Understanding what attributes your brand possesses is part of creating brand awareness and developing your brand personality and identity. After all, these attributes are what make up your brand's DNA.
And a big part of understanding your brand's DNA is recognizing what attributes already exist within your company culture and values.
Attributes are the foundation of what a brand represents, and it's only through understanding these that you can create a strong, recognizable brand. So how do you determine your brand's attributes and design one? Keep reading to find out!
What Are Brand Attributes?
Simply put, brand attributes are the characteristics and features that make up your brand. These can be physical qualities, like color or design, or more intangible qualities, like customer service or company culture.
Think of it this way: If your brand were a person, what would their personality be like? Would they be friendly and outgoing, or more reserved and serious? These are the kinds of qualities that make up brand attributes.
They provide direction for how the brand should look, feel, and behave. Brand attributes also help to communicate what a brand stands for to both employees and customers. Some common examples of brand attributes include:
- Quality
- Innovation
- Reliability
- Service
- Luxury
- Fun
- Youthful
Notice how each of these attributes provides some insight into what the brand might be like. Quality, for instance, suggests that the brand produces products or services of a high caliber, while service suggests that the brand is focused on providing excellent customer service.
What are brand attributes: key components
Brand attributes are the characteristics and features that make up your brand identity and differentiate it from other companies. They are what consumers think of when they hear or see your brand name.
When defining your brand attributes, there are two key components: what you stand for and what makes you different.
What you stand for:
This is what your company believes in and what drives your actions. It's what sets you apart from other businesses in your industry.
A good example of this is TOMS Shoes. Their company mission is “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.” This mission statement sets the tone for everything they do as a company, from product design to marketing campaigns.
What makes you different:
This is what makes your brand unique and recognizable. It's what consumers remember about your brand long after they've made a purchase. It's what sets you apart from your competition.
An example of this is Apple's focus on design and user experience. Their products are known for being well-designed and easy to use, which has helped them to stand out in a competitive market.
Why are brand attributes important?
They help create an emotional connection with your target audience.
Brand attributes are important because they help to establish your brand identity and create an emotional connection with consumers.
Compared to other marketing tactics, brand attributes are more effective at creating an emotional connection with consumers. This is because they focus on what the brand represents rather than what it sells.
For example, when you think of Nike, what comes to mind? For most people, it's not just their products but also the idea of athleticism and achievement. This is what Nike represents, and it's what creates an emotional connection with its customers.
They help you attract and retain customers.
Another reason why brand attributes are important is that they can help you attract and retain customers. This is because they provide a way for customers to connect with your brand on a deeper level.
They can build brand equity.
Brand equity is the value of your brand in the marketplace. It's what consumers are willing to pay for your products or services above and beyond the cost of the actual product or service itself.
Brand attributes are one of the key drivers of brand equity. When done correctly, brand attributes can help to increase customer loyalty, which in turn can lead to higher brand equity.
How to Design Your Brand Attributes: Steps
1. Define what you want your brand to stand for.
The first step in designing your brand attributes is to decide what you want your brand to represent. This can be done by developing a mission statement or a set of core values. These will serve as the foundation for all of your branding decisions moving forward.
Some examples of mission statements include:
“To make the world a better place.” (TOMS Shoes)
“To inspire creativity and bring joy.” (Lego)
“To make it easy for people to buy what they love.” (Etsy)
These statements provide direction for what the brand should be striving to achieve.
2. Determine what makes your brand different.
The next step is to look at what sets your brand apart from others in your industry. This can be done by evaluating your unique selling points (USPs) and identifying what makes your brand special.
Some examples of USPs include:
- A unique product or service offering
- A commitment to sustainability or social responsibility
- An emphasis on customer service or convenience
- Distinct brand identity or voice
3. Consider what attributes already exist within your company culture.
Once you've defined what you want your brand to represent and what makes it different, the next step is to look at what attributes already exist within your company culture. This can help to inform your branding decisions moving forward.
Some examples of brand attributes that might already exist within your company culture include:
- Innovation
- Creativity
- Passion
- Dedication
Depending on your industry, there may be other attributes that are important to consider as well.
4. Research your competition.
While it's important to focus on what makes your brand unique, it's also helpful to consider what your competition is doing. This can give you a better understanding of what's working well and what might not be working so well.
A brand strategist can conduct a competitive analysis. This involves looking at your competitor's websites, social media channels, and marketing materials. You can also talk to customers to get their insights on what they like and don't like about your competitors' brands.
5. Develop a list of potential attributes.
After your research, it's time to start developing a list of potential attributes for your brand. To do this, you can brainstorm with your team or conduct customer surveys to do this.
Some examples of brand attributes that you might want to consider include:
- Reliable
- Friendly
- Innovative
- Expert
- Quality-Driven
6. Choose attributes to prioritize and focus on
It's time to start narrowing things down. To do this, you'll want to consider what's most important for your brand and what attributes will resonate most with your target audience.
For example, if you're targeting young adults, then focusing on attributes like “fun” or “cool” might be more important than attributes like “reliable” or “expert.”
Once you've decided what's most important, you can start to focus on those attributes and begin to incorporate them into your branding.
7. Test your attributes with customers.
Before finalizing anything, it can be a good idea to test your brand attributes with customers. This can help you to get feedback on what they think and how they react to your proposed attributes.
Create a survey or focus group and ask customers about their thoughts on your brand's attributes. This will give you valuable insights that you can use to make final decisions about your brand.
Conclusion
Now that you know what brand attributes are and how to design your own, you're well on your way to creating a strong, recognizable brand!
Just remember to keep your target audience in mind and to focus on what's most important for your business. After all, your brand is an extension of what you stand for as a company. So make sure that it represents you well!
