We get it… many people don’t find “value” in marketing and creative. It seems more and more companies are putting one person in dual roles thinking they’ll be capable of “doing it all” within a 40 hour work week. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. No. While we understand that many people are very capable of doing multiple functions, it’s just not the best practice to put one person in charge of various duties within different departments – especially when you are a larger company. This is particularly important in the Marketing & Creative field where brand cohesiveness matters. Your branding is your identity and is the most crucial story to tell, so having a team of individuals working within their respective roles AND together, is where it’s at. AND… what is your brand without Marketing & Creative? What. A. Great. Question.
Try this… Think of your favorite brands. Whether its Uber, H&M, Starbucks, or Apple all of them have a brand that focuses on their identity and voice. Consistency is vital, so once their personality and voice have been established (the first stage of starting any successful company), they stick to their style, market their brand to hit their target audience, and evolve their identity with their market. Successful brands use repetition in fonts, colors, logo usage and more. Each brand carefully researches their target market to adequately understand the correct marketing initiatives and creative elements to utilize to get potential customers or clients buy-in immediately. They create a cross-functional brand. When you see Uber or Starbucks, you know their brand immediately. Not only is their logo quite apparent, but their type, their creative, their verbiage, their marketing efforts, their customer service and more are also all branded. These brands understand the importance of Marketing, Branding, and effective Creative assets. People purchase based on emotion, so put that emotion into your brand, so your voice speaks to your passion.
Okay okay, you might be asking yourself “what is a brand voice?” Oh my gosh, we are so glad that you asked! Well, friends, a brands voice is how a company TELLS you (the consumer) who they are through their brand’s creative elements, copy, mission statement, and more. This is what gives your brand what we like to call “brand recognition.” Brand recognition is developed as your clients start to learn your brand, love your brand, buy into your brand, and actively use and refer your brand to others. This is why establishing your voice is so important. Running out of the gates with a brand that immediately catches the attention of your audience is key to developing recognition. Many of the brands you use today emulate this in their own marketing whether in print, digital, or commercial – Apple is a PRIME example of this. No matter what, you recognize them. Am. I. Right? Mmmhmm.
You can probably already tell that even within this blog we are actively portraying our very own “brand voice.” BKN Creative is a fun light-hearted brand that focuses on creating valuable brand experiences through collaboration, creativity, and passion for both our clients, our work, and ourselves. We would never use what we call a used-car-salesman language. BUY NOW! GREAT DEALS! MARKETING NOW $10.99 A MONTH!! Why? Because that’s not an accurate depiction of our brand or what we do. That’s not to say that type of voice is wrong, and it’s just not us. But listen, if you want that life, GET IT! In our experience in developing branding, most consumers are not attracted to that kind of marketing. Utilizing a voice that shows compassion, understanding and knowledge in your field elevate you from your competitors. It showcases your brand as an elite industry-leading organization that one can trust and not feel taken advantage of. There we go again with people being emotional purchasers… They like REAL people. But really, they do.
While your brand voice is essential, let’s not forget about your brand image as it is just as important. Without a strategic and beautiful vision, your brand may be passed over quite quickly. Gone are the days where you were able to create a logo or flyer in Microsoft Word and expect it to go the extra mile. Today we live in such a digital and visual world, that most people are more attracted to the way a brand is visually designed than the actual product, which is why amazing visuals help motivate a person to purchase or buy into your concept. Most people go towards the pretty wine label instead of considering what type of wine they are purchasing. We are guilty of that as well – although side note, we do LOVE a red blend or excellent Shiraz… wink wink.
All that said every brand is unique. Each organization’s brand identity is crafted in many different ways and what may work for the entertainment industry may not work for the home remodeling industry. Choosing to work with the right Creative Marketing Agency is key to your success. Find an agency that will help you effectively navigate through the journey of branding while collaborating to creatively develop your brand voice all while allowing you to focus on the administrative tasks of opening a business. This is key, and we are here to help. Here’s our shameless plug. BKN Creative is a Full-Service Boutique (we like that word) Creative and Marketing Agency based in Tampa Florida right in the heart of Ybor City. Our agency is focused on helping you navigate through the branding, creative, and marketing processes while having fun, drinking wine, dancing, and pouring our passion into your passion. Let’s grow together! We love meeting new people, sharing stories, and developing strategies to help your adventure succeed! Check out OUR WORK.
