Branding

Hand holding Seawolf Living sticker Branding is what makes an impression on your audience and is a representation of your department, service, or program. Branding is more than just a visual identity (name, logo, design) and involves many areas including customer service, social media, visuals, website, and more. Research shows that in order to build a strong, recognizable brand, you must use branding strategies that are consistent.

Tips

Identify Your Audience

Who is your brand aimed at? What type of people are visiting your website and social media? It is nearly impossible to reach everyone at once; this is why brands must hone in on a particular audience. It is important to identify your audience so that you are using the correct tone of voice and creating content that appeals to and relates to your audience.

Be Consistent

Why do you remember the logo of your favorite restaurant or clothing company? You remember brands due to their repetition in your everyday life. It is important that your brand is consistent so that it becomes recognizable.

Use Your Name and Logo Across All Platforms

Branding is all about consistency and being transparent across all platforms. If your Instagram profile picture is different from the logo on your website, your audience may get confused and think they're looking at content from two different organizations.

Tone of Voice

In order to create an effective brand, you must not only be able to identify your target audience but understand them, as well. For example, you probably don’t speak to your friends the same way you would talk to your family members. Knowing how to build the right tone and voice on your platforms is key! Tone is how you say something and voice is what you say. Start by identifying your target audience, and you’ll be one step closer to finding the best way to speak to them directly.

Best Practices

Give Your Brand Definition

What are you trying to accomplish through your branding? Whether you are trying to sell something to your audience, or build a relationship, defining the goal of your branding strategies should always be at the forefront of all of your content. Branding has the power to define your organization as a whole with repeated content and communication efforts.

Create Your Presence Where It Is Needed

Your brand should always be evolving and evaluating where your audience tends to migrate to see what changes and strategies need to be implemented. For example, if your audience is primarily on Instagram versus Facebook, recognize that and don’t ignore it.

Create Relationships With Audience

Creating a relationship with your audience is important because you are instilling trust in your audience. If you are able to relate and connect with your audience, they are more likely to follow you and listen to what you have to say. Being relatable goes a long way in the world of marketing. People are more likely to trust and follow you if your brand reflects the life of your audience members.

FAQs

How do I request branding?

If you are one of the brands we service, please submit a marketing request form.

EA Marketing Request Form

How do I get a copy of brand assets?

Each brand we work with has a marketing shared Google drive with brand assets.

What’s the difference between branding and a logo?

Branding is everything tangible and intangible that represents a brand and gives a logo meaning such as websites, social media presence, graphics, and more. A logo is a graphic element with a name and is used in marketing assets.

How do I access Sonoma State University branding?

Have questions about the Sonoma State University branding? Need SSU logos and marks, messaging, colors, and typography? Visit the Strategic Communications brand guide website.