Insight
What is "Being a Brand"?
(Text: Yang Shuyan / General Manager of Process Pro Brand Taiwan)
Don't think it's as easy as just making a logo.
The term "branding" has been the most frequently mentioned concept in Taiwan's business operations in the last decade. However, because it is so often said, it is easily simplified, misunderstood, and even over-expected. Some companies think that branding is just a matter of making a logo and changing the packaging; others expect sales to soar immediately after branding. There is nothing wrong with these ideas, they are just not complete enough.
So, what is the real "being a brand"?
Broadly speaking, branding is about creating a business system that can be chosen and remembered. A strong brand will permeate every aspect of the enterprise: from product design and pricing strategy to marketing communication, customer experience, talent attraction, and even corporate culture and vision. It is not just marketing or packaging, but a "common language" for the entire operation of the enterprise. In other words, branding is not just about how you look (logo, visuals) and how you speak (marketing copy), but also about how youWho, why and what are the essentials?This is what we always say: "Branding is not about skin, it's about internal strength". This view of branding is what we often say: "Branding is not about skin, it's about internal strength".
Narrowly speaking: to make a brand is to establish a clear basis for communication between the enterprise and the market. For us, Pro's core service in assisting clients to make a brand is the integration process from strategy to design, focusing on the following three systems:
MI (Mind Identity): clarify the brand's vision, mission, core values, positioning, value proposition and personality.
VI (Visual Identity): Constructing a brand identity system, including logo, colors, fonts and application guidelines.
BI (Behavior Identity): Define the brand's tone of voice and style of interaction for more consistent internal and external communication.
MI (Conceptual Identity): Defining the meaning and unique position of a brand.
MI is the "soul" and "origin" of a brand. Through strategic guidance, we help companies answer several fundamental questions: Who are we? Who do we exist for? What makes us different from others? What do we want to be remembered for? This is not just about writing a brand vision, but also about extracting a clear brand positioning, core values, brand personality and proposition from the intersection of the external market and internal culture. A good MI is not just a motivational phrase, but a North Star that can guide the enterprise's decision-making, focus resources, and unite the team. When an enterprise has a clear MI, it will not be easy to follow the trend or make short-term market compromises, but will be able to establish a long-term brand awareness and competitive barriers.
VI (Visual Identity): Let the brand be remembered, recognized, and transmitted
VI is the "outward appearance" of a brand and is the first visual language that is used to communicate with the market. It is not just a logo, but a set of visual system, including logo, color, font, graphic style, layout rules and application extensions. A good VI should not only look good, but also be "memorable", "useful" and "consistent". It can clearly convey the brand's character across platforms and media, so that the brand will have a sense of familiarity and trust every time it appears. Visual identity is also a basic equipment for brand expansion. When you enter different markets, open new locations and expand new products, a stable VI system is like a uniform and language, which gives the brand a sense of unity and recognition.
BI (Behavioral Identity): Make the brand a consistent "habit" internally and externally.
BI is a brand's "way of doing", which is not written in a handbook, but lived in daily interactions.
It is divided into two levels
External Behavioral Recognition: The performance of a brand in its interactions with customers and the market, such as customer service response, social media tone, store tone, response speed and attitude, all of these will make customers feel that the brand is "consistent" and "can't do what it says it will do". For example, for a brand that emphasizes intimacy and transparency, customer service responses should be concise and direct without beating around the bush; or for a brand that emphasizes professionalism and efficiency, the wording and visual arrangement of social media content should be highly precise and consistent.
Internal Behavioral Recognition: This is how the brand values permeate the internal culture, influencing the way employees think, interact and make choices - e.g., "How do we deal with mistakes? "How do we evaluate a good solution?" These internalized attitudes are what make a brand not only look good on the outside, but also have a soul on the inside.
When a brand emphasizes "simplicity, efficiency, and trust" externally, but has confusing processes and a lack of consensus internally, it will ultimately be reflected in the marketplace-because brands are not talked about, they are made.
Therefore, a good BI is not just the words of a brand's PR campaign, but the brand's lifestyle.
These three systems not only give a brand a "look", but also give it "logic", "memory" and "consistency". Only when the brand is done well will marketing not shoot the bird, sales will speak differently, and customers will remember who you are.
So what's the point of having a brand?
We often say that branding is not a guarantee of a deal, but it will make it easier; branding will not fight for your performance, but it will make the market trust you, choose you, and even recommend you.
In an increasingly competitive and information-exploding marketplace, branding is like the "voice", "ethos" and "stance" of your business, so that customers recognize you at first glance, want to come back for the second time, and are willing to pay a little more for the third time. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity.
Branding is not about image, it's about "consistent" business competitiveness.
Branding, to put it bluntly, is about making a business look like it's not "for selling" but "for being believed". This difference is the key to customers' willingness to continue to choose you.
Therefore, don't think that branding is just a matter of making a logo, changing the packaging, or expecting sales to soar immediately after branding. True branding is to create a consistent, remembered and chosen management system, so that your products have a reason to be trusted, your team has a direction to follow, and your business has the opportunity to go farther. Think about it, how much longer can you rely on an unclear brand?
