What comes to mind when you hear “brand design”?

Did you think of “logos, colors, and fonts”?

If so, you’re not wrong, but you’re not entirely right.

In the wee early stages of building your brand, there’s a lot going on in your mind. It’s full of thoughts, ideas, experiences, and possibility. But, it lacks cohesive, tangible structure and meaning. Each element has potential, but there’s no clear path from randomness to purpose. Lots of good starts, not a lot of complete ideas. Gobs of inspiration, not much direction. It makes for a start-and-stop cycle and you’re left endlessly spinning your wheels. Any attempts to bring it together ends in word salad. So, what do you do?

What does your brand stand for? What actions do you take to uphold your ideals and beliefs?

If you can’t answer these questions clearly, you’re missing a major piece of the brand puzzle: clear core values.

An audience persona (commonly referred to as “buyer persona”) is a creative way of using market segmentation. It’s a profile of a fictional character that embodies notable traits of a definable group within your target audience. By combining broader characteristics with individualized ones, you can identify how to reach people and deliver messaging appropriate to their particular life experiences.

Does a small business really need branding? There isn’t one right answer. To get to the core of this question, we have to do a little bit of decoding. Specifically, we need to talk about the word “brand”.

Brand voice is the personality attributes you take in all aspects of verbal and written communication. This includes language and word choice, tone, and style. Your brand’s voice determines the execution of internal communication (staff emails, memos, meetings, interviews) and external communication (marketing, customer service, social media, packaging, blogs, ads). Brand voice is a little more elusive than visual design, but it’s just as important to creating a brand that works like a system.