets for your new brand.

Fortunately, there are a lot of great agencies in Phoenix to choose from and each, er most, have the capability of assisting you with creating a great brand. Now you’re armed with just enough information to be a great client.

If you’re looking to create a new brand or perhaps rebrand your current business, let’s get into an elevator together or maybe it’s better if you send me an email to ed@rethincadvertising.com or give me a call at 602.284.6722.