I’m thrilled to have Brianne of Brightly & Co. today on the blog, sharing some of her branding knowledge!! You might be thinking, but Mariah, you promised us systems and processes this month, and yes, yes I did. However, I think as you read through’s Brianne’s post you are going to see the connection. But just in case here is a hint: processes = consistent experiences.😉

So, I’m going to let Brianne take it away…

One of my favorite questions is Why? It’s like the annoying kid who keeps asking why? Why? Why? until you run out of answers…and as annoyed as you might be, that kid could grow up to be a genius because they’re asking the right question – why?

The word Branding gets thrown around like confetti these days. Everyone and their Mom seems to know the word Branding. But unfortunately everyone has a different answer as to what the term actually means.

So before we dive into why Branding is important, let’s answer the question – what is Branding?

Branding is the entire experience someone has with you/your business.

It’s that simple and also complex. The entire experience has a lot of moving parts and details to think about. (To read more on what Branding is, click here.)

So I could almost say the answer to your question is simple, Branding is important because it’s literally the entire experience someone has with you/your business.

But I’m going to pretend you’re the inquisitive little kid constantly asking why. 🙂 And the good news is, I’m not annoyed by it at all, I would love to answer these questions for you.

Let’s jump in.

Why is Branding important?

Because Branding is the entire experience someone has with you/your Brand, and that entire experience is what spreads the word about your business.

Why?
Because people enjoy sharing their experiences, both good and bad. In order to grow your business, you want to make sure you’re looking at the entire experience your Brand provides. Is it good? Is it bad? Do people refer you? Do they come back?

Why?
If people have a great experience they’ll tell others and this grows not only your revenue, but also your trust factor. People will believe in your Brand, trust your Brand and then ultimately buy from your Brand.

Why?
People buy from those they trust. It’s an emotional reaction and they want to feel safe and connected to you. The more you have a cohesive, intentional and authentic Brand the more business you’ll receive.

Why?
Because good Branding builds relationships. The experience that your Branding provides is what draws people to you, to find out more, learn more and then hopefully buy more. 😉 Good Branding means a good experience. One that people feel confident in and can trust. They trust your Brand because they’ve experienced something positive that helped improve their life.
For a quick rundown, this is what Branding can do for your business:

Good Branding:
Makes you look professional.
Builds trust.
Builds relationships with your audience.
Draws in consumers (makes you money).
Helps define your purpose.
Creates clear expectations.
Defines you from your competition.

Bad Branding:
Makes you look unprofessional.
Makes people question.
Doesn’t build relationships.
Repels consumers.
Has a lack of purpose and clarity.
Makes you equal to or less than your competition.
Branding is important because it either makes you a sought after Brand or a reluctant Brand.

But don’t be confused by Branding. It’s not just the look. I can think of great logos and cohesive looks in businesses that have a bad Brand. Their whole experience is awful and people only have the worst things to say about them.

Take Comcast for instance, most people have had a terrible experience with Comcast at some point in their lives. Comcast is still in business and they will be a for as long as they hold the monopoly for internet service, but people are reluctant to work with them. It’s a chore, not a delight, people dread it. That equals a bad brand.

But if you take a good Brand for example, say something like, Disney. Whether you’re a Disney fan or not, the Disney Brand is powerfully positive. People get extremely excited and pay obscene amounts of money to participate in their Brand by attending their theme parks, watching their movies, purchasing their merchandise. The Disney experience is positive.

In both of these examples, we have two incredibly strong Brands. But here’s the key … if Disney received massive competition, some Brand who was doing the exact same thing as them, most people would still remain loyal to the Disney Brand.

But what if Comcast received massive competition? (which frankly, I wish they would). How many people do you think would remain loyal to them? I think it’s safe to say it would definitely be up for debate…
This is why Branding is so important.

Branding is the entire experience someone has with you/your business. It’s not just about your looks, it’s about the whole experience from start to finish and everything in between.

If you want to cultivate a good Brand, start by taking a look at your experience. Is it positive? Negative? Neutral? Ask others to let you know about their experiences with you. Where could you improve?

Lastly, don’t forget to have a vision for your Brand. If you want to have a fantastic Brand you’re incredibly confident in, take a moment to envision what that looks like. Feel free to get ideal here, your Branding will grow with you.

If you were the best at what you do, what would your whole Brand experience be like?

Take a moment to comment below and tell us how you want your Brand to make others feel.