Every brand is constructed around certain foundational elements. These elements first attract an audience, then keep them engaged, and turn them into loyal customers.
We’ll take a look at those elements and detail how artists can begin to create stronger brands for themselves. Our goal is to give you those unique factors to help make your brand pop. This is the beginning of our blog series where we will examine each of these pillars.
First, we’ll start with a short overview of these marketing and branding keys. An influential brand will have a mix of these key pillars. Click on the titles below to dive deeper and learn more about each element.
A good brand speaks to people’s emotions and stands for more than just product or company it represents. The power of a brand is that it communicates interests and values that allows people to connect, become a tribe, and feel a sense of belonging.
The brand’s story is fundamental to a brand’s ability to grow, connect, and communicate. Your brand story isn’t a sales pitch, it’s an authentic and engaging way for brands to communicate with their audience. And in the digital age, it’s more important than ever.
Sociologists have said that rituals are important to every culture because they provide order and structure, and assure us of our place in the bigger scheme of things. For a brand the act of a ritual can drive engagement and sense of belonging. Furthermore, it can encourage more consumption and make a brand stand out.
Symbols or in the case of brands, logos. Logos visually connect a brand in a person’s mind. They are the graphic display of the brand, it’s message, and culture. It allows for shorthand communication and resonates in the mind of the audience.
A clear vision is essential as it informs the brands goals, values, and culture. Without a clear vision a brand can’t tell a consistent and clear story. Nor can it communicate the values that will attract fans and create an emotional connection. Without a clear vision, the brand, is unable to determine its path.
Sensory appeal for a brand pinpoints the different senses from a sound of a jingle, smells, visual stimuli, the feeling of textures, or taste. The addition of sensory stimuli has positive effects on the customer experience when done properly and improves brand recognition.
Enemies or in this case competition is important to a brand. It keeps the brand pushing forward. It makes sure it communicates its value and differentiation. It makes sure the brand continues to push to innovate and grow. Brands who don’t take competition seriously usually the ones people don’t remember or that die off quickly.
Evangelism is a key to rapid growth of a brand. If the connection you create with your fans is deep and the values ingrained then your fans will go out of their way to tell others about your brand, which pays dividends.
Mystery is essential, because it creates intrigue, awareness, and excitement. Predictability can become boring. If a brand is growing, experimenting, and pushing forward, fans want to know what’s next. There’s a natural mystery there along with the excitement that comes from speculating what’s next.
Grandeur is the aspirational element your brand holds. Martin Lindstrom said “Every successful brand stands for something more than itself.” A brand that can create that sense of greatness as part of the value it gives its fans will have a great amount of societal influence.