January is often a time for reflection for businesses as they set out their objectives for the upcoming 12 months. Whether you’re starting out with your company’s branding or considering a refresh, there are key guidelines to consider.

Here, in the first of our Tips & Tricks series, PR and Content Manager Patrick O’Kane delves into five ways you can set yourself on the path to brand success in 2023.

1. Develop a strategy for brand success, built around a central purpose

The starting point for brand success comes in identifying the purpose behind your brand. Why does it exist? What are you trying to achieve? Who and how are you here to help? You might have an idea for your brand motto or even your logo, but doing things in the right order will set you on a much quicker path to brand success. Take the time to sit down and strategise about your business. Invest in your audience research and build out your brand guidelines, before backing up your brand with a well-thought-out marketing and advertising strategy.

2. Find common ground with your target audience and build it into a concise brand positioning statement

Increasingly, today’s consumers indicate a desire to buy from brands that align with their own ethos and values. It’s therefore imperative for businesses developing a brand to find common ground with their audience. Rather than telling them why they need you, dive into why you need them. Look at their perspectives and draw on shared values from which to build your brand positioning statement.

3. Invest in an eye-catching logo that reflects your personal brand but resonates with audience values

When it comes to designing your logo, memorability is key. After all, it’ll often be an audience’s first experience of your brand. Everyone knows that little blue bird associated with Twitter, right? It’s unmistakeable. Tap back into your brand values and make sure you craft something that aligns with your audience. If you’re a luxury brand for example, you want your font to signify aspiration and affluence. Steer clear of symbols that are already saturated in the brand market and choose clarity over complexity.

4. Find your USP and use it to tell your brand story. Effective use of storytelling will allow you to connect with new and existing customers

What is it that makes your brand stand out from its competitors? Why should a consumer or business partner choose your team over a rival in the same sector? Use that unique selling point and build your brand story around it. A compelling narrative, which your team, clients and customers can believe in and align themselves with, can be instrumental to brand success.

5. Provide consistent messaging across all marketing platforms

It almost goes without saying, but making sure that your message is aligned across all of your marketing and communications channels is just as important as getting that logo design right. If people encounter your brand with different cues and tones across, for example, Twitter, LinkedIn, and e-bulletins, they’re going to be confused about what you stand for and whether you’re an authentic prospect.

However, remember that consistent doesn’t mean cloning the exact same treatment across everything: adapt your message to be relevant to each channel’s unique audience considerations while staying true to your brand voice and values throughout. It’s a balance, but if you’ve got your strategy, audience insight and channel research right, this should be a straightforward exercise in empathy and understanding.

No matter how you decide to implement your brand building in 2023, taking your time to get your brand right is crucial to delivering on business and marketing objectives. Chat about your brand with Patrick and the team in more detail at hello@differentnarrative.com