Brands are everywhere and anywhere. We dare you to look around your house, car, or even on the street and tell us that there aren’t at least 3 brands within a few feet.
Brands can be subtle or in your face, but don’t be fooled – there is a definite art to creating an ICONIC brand. It is no simple task either. It can be difficult to take something that is complex and make it simple. This process is not a fluke or by accident…it is intentional.
Surely, you have wondered how the “BIG” brands do it, but the beauty of creating an iconic brand is that anyone can do it with a little guidance.
Now, we’re not saying that if you devise a concept out of thin air, it will become the next Starbucks or Amazon (we’re also not nixing this idea completely because anyone can get lucky,) but in order to build a brand that stands out from the crowd, you must focus on three key parts. These three key parts are what inspired us to create this guide for you. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Building an iconic brand is like baking a cake. You need the right ingredients and mixture for it to turn out right. You can easily type into Google ‘how to bake a cake’ and instantly you will have millions of different recipes to choose from. How do you know which one to pick? It’s tough because each one various and ultimately, it comes down to what you want to create.
Creating a brand is essentially the same. You should determine who, what, where, when, and why…ask yourself these questions before even getting started. A brand boiled down to its core is built on values, single objectives, or multiple objectives that all maintain one common denominator.
Let’s use Amazon’s unique value proposition. They focus on three things. Coincidence? We don’t think so.
Their focus is: fast, convenient, choices. Simple, but if you look at everything that makes up Amazon, it all points straight back to these three values. It’s hard not to spend money on Amazon, especially with their Prime Membership. Did you know that Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, was advised not to create the Prime program because advisors said it would cost the company money? In all actuality, one study estimates that Prime shoppers spent about $1,200 on average last year, compared to about $500 for non-members. (Fortune)
To build an iconic brand you will need to focus on these three things: Attention, Build, and Connect. This is our process that we use to develop a brand from start to finish.
Don’t worry though, we will break it down even further…
Attention
If you talk to anybody that works in the branding or marketing industry, you will learn in some way, shape or form, that attention is key to building a brand. Creating something that’s memorable is what you are aiming to achieve, but in order for something to be truly memorable, it is imperative that you get people’s attention.
This can be done in various ways. Just a few examples include creating exceptional content, making a video that goes viral, starting a podcast, creating a product, developing a system/course, becoming a sought-after thought leader. You get the point. It all starts with something that differentiates your brand from the other brands.
You must start somewhere, but that’s why you need to know your end goal before you just start waving your hands around in the air like you just don’t care. We’ve all been to a party where there’s that one person who makes a fool of themselves and garners all the wrong attention. Be intentional with the attention that you want to attract.
Remember, your brand is your reputation and it only takes a few mishaps before it all comes crashing down. Your goal is to develop a brand that people want to associate with and tell other people about.
Multiplying awareness is how brands go from unknown to iconic and eventually people can’t live without them.
Build
We’ve established that getting people’s attention is the first step to building an iconic brand but now we need to bridge the gap. It’s not enough for people to know about your brand, we want people to act and develop a relationship.
Organizing a community is one of the best ways to build that bridge. Humans relate to humans, simple enough. If that’s a concept that you don’t fully understand yet, then we highly recommend you go check out The Modern Marketer. Realize that brands, while they themselves are not people, are run by people. The blood, sweat, tears and emotions that get poured into a brand don’t just fade after its inception – they become a part of the brand and continue to embody it for years to come. People even will project themselves onto a particular brand, building and fostering a consistent ideal or an emotional attachment to it. This is the true power of when brand meets people, and it’s the very reason why we say that building is such an integral part when it comes to branding.
Apple is one of the greatest examples of a brand that has created a global community. Everywhere you look, you are likely to spot an Iphone. There is also this unspoken bond when you come across another person who has an Iphone. It’s like “hey, I see you have an iphone, we can be friends.” Think about it… Apple even made texts between IOS users a different color. Whenever you get a text from a friend and it’s green, you instantly know they are texting you from an Android or some other type of device. Secretly, you’re judging them. Just kidding. But some of you probably do.
When you build a brand that has unwavering support from a community, it generates the momentum that pushes it to new levels. Find your tribe and use them to strengthen your brand. Always remember that a group of 1000 loyal customers is better than 10,000 people who are not engaged with the brand.
Connect
Once you’ve laid the ground work for getting people’s attention and have built a strategy around a community, the last part is putting everything all together and connecting the pieces.
A strategy is only as good as it’s execution.
Creating REAL engagement is the last stage of building an iconic brand. In some respect, this overlaps with the ‘build’ part of the ABC guide, but it’s on purpose. You want all three parts to be integrated for a reason. Connecting your brand to people and other brands will only work if the foundation is strong.
Think about building a house. First you find the location, then build the foundation, followed by the house itself. Everything is planned but you need to know what you want to create.
Connecting to your target audience is the last stage because in the end they are the reason you created the brand in the first place. Truly work on fostering relationships with the people who engage with your brand. Go above and beyond to deliver on your promises. Make every attempt to exceed their expectations and continually provide value.
Building an iconic brand does not mean that you have to be known by everyone and anyone. Maybe your goal is simply to stand out from your competition or increase awareness about a cause that you support.
Establishing your goal or goals will help direct the strategies you create. Don’t rush to create something that isn’t well thought out.
In the end, remember your why and focus on building your brand for the long game.
