news
reading time: 5 minutes
Branding
The creation, development and promotion of brand values is a top priority and a key vision for explicit®.
Branding can be done organically or through conscious design. In each case, we’re talking about a process that lasts several years, which ultimately leads to a branding strategy created on the basis of each company’s personalised research and results. One of the most striking elements of this outcome is the identity and its accompanying physical products.
How do we define the term „branding”? According to Cambridge Dictionary, branding is „the act of making a product, organization, person, or place easy to recognize as different from others by connecting it with a particular name, design, symbol, set of qualities, etc.” This definition was mostly true in the early days of brand design. Today, branding means so much more.
A brand is none other than the image in people’s minds of a particular company. Branding, then, is the process of the maintenance and formation of this image. People model their opinions of an organization by uniting their past experiences with their future expectations of said institution.
Conscious branding can only begin when we articulate the experience that we want our target audience to associate us with. In short, branding is better defined as a process.
branding
reading time: 5 minutes
news
2022.11.11.
The creation, development and promotion of brand values is a top priority and a key vision for explicit®.
Branding can be done organically or through conscious design. In each case, we’re talking about a process that lasts several years, which ultimately leads to a branding strategy created on the basis of each company’s personalised research and results. One of the most striking elements of this outcome is the identity and its accompanying physical products.
How do we define the term „branding”? According to Cambridge Dictionary, branding is „the act of making a product, organization, person, or place easy to recognize as different from others by connecting it with a particular name, design, symbol, set of qualities, etc.” This definition was mostly true in the early days of brand design. Today, branding means so much more.
A brand is none other than the image in people’s minds of a particular company. Branding, then, is the process of the maintenance and formation of this image. People model their opinions of an organization by uniting their past experiences with their future expectations of said institution.
Conscious branding can only begin when we articulate the experience that we want our target audience to associate us with. In short, branding is better defined as a process.
The course of branding – the steps leading up to a brand identity
The branding process is a series of well-defined activites aimed at creating a value and communication system for the given business. The result is the creation of a coherent brand identity.
1. Research
All branding begins with a thorough research phase, which is primarily about gathering information and interpreting results. During this period, we assess our client’s ideas and business challenges. This allows us to get to know your business, your competitors, target audience, the industry you operate in, as well as your existing brand and design.
2. Strategy
The brand strategy is based on the results of the previous step. After the end of the research phase, explicit® maps the brand’s values together with the customer, learns about its business plan and vision. The strategy phase sets the tone for your business’ communications and provides dierction to your team regarding brand values and business strategy. The point of the process is finding the balance between creative intuition and information.
2. Strategy
The brand strategy is based on the results of the previous step. After the end of the research phase, explicit® maps the brand’s values together with the customer, learns about its business plan and vision. The strategy phase sets the tone for your business’ communications and provides dierction to your team regarding brand values and business strategy. The point of the process is finding the balance between creative intuition and information.
3. Design
During the design phase, the guidelines that we defined when creating the brand strategy are implemented. This is when brand values are transformed into practical solutions and an unforgettable visual brand identity. As part of the branding process, the main role of design is to formulate the visual identity. A new design approach aimed at problem solving can be applied to many areas of the business to improve their services and customer experience.
3. Design
During the design phase, the guidelines that we defined when creating the brand strategy are implemented. This is when brand values are transformed into practical solutions and an unforgettable visual brand identity. As part of the branding process, the main role of design is to formulate the visual identity. A new design approach aimed at problem solving can be applied to many areas of the business to improve their services and customer experience.
4. Implementation
In the final phase, the new brand identity is revealed to the world. The introduction of the new image is based on a plan, which takes into careful consideration all aspects of publication and communication, and which determines how and when certain elements of the brand will appear on the various channels. Implementation can take many forms, from the printing of a few business cards to the deployment of a website or the publishing of a series of product videos. This phase can take up to several months depending on the size of the business and its specific circumstances.
4. Implementation
In the final phase, the new brand identity is revealed to the world. The introduction of the new image is based on a plan, which takes into careful consideration all aspects of publication and communication, and which determines how and when certain elements of the brand will appear on the various channels. Implementation can take many forms, from the printing of a few business cards to the deployment of a website or the publishing of a series of product videos. This phase can take up to several months depending on the size of the business and its specific circumstances.
The difference between branding from scratch and „rebranding”
One of the most exciting tasks for a designer is to reinterpret an existing brand. This can be even more of a challenge than building a completely new identity for a new business, since the goal of a thorough repositioning of the brand is often to build a new customer base as well as retain the old one. Whatever the case, it is advisable to consider all stages of the previously outlined branding process. Feel free to update your brand if it does not reflect your current position, product and offering, or business structure.
Internal and external marketing must work in sync with the brand message. In all cases, the goal is to create a system of values that is consistent with the experiences of external perceivers and internal users of the brand. It is therefore equally important that the company's employees identify with the company's philosophy. It is easier to have a team that works in an inspiring environment and people can identify with the values of the brand.
The difference between branding from scratch and „rebranding”
One of the most exciting tasks for a designer is to reinterpret an existing brand. This can be even more of a challenge than building a completely new identity for a new business, since the goal of a thorough repositioning of the brand is often to build a new customer base as well as retain the old one. Whatever the case, it is advisable to consider all stages of the previously outlined branding process. Feel free to update your brand if it does not reflect your current position, product and offering, or business structure.
Internal and external marketing must work in sync with the brand message. In all cases, the goal is to create a system of values that is consistent with the experiences of external perceivers and internal users of the brand. It is therefore equally important that the company's employees identify with the company's philosophy. It is easier to have a team that works in an inspiring environment and people can identify with the values of the brand.
Why is it necessary to change an existing visual identity? Thanks to the technological developments of the 21st century, many new interfaces and tools have appeared in our everyday lives. Previously designed brands are not equipped to handle every new need. Digital formats are more important than ever. And brands must be striking enough that they remain easily recognizable even on the smallest scales. Changes are happening faster and faster, companies must prepare to be able to develop at the same speed as the rest of the world.
We believe that we are able to help prepare brands for the future, despite the digital changes that will occur years or decades from now.
A brand is an experience that can continuously be shaped and moulded. Studio explicit® creates the essence of the brand together with its Clients, all the while representing timeless design.
Why is it necessary to change an existing visual identity? Thanks to the technological developments of the 21st century, many new interfaces and tools have appeared in our everyday lives. Previously designed brands are not equipped to handle every new need. Digital formats are more important than ever. And brands must be striking enough that they remain easily recognizable even on the smallest scales. Changes are happening faster and faster, companies must prepare to be able to develop at the same speed as the rest of the world.
We believe that we are able to help prepare brands for the future, despite the digital changes that will occur years or decades from now.
A brand is an experience that can continuously be shaped and moulded. Studio explicit® creates the essence of the brand together with its Clients, all the while representing timeless design.
location
explicit® is located in the Budapest, Hungary
Studio address: 1067 Csengery Street 71.