Energising your brand: The power of non-visual branding
When we think of branding, most of us visualise a sleek logo and eye-catching colour pallet, but that’s just the exterior, it’s the inner workings that put spark in your brand's personality.
Nonvisual branding is like electricity, invisible, but it can make your hair stand on end.
The proof is in the profits:
35% of businesses report their revenue surge by 10-20% with a unified brand voice and consistent identity. (Marq Brand Consistency Report)
A huge 88% of consumers say that authenticity is essential when making purchasing decisions. (Stackla - Post-pandemic shifts in consumer shopping habits)
And all of that translates to a 47% increase in spending on brands they trust. Consumer Research Report - The value of building brand trust)
Mapping your brand’s circuitry:
Think of your visual branding like hand-picked wardrobe and your non-visual branding is the person you’re styling. You wouldn’t choose outfit without at least meeting them first. Before you can start dressing your brand with its logo, colours, and fonts, you first need to understand your brand’s identity. What does your brand sound like, what do they value, and what impression does you brand make when it enters the room.
Grab a pen and discover the nonvisual branding that will define your entire business.
Brand voice
How does your brand sound?
What tone does your brand have. When you imagine your brand’s voice do they sound like:
What language does your brand speak?
Try to match the language your brand uses with the language used by your target audience.
Is slang common or are they more business-like and might throw around some jargon?
Is the language PG or is swearing common?
Is there a shared history or inside jokes?
Answering these questions won’t just give your brand more depth, they will help you understand and connect with your audience. Listen to how your target audience communicates and align your brand voice with theirs. Having a consistent and authentic brand voice is the ultimate tool for building trust as well as brand recognition and recall. Creating these guidelines now sets your business up for success in the future.
Brand Values
What does your brand stand for?
What are the fundamental beliefs guiding every decision your brand makes from packaging to your social media interactions…
Values are the core of your brand. What principles power your brand, and do they align with the drives of your target audiences?
Brand demographic
Who is in your brand’s circle
Brand demographics are about more than who your brand is, it’s about who they aspire to be, and who your audience aspires to be. If your brand walked into the room right now, what impression would they leave? Would your target audience want to be their friend?
Brand mission statement
Use your brands values and brand voice to create a mission statement for your brand. Think about what your brand aims to achieve and how. Below are some great examples for inspiration:
Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Nike: Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.
MVMT: Style shouldn’t break the bank.
Customer Experience
What does your brand make people feel?
This is a particularly important consideration when it comes to creating sales copy for your brand. The emotions felt by leads as they read your copy should be intentional and directly linked with the action you want them to take. For example, fitness companies often want to leave readers feeling optimistic about their body goals. Charities seeking a donation often rely on the empathy of their readers.
From discovery to post-purchase feedback, every interaction with your brand should evoke emotion.
Stay in feedback mode
Visual branding is essential to catching the initial glance of your target audience and building brand recognition, but it’s your nonvisual branding that establishes the connections necessary for brand trust, recall, and recommendation.
In a market that is continually evolving, grounding your brand in authenticity and consistency is essential for growth.
Whether it’s a passion project or part of your business plan, this article has everything you need to know to create a blog that people will actually read.