Branding Language

Branding uses a very different language than advertising or every other type of marketing, especially because so many marketers try very hard to make branding sound as little like sales as possible.  The idea of branding is not really to sell – the idea is to get customers to see your business in a positive light while offering more information about your products and services.  There are two basic types of branding languages:

1) Words.  In placements on the radio, in publications, and in real life you will be using words to communicate facts and benefits about your business.  However, you must be careful to do so in a way that does not sound like a sale. Unfortunately, we are so inundated with ads that many customers feel that ads are intrusive and actually attempt to ignore anything that seems like an ad.  That means that customers may miss the information about your business that can help them enjoy the benefits that your company has to offer.  You can correct this by using words that promote your business in a way that does not seem too sales-heavy.

The context of your words is often as important as the words themselves.  Placing your words on a radio show rather than a radio ad or placing references to your business in an article instead of in a by-line will make the words about your business more likely to be read.  Many companies want the most visible places for their ad words – in big banner ads and in big titles.  However, people who are reading for content tend to overlook these big references as ads.

The words you use will be more effective if you use facts and useful information rather than pressure to buy. When talking about your company, for example, list your services and tell what makes your company unique rather than telling people to “call today.”  If customers feel that you are offering them something of value they are more likely to seek you out.

2) Visuals.  A very big part of branding has to do with visual placement.  In many cases, seeing a logo will have more impact on a customer than reading an entire article about a business!  Many people are simply visual and looking at a pleasant and simple visual is less involving than reading many words, which means that more people will look at the visual.  Also, visuals tend to cross language lines more effectively, making your brand recognizable to more customers.

Many companies want to combine visuals with lots of words describing their company.  This is not only not necessary, but in many cases it lessens the impact of the visual.  For example, seeing a celebrity at a press conference drink from your bottled water can have more of an impact than having a reporter just talk about the water.  If you can, have visuals off your brand be bright and simple and dramatic.  Place them where people will associate them positively.  Again, if you are selling bottled water, consider having your logo embossed across the finish line of a marathon and offer bottled water at race’s end.  Your product will be more likely to be associated with winning than if you set up a concession stand by the side of the road.

Use lots of small visuals for big impact.  If a customer sees your logo in several places throughout a day (on a hat, on a shirt, in an ad) they are more likely to be intrigued and curious about your business.  Rather than spending your entire marketing budget on one large billboard, then, focus on smaller placements that will get your logo seen a few times by many people.