Best Branding Agencies in Chicago

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is branding?

  Branding is a type of marketing that business leaders rely on to make a company recognizable to potential customers. It may be a brand name, a logo, or a design element that's used in every product produced by the company. It makes products and services instantly recognizable and lets past customers know what level of quality or service to expect.

• What is brand management?

  Brand management is a technique brand managers use to help customers feel a connection to a company. It increases customer loyalty and makes it more likely that customers will return based on positive associations with a brand. Professional brand managers create marketing assets, including logos, localized marketing materials, brochures, and branded emails.

• What does a brand designer do?

  Brand designers and graphic designers are often thought of as being the same. The difference between the two lies in the tasks they perform. Brand designers create visual marketing messages that express what a company offers its customers. For example, this could be a logo that customers associate with a specific company. Graphic designers use basic design principles and tools to create marketing materials that are visually appealing. Designing business cards is an example of a task a graphic designer might perform.

• How do I build a brand?

  Building a brand begins with thinking about what a company is about and what it does well, and then applying those concepts to marketing materials and advertising. Using a branding agency is one way to speed up the branding process by bringing experienced professionals on board to help. Some things to do when building a brand include:

  • Learning about your target customers and what they like about your business
  • Writing a slogan that emphasizes what your customers like about your business
  • Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your company and your competitors
  • Choosing which aspects of your company you want to highlight
  • Creating a logo that matches your business and corporate goals

• How do I register a brand?

  To register a brand, or specifically a brand name, start by preparing your brand name mark and then visiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. Use the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) to confirm that no other company is already using your mark. Write a summary of the goods and services you plan to associate with your brand. Then, submit your application and fees through the TESS system.

• What is brand positioning?

  Brand positioning pinpoints the reason why customers choose one brand over another. Business leaders can use this information to craft effective corporate messages and marketing materials. Identifying the main reason why customers make certain buying decisions helps direct all aspects of communication and develop marketing messages that encourage customers to complete a purchase. Common brand positioning errors include confused positioning, double positioning, over positioning, and under positioning.

• What is brand equity?

  Brand equity is the value a company gains when a brand or product associated with a specific brand becomes recognized compared to an unbranded item of similar nature and quality. For example, customers who like designer handbags may be willing to pay far more for a purse with a certain logo than for a different unbranded purse of equal construction that's sold at a local department store.