What’s brand DNA?
My sister recently got genetic testing done revealing loads of information about her… from ancestry breakdown to personality traits to illnesses she was susceptible to. We as humans are complex and have layer after layer of information that defines us and describes us. This is the perfect analogy to best understand what’s behind a “brand”.
A brand isn’t just a business name and logo. It is its own entity and it has “DNA” that determines everything from how it looks, how it talks, how it interacts with others, strengths, weaknesses, etc… If your brand is missing these things, your business is likely missing out on some serious connection and profit.
How does this practically look?
When we think of our brand, we have to look at ALL brand touchpoints which is basically everywhere your business is showing up. Here are some general areas to check in with to make sure you’re covered:
Physical World
Print media (pamphlets, business card, rack cards, instructional cards)
Brick and Mortar (storefront, signs)
Merchandise (product packaging, shirts, gear, cups, pens)
Digital World
Website, any other special sites you are showing up on (dribbble for example)
And everything that you include on a site, namely photos, designs, and copy
Social Media {yes, this deserves it’s own category :) }
Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc
How can being INCONSISTENT with your brand’s DNA cost you money?
We come from a big family with quite a mix when it comes to our heritage. We have Italian, German, Irish, English, Polish (and more!) ancestors but if anyone came across one of us kids, they would know right away we’re an Albright. I’ve had many people throughout the years say to me how familiar I look, only to find out they knew my dad or mom and could see a resemblance…
Where am I going with this?
If you were to throw in a red head or someone without a large nose (yep, we’re a big nosed family), an outsider would be able to tell right away that they weren’t one of the siblings.
This is how you should be thinking of your brand...
All brand elements need to look “related”
All of your brand touchpoints (from website to social media to photos, etc) need to look like they belong to each other… not identical… but that they are related. You don’t want the same exact logo to be everywhere because that’s boring and there is no “one size fits all”. A detailed logo that can live and breathe comfortably on the header of your website would not fit in that tiny little circular profile location on Instagram. A brand needs variety so it can adapt to each specific touchpoint.
If you throw in something that strays off brand, you’ve just wandered outside your “family” and it won’t be recognizable as being part of it.
It takes 5-7 impressions for someone to be able to recognize a brand. If you’re using a different font, tone or color scheme every time, you’re missing out on a potential connection. Especially on social media, we are following on average hundreds of accounts/businesses. The likelihood of getting numerous impressions for the same person is already not in our favor. We have to make the most of what we get.
When someone sees a post or story or reel or (insert any touchpoint), the goal is for them to notice your business, connect with it, and file your business away in their mind. Ideally that third step might involve a visit to your site or diving in to find out more, but at the very least, you want them to think, “Hm, I like that. I’ll pay more attention to them next time I see them. This business is worth my time.”
So… keep it in the family. Make sure across all touchpoints or anywhere your ideal client could encounter you, your brand is consistent and ready to turn visitors into raving fans.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with keeping your business on brand or you don’t feel you have a sturdy brand to begin with, reach out to us. We would love to partner with you to get to the heart of your business so we can strategically position you in your market and get you results.