[Adapted Transcript]

Today I want to talk about a question that came up at a local networking event that I attended a couple of weeks ago. I was introducing myself to a gentleman, and when I explained that I was a brand marketing consultant, he came back to me with a question, which was, "What is branding?" "Is that like logo design?"

It's weird because I get asked this question a lot. People often say, "Oh, is that logo design or graphic design?"

So I thought I'd make a video to answer the question that, first, no, branding is not logo design. Branding and logo design are two very, very different things. Your logo design is just one aspect of your branding.

A lot of people think that branding is just the business image, that it's purely your logo, your marketing etc. However, it's not just how your business presents itself from an image perspective, but how it communicates. It's also how every single person in your business communicates. So if you think about your business and think about every single touchpoint that somebody has to connect with your business each one is an opportunity for your brand to either do well or not do well and for me, it is definitely something that businesses need to consider. Especially in the area of customer service and customer relations. The number of brands that I go into, that on the surface look really great, have fantastic branding look and feel, but then you walk into their shop and you get treated like, basically, like crap. That is branding. 

Why spend all that money having this great branding, great look and feel, only to have the people in your shop not flying the flag for your business. And if that person then doesn't carry through and doesn't represent your brand in the right way, then it's just a missed opportunity. While people may look and just see one person, every person is a network. Every person then knows lots of other people. 

A lot of people already know how important word of mouth is in business, and this is where your branding and word of mouth can really make or break your business and your brand. And if like I say, on the surface you go to this length of having these really great brand values and you make a brand promise, but then you don't deliver on that brand promise, that is an impact on your branding. 

A great book that I highly recommend that you read is the "The E-Myth" by Michael Gerber. In the book Michael shares some insights and ideas around branding, in particular, he tells a story, about how he went into a barbershop and the first time he went into the barbershop he had a great experience, he was offered tea and coffee and the whole experience was really great. And then a couple of months later he went back to that same shop, but the second time he went the haircut, ok, but he didn't get asked for coffee, the person wasn't as tentative as last time. However he thought he'd give them the benefit of the doubt, and then the third time that he went back, the experience was worse than the second time. 

And he talks about the idea, that most people naturally have this kind of "three strikes and you're out" tolerance process. When your first experience with a brand is really, really great. Obviously, the first thing you want to do is you want to go back and tell all your friends. And if when you go back to that same place a second time and your experience wasn't as good as the first experience, you kind of feel a little bit let down. And in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, "Mm, maybe I'll give them one more go." And if the third experience isn't as good as the second or the first time, then you've kind of had it? You've lost the opportunity and your competitor has just gained a new customer. 

Given the there's so much competition out there, these are really, really important aspects when developing a clear brand strategy: making sure that you know all the different parts of your branding, and how it communicates and is consistent across all the different touchpoints. That is the real difference between logo design and branding. Branding is everything. It's basically everything.

If you like what I shared, please head over to my *new* Youtube channel where I will be sharing more insights and stories around branding and storytelling. 

Debbie :-)

#tellingtheworld