Just like there are many types of brands, there are lots of different types of branding out there. Branding is all about personality, it isn’t one-size-fit-all, the most effective strategies are highly personalized to the companies, groups and individuals using them. In order to help you make the kinds of decisions necessary to create a marketable brand, we’ve broken down the main types of branding for you.
(1) Corporate branding
One of the more reputation-focused types of branding, corporate branding is about making a cultivated name for an entire organization. The public will associate the organization with a promise. Good corporate branding has long-term effects, as these companies can rely on name brand-recognition; customers tend to automatically trust new products when they are associated with a brand they already recognize.
(2) Personal branding
This usually refers to branding for the individual person, as opposed to branding for corporate. Personal branding is particularly important for celebrities, politicians, or even digital marketers who want to maintain a positive public image. Saying that, social media is a powerful tool when building a personal brand, because you have the ability to reach wide audiences while “speaking” from a personal platform.
(3) Product branding
Ever notice how “Maggie” became the representative of instant noodles? That’s because the product has reached the pinnacle of product branding success – the type of branding that gets consumers to choose one product over another based on the brand alone. With product branding, the goal is to connect the right audience to your product. You’ll often see logos or colors on specific products that jump out at you; this is because you’ve learned to associate the two together as a result of effective product branding.
(4) Online branding
Online branding, as the name implies, is branding that happens online. Unlike specific types of branding like personal or product branding, online branding is a broad category that refers to all types of branding that happens on the internet. This could refer to building a website, establishing a social media presence, publishing a blog – anything that happens on the web under your name.
(5) Offline branding
As the name suggests, this refers to branding that happens off the web. Much like online branding can encompass types of branding like personal branding, product branding and corporate branding, offline branding can encompass these as well. Merchandise, print products, and retail branding are offline branding. From doling out business cards to staging sit-down lunches with desired clients or leads, offline branding requires a mix of good design and outgoing spokesperson to represent your brand.
(6) Service branding
This type of branding puts a strong emphasis on the customer, and on providing your clients with impeccable services. Unlike products, services are a little more challenging to brand in visible and tangible ways, but that doesn’t mean brands can’t do it effectively. While every brand should do their best not to set their customers apart, service branding takes this one step further; it focuses specifically on adding perceived value to customer service, and uses this as their selling point. Often, service branding comes in the form of “extras”, like an insurance company sending all their customers rebate checks at the end of the year.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are lots of different types of branding that companies and other entities use to show the world who they are. Think about the face your company wants to show the world, and which type of branding is the best way to do that.
Need help to kick start? ShangHai is equipped with a team of professional branding consultants, ready to consult and help you to build your brand. Get in touch with us now!