If you examine your favorite brands, the ones that are doing a truly top notch job and are wowing those they serve, you’ll find they all have more than success in common! Much like your favorite recipe, we can break down the makeup of a strong brand into well-defined principles we can emulate in our own businesses. As with your most tried and true recipe, each component builds on the one before for flavor and a dining experience that’s truly memorable. Keep on reading for these key ingredients to a stronger brand!

Clear Mission & Purpose

The strongest brands operate from a clear sense of purpose. Not only do they fully understand the Why behind their work, but they also know how to effectively and cohesively communicate that mission and purpose to their audience. Everything from products to service offerings are born from a strong brand’s core mission, so it’s vital to have a solid grasp on these values before moving forward!

Every individual who comes into contact with your brand and any touchpoint of your business should be able to quickly understand the core mission and purpose behind your work. If you aren’t sure your touch points are communicating these values to your audience, get feedback from friends or close colleagues! Sometimes that outside feedback is necessary to improving on current communication practices and messaging.

Uniqueness

Whether you realize it or not, your brand, services and individual approach to your work is different from that of anywhere else in your industry. Sometimes it takes us a while to realize what differentiates us from the crowd, but having a solid grasp on this knowledge is crucial if we are to leverage ourselves as a valuable asset to our audience. Ask yourself what value your approach, services or products bring to your clients, and then brainstorm for ways to communicate that value proposition to your audience. Identify what factors make your brand so unique, and don’t be shy as you share that information with others. Those seemingly insignificant factors have the potential to truly set you apart and win the attention of your ideal clients!

Solid Understanding of Ideal Client

Speaking of your ideal client, don’t underestimate the power of simply knowing who they are and how you can best reach them. Think of your favorite brands, the ones who are truly rocking their client experience and are achieving huge levels of success. You can bet that they wouldn’t be where they are if they weren’t able hone in on their ideal client, win their trust and wow them time and time again with an incredible experience!

Are you fully aware of who your ideal client is? Do you understand their goals, aspirations and how you can add value to their lives? I encourage you to make a profile of your dream client, one that outlines their personality, preferences, and how your products or services will enhance their lives. Not only is it important to understand your ideal client for fine tuning products or service offerings, but it enables you to succinctly reach them through marketing efforts, social media posts and your website copy.

Consistency

The best brands didn’t achieve greatness overnight! Instead, it took a huge amount of hard work, dedication and consistency to become successful. Take a page out of their book as you infuse consistency into your messaging, visual branding and client experience! Clients respect and admire brands they can trust, and one of the most surefire ways to build trust is through providing a consistent and dependable experience time and time again.

Make this step easier for yourself by creating a handbook for branding guidelines for your team to follow. Include sections on visual branding, messaging and your brand’s core values so there is no chance for disconnect with your audience. Lean on these guidelines in everything from social media strategy to product collections to lay a foundation for brand trust and dependability.

Authenticity

Even the most powerful brands are nothing without authenticity and transparency. Your clients are searching for much more than a simple transaction. Instead, they want to connect on a relational level with the brands they work with, and what better foundation for a heartfelt relationship than authenticity? Not to mention, in our digital age the truth seems to always come out! Focus on creating from within, embrace your true self and allow that heart to shine through in all you do.

This component of a strong brand isn’t a quick fix and won’t come together overnight. But with introspection, heart and digging deep, you’ll be left with an approach to your brand that you will be so proud to share!

What components of a strong brand do you see popping up in our creative industry? Sound off in the comments below with your observations!