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Branding has become an integral part of the customer shopping experience.
With the right branding, companies are able to create a distinct look and feel for the product, making it easy for customers to identify and associate the product with a brand.
Product branding consists of creating logos, packaging, and messaging that follow a similar theme and communicate essential aspects of the product to customers.
The Importance of Product Branding
Product branding makes a significant difference in the customer experience.
Branding creates visual cues for customers that help them identify a brand amongst competitors, and it’s a way to connect to customers on a more personal level.
As the retail landscape becomes more and more competitive, many companies are now investing more into branding to help distinguish themselves and build authentic connections with customers.
Because of the impact branding has, it’s crucial to take the time and invest in the process and create a strong brand story, mission and purpose.
Product branding should have a strategy in mind and extensive audience research to ensure the branding resonates with customers and meets their demands/needs.
It adds a higher perceived value to your products and creates a story that customers are able to connect with through their values and morals.
While we are taught not to judge a book by its cover, when it comes to products, customers feast with their eyes and hands, so it’s important to establish an aesthetic appeal through product packaging.
The Elements of Product Branding
There are several different elements that encompass a product’s brand, including:
- Logo
- Colors
- Font
- Tag line
- Messaging
- Packaging design
Note that one element doesn’t matter more than others – a brand is the sum of all of these elements.
The goal of product branding is to create something cohesive, consistent, and distinct.
By giving each element equal measure, companies have the capability to create a strong brand that has the power to connect to customers.
It’s also important to understand the difference between company branding and product branding.
A business will likely already have distinct branding elements that may not be transferable to products.
However, when creating product branding, it’s just as important to consider how the corporate brand fits with the product brand.
Product branding should complement the corporate brand.
Some companies choose to create product branding that’s different from their corporate brand to give it a distinct identity, yet still connect the two.
Other companies create product branding that has similar themes and elements as the corporate brand to ensure customers make the connection between the two.
There’s no right or wrong way to incorporate corporate branding into product branding.
It’s really about what the end goal and strategy is for the product itself as it enters the market.
Branding Research
Audience research and competitor research are two crucial elements when designing product branding and the overall strategy.
Who are you targeting, and what do they want?
Some product branding creates a distinct identity for the product rather than the company brand because audiences care more about the product itself.
However, if the company brand is well-known in a specific market, product branding needs to incorporate the company’s branding elements so customers can connect the two.
How do competitors brand themselves and their products?
What are audiences seeking when evaluating competing products?
Is it a catchy tagline or logo or muted colors versus bright colors?
What is most important to customers when shopping for your type of product?
For example; sustainability, transparency, and packaging design are all things to research during the design process.
Identifying these elements through research makes it easier to create product branding customers will actually like.
Creating Value and Loyalty through Branding
Your product branding needs to consider two elements:
- How does your product provide value to customers
- How can your product create loyalty among customers?
The branding needs to be reflective of these two questions and communicate accordingly.
You want customers to have a strong first impression when they see your product and like it.
You also want them to keep coming back to your product, even when they see competing products.
Branding helps accomplish that.
Brands like Starbucks and Coca-Cola have stayed in public consciousness primarily due to their branding.
Although there are many competing products available in the market, customers keep coming back to the two – why?
Because they have strong product branding that helps create loyalty and delivers value.
Packaging design, such as Starbucks coffee cups and Coca-Cola cans, play a massive role in making that push towards their products.
Packaging design, alongside other brand elements, can help differentiate your products from the rest while still creating an authentic connection with customers.
Use it to communicate what your customers gain from your product, especially in packaging design.
That’s the first impression customers have, so it’s crucial to get it right.
Focus on creating emotional attachment in the branding to develop customer loyalty.
The more consistent you are in your branding, the more successful it will be.
Customers create associations between brands and products, which is why the different elements of product branding need to go together well.
It’s best to work closely with your packaging designer to ensure your corporate and product branding goals are met.