You don't need branding to be successful pt. 2

A business succeeds because it has been able to generate a reputation of value within the marketplace. It produces products and or services that people are willing to exchange money for, knowing it will enhance their lives.

Successful businesses have developed the capacity to listen—to themselves and the other. The source of their success lies in the quality of their relationships. Business is very much an art of relationship, understanding the needs of the people and how to meet them.

Time and time again, people come to me thinking a beautiful logo, website, and color palette is enough to make them successful.

It's not. The whole business needs to be evaluated to fully comprehend where the snags are happening, which parts of the operation need to be optimized, and where branding can fit in to help tell the story correctly. People's problems are multi-faceted, and if steps aren't taken to understand them, a new logo can be like putting lipstick on a pig.

Plenty of businesses do surprisingly well without ever investing in formalized branding. This is especially true with yoga instructors, dance clubs, hot sauce and restaurants. People can sniff out the good stuff and word spreads across their networks.

It's actually really hard to measure the true ROI of branding because a business's branding efforts often go hand in hand with an updated marketing strategy, sales process, and increased physical presence in relevant communities.

Well then, you may ask, why is branding even necessary? And why are businesses ready to shell out thousands—if not tens of thousands of dollars—for this work?

Branding is a tool for social recognition.

To build trust, people want to know you understand them, that you are a part of their culture. How is this done? Through a well-informed, multi-layered visual and verbal communication strategy.

What does your brand say about you when you are not in the room? How do you want to be perceived? How do you want to be remembered? The answers to these questions is where the art of branding shines. ✷