Building A Brand: Creating A Brand Development Strategy 

There is no doubt that we have emerged from the widespread disruption of the pandemic into a new reality – one where the consumer is king. Power has well and truly shifted away from companies as customer choice increases exponentially through online marketplaces. The popularity of food delivery apps and e-commerce platforms has led customers to expect convenience and quality above all else, while social media and online reviews can instantly make or break the reputation of a brand. 

A recent study found that there are six key drivers that shape consumer purchasing decisions: value, convenience, choice, privacy, experience and purpose. The company-consumer relationship has evolved as customers desire more consistent and personalised experiences with brands that align with their values. This means companies that wish to survive (and thrive!) in this dynamic retail environment need to prioritise creating and maintaining a deeper relationship with their customer base. How? Through building their brand. 

Brand building can take different forms depending on where you are on your food, beverage or retail journey. For newbies launching their first product, storefront or restaurant, building a brand encompasses the creation of an authentic and unique brand identity – everything that customers see and learn about your business. For established companies, brand building usually refers to brand development or rebranding to maintain a competitive edge in a flooded market, attract a new customer demographic or revitalise tired brand assets. 

Creating a brand identity that people will love is hard. Creating a brand identity that customers want to remain loyal to is even harder. But both are vital to ensuring the success and longevity of your business. 

Why Building a Strong Brand Identity is So Important 

Our ability to trust has taken a hit over the past few years. Living through a period of global uncertainty and having to adapt to sudden societal change (remember lockdowns?) has made us wary of company promises and more selective of the brands we choose to endorse. It has even been suggested that we are entering an age of cynicism, with a 2021 survey revealing only 47% of brands are considered trustworthy by consumers and worryingly, that up to 75% of brands are seen as easily replaceable.

So, it makes sense that trust has become the new measure of success for brands. Trust drives customer loyalty: a 2020 Deloitte survey found that 88% of customers who highly trust a brand have bought again from that brand, 73% have tried a new product or service from that brand, and 62% buy almost exclusively from that brand over competitors in the same category. Not maintaining the trust of your customer base can also be costly, with brands that broke customer trust due to scandals recorded to have lost up to a staggering 56% of their market capitalisation. 

Being seen as a trustworthy brand by customers relies in part on your brand identity. Consumers will only forge meaningful connections with brands that can prove themselves to be authentic, transparent, purposeful, and above all, human. 

Key Elements for a Successful Brand Development Strategy 

Building a brand from scratch requires strategic strategy development to place you in the best position to start establishing trust with your customers. Here are some elements to consider: 

#1: Establishing Your Purpose 

Customers want brands to stand for more than just the products they sell. Purposeful brands know how to articulate why they exist and the positive impact they have on people’s lives, society and the environment. Effectively setting your brand apart from competitors isn’t the only benefit – brands with a clear purpose and high impact on people’s lives grew 2.5 times more than brands with a low perceived impact. 

Consider what makes your brand unique and how it can positively affect your community, and make that the heart of your brand identity. Your brand doesn’t have to be ground-breaking or change the world, but it does need to be meaningful. 

Refining Your Brand Position 

Finding your niche and refining your brand position will make your business stand out from the rest. When Saint Clair Family Estate came to us with the ambition to create a world-class New Zealand wine brand in less than one generation, we drew on the quality of their vineyards and the family’s history as viticulture pioneers in Marlborough to create a distinct brand identity which has grown with the business. Today, Saint Clair is ranked in the top 100 wineries in the world with over 20 sub-brands exported across the globe.

#2: Understanding the Market

Finding your place in the market necessitates research. You can learn invaluable lessons from major players in your industry, from what is exciting and eye-catching about their brand assets to how they interact with their customer base. How do they deal with customer complaints? Maintain customer loyalty? What is their social media presence like? 

This doesn’t mean that you should try to create a brand identity similar to your competitors. You definitely don’t want to be overlooked or worse, mistaken for another brand. Instead, you should try to zig where the rest of the market zags – authenticity and innovation are what attract consumers and make them care about your brand. 

Identifying Your Ideal Customer 

It is no longer enough just to have a high-quality product – you need to find a way to cut through the noise and resonate with your target customer. Sometimes this means increasing specificity, as was the case with Delta Estate Wines. We crafted a memorable brand identity that reflects Delta’s elegance, restraint, and attention to detail, resulting in a significant increase in both domestic and global sales. 

Other times, this may mean evolving your brand to avoid being lost on the shelf. Yenda Brewing Co. had lost market share due to a massive influx of competitors into the craft beer space. By creating intelligently disruptive packaging to draw the eye and reflect its connection with country Australia, we were able to drive a more mainstream positioning in the market and engage the attention of a wider customer base.

#3: Telling the Story of Your Brand 

If you want consumers to care about your brand, then you need a good story. Storytelling is one of the oldest and most evocative forms of communication – stories are how we learn to navigate the world and each other. We believe that great brands are built on great stories and that having an authentic story at the centre of your brand can go a long way towards humanising your business. 

But what makes a great story? Easy: one which creates warmth, trust and connection between you and your customers. So, think about who you are, where you come from, and what you can deliver that no other brand can, and you’re well on your way to building your brand identity. 

Finding Your Voice 

Sometimes solidifying the voice of your brand boils down to asking the right questions. Guzman Y Gomez was born out of the desire to introduce real Mexican street food and culture to Australia at a time when there was little understanding of Mexican cuisine. Our research revealed an increasing appetite for culturally authentic dining experiences, so we positioned

GYG as an authority on contemporary Mexican food, resulting in the fastest-growing QSR chain in Australia with over 130 restaurant locations. 

#4: Creating Intelligently Disruptive Designs 

In a saturated marketplace, you really don’t want to waste time blending in with the crowd. We believe in disruptive, bold design which leaps off the shelf or out of the screen. The visual design of your brand can encompass everything from typography and colour palette to graphics and the all-important logo, which might one day symbolise your entire business. Great visual design should tell your brand story instantly, and if it can leave your customers smiling too, so much the better. 

Don’t fall into the trap of just trying to be aesthetically pleasing, either. Memorable brands intelligently disrupt the status quo by catching both the eyes and imaginations of consumers. 

Developing Ownable Assets 

Quick! Think of one of your favourite food or beverage products: was it the name or the logo that popped into your mind first? As a brand, you need unique, ownable assets that you can develop to suit your evolving needs. Cleverly designed brand assets make your business instantly recognisable and embody your brand identity to both existing and new customers. This was the case with RUM Co. of Fiji from Coca-Cola Amatil, which was underperforming in the spirits category until our packaging design refresh that paid respect to the Fijian heritage of the brand and increased Australian sales five-fold within the first year. 

#5: Fostering Cohesion and Consistency 

Although creativity is crucial for building your brand and attracting your ideal customer base, you also need to consider the role of cohesion and consistency in creating a trustworthy brand. Customers need to trust that you will continue to deliver the same quality of service, listen to their concerns and fulfil the purpose of your brand as communicated through your brand story. 

As customers, we like familiarity – the belief that we understand and are understood in turn by our favourite brands. Keeping customers aligned with your brand means getting to know them and putting effort into maintaining that personal connection, whether that be in-store, through your brand assets, or online. 

Building Brand Awareness

A brand identity is made up of various elements which all need to work cohesively together to retain customer loyalty. Strong brands ensure that every product, asset, and social media post reflects their authentic brand identity. Consumers want transparency – any note in your branding that doesn’t ring true can damage your reputation. That’s why when we were asked to bring the story of Soo Zee 23’s Sichuan beef noodle soup to life, we made sure that the authenticity of their specialty cuisine featured in every aspect of their brand identity. 

Tips for Ensuring Brand Success and Longevity 

Building a strong brand doesn’t end at the launch date of your business – brand development is ongoing and it isn’t uncommon to partially refresh or fully rebrand after a certain length of time. 

However, there’s definitely a sweet spot between implementing the innovation required to attract new customers and maintaining the consistency that consumers crave. Let’s discuss how some of Australia’s best-loved brands reinvented themselves while keeping the trust and loyalty of their customer base. 

Apply Your Brand Across Your Organisation 

Successful branding is consistent branding, so once you have decided to redevelop your visual and verbal brand identity, you need to follow it through. Potentially alienating your existing customers is a lesser risk than only partially completing the transformation and seeming uncertain about the creative direction of your business. 

As Australia’s favourite chicken shop, Red Rooster had more to risk than most when they came to us for a brand refresh to match their new menu. But by injecting humour and personality into their distinctive brand assets, Red Rooster can now appeal to a whole new generation of chicken fans. 

Revitalise Your Brand with New Assets 

For established or legacy brands, longevity and success can be a balancing act. You need to maintain what customers love about your brand while remaining relevant and competitive. Sometimes all that’s needed is a refresh of your brand assets to revitalise your business while ensuring that you remain easily recognisable.

This was the case with Doyles Seafood, who are widely known for having the best fish ‘n’ chips in Sydney. Doyles has been serving fresh seafood since 1885, so we made sure that heritage was clearly reflected across multiple touchpoints. 

Connect With Your Customers 

The last thing you want to do is drift out of touch with your customer base. New products and restaurants are entering the marketplace every year, so to prevent your customers from looking elsewhere you need to understand and emphasise what made them connect with your brand in the first place. 

Chicken Treat has had a huge following in Western Australia since the 1970s, but became dated and challenged by competitors. By referencing its origins with 70’s comic book-style assets while simultaneously modernising the brand, we helped Chicken Treat increase its sales by 12%. 

Be Committed and Creative 

Brand authority comes from commitment and creativity, exemplified in success stories like Coca-Cola Amatil. Building your brand to become a household name means being willing to take creative risks and re-energise your business when required. 

Although known for its ‘famous Bondi Beach chicken burgers’, Oporto took the opportunity to evolve their brand positioning as the QSR brand expanded into regional Australia. By rebranding with us as experts in authentic ‘Portuguese Flame Grilled Chicken’, Oporto expanded its customer appeal, contributing to a 40-point increase in their store’s Net Promoter Score. 

Grow Your Brand with The Creative Method 

Our brand identity solutions create meaningful connections between businesses and consumers through authenticity, storytelling, and bold, intelligently disruptive design. Build a unique brand that your customers will love and trust for years to come. 

Contact us today so that we can create the best brand development strategy for your business. 

The Value of Brand Innovation and Strategy for Success

Creating a brand that people will love is hard. Trust us, we’ve been in the brand design industry long enough to know. Creating a brand that people will remain loyal to is even harder. Being a successful brand seems to be more of an art than a science in the brave new world of e-commerce and social media, and it relies on knowing your customers really, really, really well. The past few years have shifted power overwhelmingly to the consumer in the retail equation, meaning that ensuring people continue to choose your brand over your competitors is more important than ever before. Zendesk’s 2022 CX survey found that more than 60% of customers have higher customer service standards post-pandemic, and that 61% would defect to a competitor after just one bad experience. The truth is that with so much choice available, consumers need a better reason to stick around than just a quality product. As the food, beverage, and retail industries are flooded with new entrants every year, how can your brand cut through the crowd while creating customer loyalty? The answer lies in innovation.

What is Brand Innovation? 

Generally, brand innovation refers to expanding on or adding value to your current offerings, whether that be through a new product line, creation of brand assets, refinement of brand strategy and position, or a complete rebrand of your entire visual design and identity.  The largest, most successful brands in the world are always innovating, focused on making their products distinct and disruptive while still remaining identifiable and relevant. Think of brands like Coca-Cola, McDonalds or Arnotts – each company is a household name in Australia with a unique brand identity, but continuously works to improve their offerings, reputation, and relationship with their customers. In 2021 Red Rooster undertook their first menu innovation in years by adding fried chicken to the menu. This was the perfect time for a drastic transformation to the brand as well.

Aligning Creativity with Brand Identity Consistency 

Although creating a unique and strong brand identity which will best serve your business is essential, what is often overlooked in the brand creation and innovation process is the importance of consistency. As consumers, we crave familiarity and an emotional connection with our favourite brands. Something as simple as a packaging or logo change can accidentally alienate your customer base, or worse, render your brand unrecognisable.  So, although creativity is an integral part of brand longevity and success, be mindful – each change you make should be purposeful and aimed at ultimately improving the customer experience.

Why is Having a Brand Innovation Strategy So Important? 

A 2021 survey by Havas Group concluded that we are entering an age of cynicism when it comes to the relationship between businesses and consumers. 71% of survey respondents had little faith that brands would deliver on their promises, and only 47% of brands were considered trustworthy. This means that brands need to concentrate on presenting an authentic and consistent brand identity to their customers, or risk losing their trust in the long run.  That is why having a cohesive brand innovation strategy is crucial – presenting conflicting information about your business or failing to deliver on your promises could spell disaster.

The Crucial Role of the Customer in Successful Innovation 

Now that the power of the consumer has exponentially increased, brands need to look to the needs of customers to inspire innovation. Having a strong social media presence is essential for modern brands, as this is where customers go to ask questions, leave reviews, and engage with businesses on a personal level. Brand equity is created just as much online as through in-person customer experiences these days, if not more so. Being able to directly connect with your customer base and solicit their opinion on recent or upcoming changes to your brand will help alleviate some of the risk that accompanies innovation, while also helping to form a stronger brand-consumer relationship.

How to Achieve Innovation Through Brand Evolution 

So now the question becomes: how can we achieve innovation? It’s normal to feel daunted by the idea of evolving your brand, but keep in mind that innovation is often the culmination of many small, easily achievable changes over time. Here are our five top tips for brand innovation:

#1: Be Inspired By Your Unique Story 

When we create or reinvigorate brands for our clients, we always go to your brand story first for inspiration. Not only does your unique story help to differentiate your brand from your competitors, but storytelling itself is the most effective way to forge an emotional connection with your customer base. We believe that behind every good brand is a good story, so make sure that you share it. Not sure how your story can help to evolve your brand identity? Sometimes it’s just a matter of digging deep and asking the right questions.

#2: Refresh Your Existing Brand Assets  

The visual elements of a brand can come to represent your entire brand identity at a glance. Refreshing your brand through a packaging redesign can be useful for overcoming a slump in sales or attracting a new customer demographic. The trick is to achieve this without losing the accumulated brand equity and recognition you have built up until that point. Our advice is to do your research! What do your customers want? What are your competitors doing? How is the market evolving? How can you integrate your brand story? We eat (and drink) with our eyes first, so make sure you give them a feast.

Due to a massive influx of players into the craft beer space, Yenda had lost market share against its competitors. 

We were engaged to refresh the Yenda brand identity and drive more of a mainstream craft beer positioning, without alienating existing grassroots customers.

#3: Consider the Customer Experience 

Brands are judged on the way they treat their customers, so you need to ensure that every consumer has a positive experience when they engage with your products or service.  A customer’s experience of your brand could begin on your website, or through an interaction with a staff member, or by ordering takeaway through a food delivery app. Whatever form this first interaction takes, everything from your store design to your product packaging needs to reflect your brand identity and create a cohesive (and enjoyable) customer experience.

#4: Solidify Your Brand Position 

Having to constantly compete with other brands for consumer attention can be demoralising, especially when you can’t tell what makes a customer choose another product over your own. Some brands make the mistake of trying to appeal to every customer demographic, but we’ll let you in on a secret: the more specific your audience, the more likely you will receive ongoing customer loyalty.  People like to feel as though they are being personally advertised to; it’s one of the ways that we feel connected to a specific product or brand. You might just find that when you begin to target your ideal customer, your brand will actually resonate with a broader range of consumers.

#5: Disrupt the Status Quo  

The last thing any brand wants to do is get lost in the crowd. Although seeing how your competitors are branding themselves is valuable, don’t be tempted to copy what others have done before. You want to look for gaps in the market that haven’t been filled, or customer needs that haven’t been met – essentially, you want to zig where the market zags. Disrupting the status quo with intelligent, disruptive design is what gets brands noticed, so don’t be afraid to experiment! A refresh, partial rebrand or even a full rebrand could be all that is needed to take your business to the next level.

When we were engaged by Guzman Y Gomez to create their Mexican QSR brand, no one was doing Mexican in Australia well. See how we built a disruptive brand that has survived the test of time and supported them as they have become one of Australia’s fastest growing QSR’s today.

Build Your Brand’s Success with The Creative Method 

Innovation is essential for brand longevity and success. Let’s talk about your brand innovation strategy – whether you are an established business or an entrepreneur with the beginnings of a dream, our team can help. Contact us today so that we can create the best brand innovation strategy for your business.