- Branding & Designing
Are You Building Your Brand the Right Way?
In a world obsessed with clicks, conversions, and ROAS, building a strong brand often feels like a luxury rather than a necessity. But without a clear brand strategy, even your best-performing ads won’t drive long-term loyalty. That’s where a trusted branding agency for businesses comes in.
If you’re only chasing performance metrics, you may win today — and be forgotten tomorrow. To create meaningful connections and long-term value, your business needs more than just ads. It requires business branding services rooted in purpose, personality, and consistency.
In Brief
- Your brand is more than a logo—it's your customer promise in action
- The truth? A brandless business is a forgettable business.
- Performance marketing brings leads; branding brings trust
- Without clarity, creativity becomes noise
- Consistency, emotional connection, and values are your compounding advantage
- Avoid trends. Choose identity over aesthetics for your brand
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is.”
— Scott Cook, Co-founder of Intuit
In today’s competitive and cluttered digital marketplace, the most effective brands are not just seen or heard—they’re trusted. Trust is built through consistency, emotional connection, and a verifiable customer promise that sets your brand apart. Let’s explore how to make a brand the right way—from strategy to storytelling—and why brand advertising still matters in the age of data-driven performance marketing.
The Problem: Measuring the Unmeasurable
The century-old dilemma posed by John Wanamaker—”Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half”—still echoes in boardrooms today. And in the age of performance marketing, where success is measured in clicks, conversions, and ROAS, brand advertising has been pushed to the back seat.
The problem? While performance ads deliver short-term results, they don’t build long-term trust or customer loyalty. And without a brand, even the best product or service risks becoming forgettable.
So, What Is a Brand?
A brand is not just your logo or name. It’s:
- The look and feel of your visual identity
- The promises you make—and keep
- The way your team shows up in meetings or events
- How customers feel after interacting with youThe tone of your messaging
In short, your brand is your reputation.
And it’s being built—whether you’re actively working on it.
A strong brand builds credibility, creates emotional connections, and drives word-of-mouth advocacy. People don’t just buy what you sell—they buy why you exist and what you stand for.
The Core of Branding: A Clear Customer Promise (CP)
The most powerful brands are anchored in one core idea: a clear, specific, and verifiable promise to the customer that the company can consistently deliver. A strong CP guides everything—from product development to ad copy—and helps you focus your messaging, operations, and customer service around a single truth.
Why Customer Promises Work for your brand:
- They align teams internally around a shared mission.
- They earn loyalty by being reliably fulfilled.
- They build resilience by focusing on long-term trust, not just quick wins.
3 Essential Attributes of a Great Customer Promise
Memorable
It cuts through the noise with bold language or a surprising insight.
Example: SIXT’s “Don’t rent a car. Rent the car.”
Valuable
It’s centred around what the customer wants—not just what you offer.
Example: Geico: “15 minutes could save you 15%.”
Deliverable
It’s not fluff. It’s a promise that can be consistently verified.
Example: FedEx’s “Absolutely, positively overnight.”
Types of Promises That Resonate
Promise Type Description Example
Emotional Appeals to values, identity, or emotion Coca-Cola: “Have a Coke and a smile”
Functional Solves a real, practical problem Snickers: “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”
Enjoyable to Buy Makes the purchase experience better Uber: “The smartest way to get around.”
Value for Money Financial savings or smart spend Geico’s “15 minutes…”
Sustainability Good for the planet, good for you Tide: “Turn to Cold.”
Making Amends Rebuilding trust after failure Wells Fargo: “Earning back your trust”
The 3 Pillars of Brand Building
Successful brand building happens across three overlapping but distinct areas:
- 1. Brand Strategy - The long-term vision: values, mission, tone, and market positioning.
- 2. Brand Identity - Visual and verbal elements: name, colours, logo, typography, and messaging.
- 3. Brand Marketing - How your brand goes to market: campaigns, platforms, storytelling, and budget allocation.
1. Start with Clarity — Not Creativity
Before logos, fonts, or catchy slogans, define your why, who, and how.
Know:
- Why does your brand exist?
- Who are you serving (audience)?
- How are you solving a real problem?
Example: Apple didn’t start with “design” it began with a belief in challenging the status quo and empowering individuals.
2. Define Your Brand Positioning
Where do you sit in the customer’s mind — and how are you different from others?
Think:
- What gap are you filling?
- Who are your competitors?
- What's your unique promise?
Example: Nike isn’t just a shoe brand — it’s the spirit of athletic empowerment.
3. Build a Brand Personality
Are you warm and playful? Bold and rebellious? Minimal and calm?
Your tone, visuals, and actions should all reflect this personality.
Example: Innocent Drinks in the UK uses cheeky humour everywhere — from packaging to social media — reinforcing a fun, casual personality.
4. Craft a Strong Visual Identity
Design a consistent visual system across platforms — logo, colours, fonts, photo style, iconography.
Avoid trends. Choose identity over aesthetics.
Example: Tiffany & Co. owns the colour blue. You don’t even need to see the logo to recognise it.
5. Develop Your Brand Voice and Messaging
Write down:
- How your brand talks (tone)
- Key phrases or taglines
- Vocabulary do's and don'ts
Use this voice everywhere — on the website, in packaging, and in support chats.
Example: Mailchimp uses a warm, witty tone, even in error messages.
6. Deliver a Consistent Brand Experience
Every touchpoint matters — your product, service, Instagram bio, email footer, invoice design.
Branding isn’t a logo. It’s how you make people feel.
Example: Zappos is known not for shoes but for customer service that surprises and delights at every turn.
7. Build Emotional Connection
Facts tell, stories sell.
Show the people, beliefs, and experiences behind the brand.
Example: Ben & Jerry’s uses its platform to talk about social justice and builds loyalty by standing for more than ice cream.
8. Involve Your Audience
Co-create with your users:
- Share their stories
- Ask for feedback
- Let them feel part of the brand
Example: LEGO Ideas lets fans submit product concepts — many of which become real sets.
9. Stay Consistent — But Evolve Thoughtfully
Brands that thrive over decades adapt with purpose, not panic.
Example: Starbucks updates its visual identity every few years but keeps its mission and experience intact.
Do:
- Revisit your brand every year
- Refresh where needed — messaging, website, visuals
- Stay true to your purpose
10. Be Authentic, Always
Don’t copy trends or other brands.
Don’t fake beliefs or values.
Trust builds slowly and shatters instantly.
Example: Patagonia’s activism feels real because it is real — their actions back up their mission.
Final Thought
A strong brand isn’t built on colours and captions — it’s built on clarity, care, and consistency. It’s not about being louder than others, but about being truer to yourself — and more useful to your audience.
So ask yourself honestly: Are you building your brand the right way? Or are you just making noise in a crowded market?
At City &Talent, we don’t see branding as a creative afterthought—we treat it as a core business discipline. Whether you’re a startup or a scaling business, we help you build a strong brand grounded in authenticity, clarity, and strategy. If you’re looking for a brand strategy agency that enables you to stand out—and stay relevant—we’d love to talk. Because if your brand disappeared tomorrow… would anyone notice?
Let’s build something worth remembering. Contact City &Talent — Your Branding Agency for Businesses
About the Author
Pratik Poshe
Pratik Poshe heads the Design Studio at City &Talent. His passion lies in helping boutique hotels craft soulful, powerful brands rooted in authenticity, design, and guest experience.
Example: Innocent Drinks in the UK uses cheeky humour everywhere — from packaging to social media — reinforcing a fun, casual personality.
