The 3 Pillars of Branding

Branding — where to start?

To the man on the street, it all seems deceptively straightforward — logos, colours, and fonts.

And, by contrast, for many in the business world, the field of branding can often feel too vague to fully grasp.

Truth be told, we branding aficionados haven’t always explained our discipline as clearly as we should have.

In reality, it’s both deeper than the layperson thinks, and clearer than we marketing executives often imply.

Allow me to demystify.

At its heart, there are three pillars that make up the field of professional branding.

They are:

1. Brand Development
2. Brand Management
3. Brand Activation

Now, give me just a few minutes to explain, and I promise you’ll see branding in a totally new and comprehensible light.

Let’s delve in.

1. Brand Development: Crafting positioning and identity

Imagine meeting someone for the first time.

You form an almost instant impression based on their appearance, what they say, how they say it, and more.

Based on that interaction, you inevitably begin to make a series of judgements and associations about them.

That’s just human nature.

Now, think of a brand as a person.

Brand development is the process of thoughtfully crafting that impression — and the perceptions that follow — for consumers.

It’s the stage where a brand is created.

Here we’re defining what makes a brand unique, from its core values and unique selling points to its verbal (name, strapline, tone of voice, etc) and visual (logos, colours, fonts, etc) identity.

This applies to both businesses and — to varying degrees — the products and/or services they offer.

Done right, brand development ensures that customers recognise and understand who you are and what you stand for.