The essentials to developing a sustainable brand
Before effectively building a brand, we must first truly understand the meaning of “brand”. With the rise of small businesses being born, and sustainable ones to boot - the word “brand” has become more and more ambiguous over the years.
There is no shortage of definition for what a brand actually is, but if you ask any expert they will more or less tell you the same thing. Put simply, a brand is a collection of perceptions that develop an emotional connection. With this in mind, your logo, colour palette, typography, tagline and photography are a small part of a much bigger conversation. Every element that is designed, every move that is made and every perception that is had, must always come back to your brand strategy.
From the coronavirus crisis, to the mindful shopping habits of Gen Z and Millenials, to the climate crisis - brands no longer have the luxury of ignoring sustainable practices and climate change solutions. Trends show that consumers can no longer have the patience for brands that are not focused on ethical business practices. As such, the market for ethical products is booming, however, not all businesses are doing it for the right reasons. On the flip side, there are many that are, these are the brands that we recognise as pioneers in sustainability based on building their businesses with true integrity by following their good intentions with meaningful action.
This article is for the brands that have potential to be genuine leaders in the industry, in the hope that it will give you some guidance on how to develop a brand with as much impact as possible, and therefore increased profits - which in turn provides you with the ability to create purposeful change.
So, let’s jump into the essential steps (and some extra tips & tricks) for building an impactful, sustainable brand…
There is no shortage of definition for what a brand actually is, but if you ask any expert they will more or less tell you the same thing. Put simply, a brand is a collection of perceptions that develop an emotional connection. With this in mind, your logo, colour palette, typography, tagline and photography are a small part of a much bigger conversation. Every element that is designed, every move that is made and every perception that is had, must always come back to your brand strategy.
From the coronavirus crisis, to the mindful shopping habits of Gen Z and Millenials, to the climate crisis - brands no longer have the luxury of ignoring sustainable practices and climate change solutions. Trends show that consumers can no longer have the patience for brands that are not focused on ethical business practices. As such, the market for ethical products is booming, however, not all businesses are doing it for the right reasons. On the flip side, there are many that are, these are the brands that we recognise as pioneers in sustainability based on building their businesses with true integrity by following their good intentions with meaningful action.
This article is for the brands that have potential to be genuine leaders in the industry, in the hope that it will give you some guidance on how to develop a brand with as much impact as possible, and therefore increased profits - which in turn provides you with the ability to create purposeful change.
So, let’s jump into the essential steps (and some extra tips & tricks) for building an impactful, sustainable brand…
01 | UNDERSTAND
I have often said that as an entrepreneur your gut is your strongest asset, which in this instance is only partly true. During this critical step of creating a sustainable business, you also need to couple your intuition with sound market and consumer research. In order for your brand to be perceived a certain way and to instill a deep emotional connection with your audience, you need to first understand what makes them tick.
You can use any of these research tools as a great starting point to learning about a massive group and their behaviours. Once you have conducted enough research, make a list of brand attributes that are important to your target consumer. Then, dig a little deeper and establish what your audience currently thinks of your brand. What messaging are they connecting with, and not?
If you are creating a new brand, then a competitive analysis and brand perception research will be pivotal to creating a solid brand strategy. Holistically understand what your competitors are doing and what your consumers are seeking in a brand, in order to define your unique selling proposition (USP) and positioning that will clearly set you apart from the sea of brands. This sweet spot is where the true power in a brand lies, and sets the foundations needed for a successful and sustainable business.
You can use any of these research tools as a great starting point to learning about a massive group and their behaviours. Once you have conducted enough research, make a list of brand attributes that are important to your target consumer. Then, dig a little deeper and establish what your audience currently thinks of your brand. What messaging are they connecting with, and not?
If you are creating a new brand, then a competitive analysis and brand perception research will be pivotal to creating a solid brand strategy. Holistically understand what your competitors are doing and what your consumers are seeking in a brand, in order to define your unique selling proposition (USP) and positioning that will clearly set you apart from the sea of brands. This sweet spot is where the true power in a brand lies, and sets the foundations needed for a successful and sustainable business.
02 | PLAN
The research from the first step will be the guiding light to help inform your strategy. Once you have pinpointed who you are trying to reach, you can then establish how you will reach them. It is in this stage of the development that you define your brand strategy, which will act as a roadmap for all and any future endeavours of the business.
You start by characterising who your target audience is to the finest level of detail so you are able to envisage them as a real person. From this you will be able to plan how you intend to engage with them based on where they can be found, how they behave and the value you can bring to them. The target audience will also help create your brand’s key elements, such as: name, tagline, vision statement, mission statement, brand promise, personality, tone of voice, attributes and core values.
Once you have established all of these elements you will then have the essential footing and roadmap to guide you with every decision needed to develop a sustainable brand. For help with crafting your strategy, read our handy article 8 magical tips for crafting your vision & mission. It is also important to access and plan what values-aligned practices you plan to implement - whether it be through your supply chain, partnerships, carbon offsetting, packaging. Below are some incredible thought starters for you…
- Green Fleet
- 1% for the Planet
- Sendle
- Better Packaging
- C2zero
- BCorp
You start by characterising who your target audience is to the finest level of detail so you are able to envisage them as a real person. From this you will be able to plan how you intend to engage with them based on where they can be found, how they behave and the value you can bring to them. The target audience will also help create your brand’s key elements, such as: name, tagline, vision statement, mission statement, brand promise, personality, tone of voice, attributes and core values.
Once you have established all of these elements you will then have the essential footing and roadmap to guide you with every decision needed to develop a sustainable brand. For help with crafting your strategy, read our handy article 8 magical tips for crafting your vision & mission. It is also important to access and plan what values-aligned practices you plan to implement - whether it be through your supply chain, partnerships, carbon offsetting, packaging. Below are some incredible thought starters for you…
- Green Fleet
- 1% for the Planet
- Sendle
- Better Packaging
- C2zero
- BCorp
03 | CREATE
This,in our biased opinion, is the most exciting part of all - putting all of your research and planning into action and actually bringing it to life. For this integral stage of creating your brand, it is important to work with a creative team who are expert in using all of the understanding and planning that has taken place to design a brand that not only looks incredible, but also connects in a powerful way.
Branding that is done well and has the right foundations from the beginning will not only emerge from a sea of sustainable brands, but will also stand the test of time.
We create brands that not only pursue a better future, but evolve effortlessly into the future. Once the brand identity is established it is time to use the research combined with the brand strategy from step 2, to guide the consistent content and messaging that will be communicated through every touchpoint to where your target audience is in their everyday life.
Branding that is done well and has the right foundations from the beginning will not only emerge from a sea of sustainable brands, but will also stand the test of time.
We create brands that not only pursue a better future, but evolve effortlessly into the future. Once the brand identity is established it is time to use the research combined with the brand strategy from step 2, to guide the consistent content and messaging that will be communicated through every touchpoint to where your target audience is in their everyday life.
04 | IMPLEMENT
Now that you have all of the necessary brand ingredients for success, it is time to share them with the world. It is here that you will need to execute a solid campaign launch. This will be an ongoing effort to ensure everything that you do is with the sole purpose of connecting in the right way with your audience and creating the desired perceptions of your brand as a result.
Smart marketing and PR tactics will need to be applied through multiple touchpoints in order for your brand and messaging to cut through in a crowded market. A strong marketing ecosystem is so important, including elements such as email marketing, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, lead magnet, and paid ads.
Always make sure you are coming back to your strategy and ensure your motives and communication are genuine - consistency is always key when it comes to your brand. Trust in your brand comes from consistency over time, and that is a core ingredient in order to have a successful and sustainable brand.
Smart marketing and PR tactics will need to be applied through multiple touchpoints in order for your brand and messaging to cut through in a crowded market. A strong marketing ecosystem is so important, including elements such as email marketing, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, lead magnet, and paid ads.
Always make sure you are coming back to your strategy and ensure your motives and communication are genuine - consistency is always key when it comes to your brand. Trust in your brand comes from consistency over time, and that is a core ingredient in order to have a successful and sustainable brand.
05 | MEASURE
Measuring is an essential ingredient that should be woven throughout every part of the brand building process. There is true power in data, and without it you will simply find yourself guessing and second guessing everything you are doing. This results in wasting precious time, money and energy that could be used to create purposeful impact. Not only should you be measuring the market in step one and two but also before sending your campaign live.
Invest in making sure you have all of the measurement tools in place. These include Google Analytics, Search Console, social media analytics (e.g. Planoly or Loomly), and email capturing (e.g. Klaviyo or Mailchimp). Soon you will start to see the benefits of a strong brand strategy in play and will notice your brand's ability to push through the inevitable and unpredictable market challenge that will result in a wildly successful and sustainable brand that will grow from strength to strength.
Invest in making sure you have all of the measurement tools in place. These include Google Analytics, Search Console, social media analytics (e.g. Planoly or Loomly), and email capturing (e.g. Klaviyo or Mailchimp). Soon you will start to see the benefits of a strong brand strategy in play and will notice your brand's ability to push through the inevitable and unpredictable market challenge that will result in a wildly successful and sustainable brand that will grow from strength to strength.
06 | EVOLVE
Now’s the time to be analysing and adapting based on the data you have collected. What have you observed about your customers? What are they engaging with, and not? Use it to paint a clear strategic picture of what your next moves should be.
Consider the broader market trends and how they will affect your business. Once you have established this, write down your plan of action and ideas to effectively evolve your brand. Be sure to go through this exercise regularly and soon it will become an organic and natural process.
The most impactful and successful brands are connected to your brand story and will tell it visually. That’s why the first thing we do in our design studio before touching the tools, is we take a deep dive into your brand strategy, and then we bring it into the visual realm. If you want to talk all things brand, or get professionals on board - you know who to call.
Consider the broader market trends and how they will affect your business. Once you have established this, write down your plan of action and ideas to effectively evolve your brand. Be sure to go through this exercise regularly and soon it will become an organic and natural process.
The most impactful and successful brands are connected to your brand story and will tell it visually. That’s why the first thing we do in our design studio before touching the tools, is we take a deep dive into your brand strategy, and then we bring it into the visual realm. If you want to talk all things brand, or get professionals on board - you know who to call.
