Branding Archives - millermedia7

Oct 29 2024

7 Key Elements of Effective Brand Positioning

By Nancy Young Branding

We all know that being an entrepreneur is far from easy. Building a brand takes time, money, and personal energy. After you start a business, there are numerous ways and strategies you can use to showcase your value and make your business easily recognizable. From social media marketing or an SEO-optimized blog to email marketing and paid advertising.

One of the most important strategies that will help you discover and attract your target audience is brand positioning. In this article, we will first explore what brand positioning is and how the different types of brand positioning can help your business.

Then, we will take a look at the 7 elements that every successful brand positioning strategy should include. Are you ready to differentiate yourself from your competitors and establish your identity?

What is Brand Positioning?

Let’s start with some basics. Brand positioning is nothing more than a process, a continuous effort to create a clear identity for your company. In other words, brand positioning is how your business sets itself apart in the minds of your target audience.

So, this is more than just your logo, brand colors, or tagline; positioning is about the perception customers have when they think of your brand. Effective brand positioning highlights your unique value, making it clear why customers should choose you over competitors.

So, what is a positioning strategy?

It’s all about carving out a distinct space in the market that reflects your identity, values, and mission. It becomes evident that brand positioning is the foundation for building a lasting connection with your audience and ensuring long-term success.

The good news is that this isn’t hard to achieve. Don’t get us wrong. It can be a challenge, and it will be an ongoing process. But if you break the process down into its component parts, you’ll find that effective brand positioning comes down to 7 things. Let’s explore them!

Exploring the 7 Key Elements of an Effective Brand Positioning

Without further ado, let’s delve into the seven essential brand positioning components that will empower your brand to resonate deeply with your target audience:

1. Clear Brand Identity

We’ve already mentioned that creating a clear identity is crucial for brand positioning. No matter what you do, you shouldn’t forget that brand identity is the heartbeat of your brand positioning model. However, what do we mean by identity?

Well, your brand id is all about defining your mission, vision, values, and unique selling points (USPs). A clear brand identity helps your audience understand who you are and what you stand for.

It also shapes how you communicate, what you offer, and how you’re perceived in the market. So, by establishing a strong identity, you create a brand that people recognize and connect with on a deeper level, ultimately building loyalty and trust with your target audience.

For example, Tesla positioned itself uniquely by creating a luxury electric vehicle (EV) with high-performance features. Unlike traditional EVs emphasizing economy, Tesla targeted a premium market, aligning with its mission of "accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy." This combination of luxury and environmental consciousness helped Tesla lead the EV market and build a strong, pioneering brand image.

2. Deep Understanding of Target Audience

This leads us to key element number two: your target audience! Knowing your target audience inside and out is critical. Remember that this is about much more than just demographic data. You need to understand the needs, desires, challenges and motivations of your target audience.

Of course, it's important to use data-driven insights and create detailed buyer personas. This is the only way to tailor your messages and understand their needs. Empathy also plays a major role here.

For instance, Apple has long positioned itself as a premium, innovative brand with a strong focus on user experience. By emphasizing "thinking differently" and focusing on quality design and cutting-edge technology, Apple has cultivated a loyal customer base that values its distinctive identity. Its positioning goes beyond products to embody a lifestyle that appeals to creative, forward-thinking consumers.

When your audience feels understood, they are more likely to engage with your brand. This connection ensures that your products or services meet their expectations, creating trust and loyalty that goes beyond a single transaction.

3. Competitive Analysis

Even if you know your audience inside out and have a clear identity, success is not guaranteed. Remember that you are not alone in the market. No matter what niche your brand is in, chances are you will have several competitors. To differentiate yourself in a competitive landscape, it’s essential to not only identify, but also understand your competitors.

This is why competitive analysis involves researching your competitors to identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses. By knowing what your competitors do well and where they fall short, you can position your brand to highlight unique attributes that will set you apart.

Airbnb’s brand positioning centers on providing unique travel experiences. Instead of traditional hotel stays, it offers a personal, local touch through its accommodations, helping travelers “belong anywhere.” This positioning speaks to modern travelers seeking more than just a place to stay, setting Airbnb apart from other travel and hospitality options.

This analysis not only helps you to differentiate yourself, but also identifies opportunities for innovation. It’s about carving out a space that is uniquely yours so that your brand can shine by offering something the competition can’t.

4. Consistent Messaging

Consistency is key in every single business operation! And brand positioning is not an exception to the rule. Your messaging should be uniform across all platforms and touchpoints, from your website and social media to advertising and customer interactions.

This ensures your audience gets a cohesive experience, no matter where they engage with your brand.

One notable example of a brand excelling through consistent messaging is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has maintained a message of happiness, connection, and refreshment for over a century. Their slogans and campaigns consistently revolve around themes like “Open Happiness,” “Taste the Feeling,” and “Share a Coke.” This messaging, reinforced across all their marketing channels—from TV ads to social media and in-store experiences—creates a cohesive and memorable brand image.

Consistent messaging reinforces your brand identity and builds trust, as customers know what to expect from you.

Whether it’s the tone of voice, visual branding elements, or core values, staying consistent helps your brand stay memorable and reliable in the minds of your audience.

5. Emotional Connection

All of the above elements are important. However, for your brand positioning to be effective, you really need to create an emotional connection with your audience. Building that connection can be a game-changer. People are much more likely to choose and remain loyal to brands that speak to them on a personal level.

Known for its environmental focus, Patagonia stands out by promoting sustainability and ethical sourcing. Its brand message, “cause no unnecessary harm,” appeals to environmentally conscious consumers. Patagonia’s commitment to eco-friendly practices resonates deeply with its audience, making it a leader in sustainable outdoor apparel.

This connection is often built through storytelling, authentic communication and responding to customers' deeper needs or values. When you foster this emotional connection, you are no longer just a product or service, but a brand that people truly feel connected to.

6. Innovation and Adaptability

No matter how well you design your brand positioning today, there is a good chance that it will no longer be effective in a year's time. And why is that? Well, your brand positioning strategy needs to evolve as trends and technologies change.

Revolut began by solving a major pain point: high fees for foreign currency exchange. By positioning itself as an "all-in-one financial platform," Revolut quickly expanded to offer services like digital banking, cryptocurrency trading, and stock trading, creating a seamless financial "super-app" experience. This unified, customer-centric approach allows users to access multiple financial tools in one place, positioning Revolut as a disruptive alternative to traditional banking, with over 30 million users by 2023.

Embracing new ideas, tools and methods will keep your brand relevant and forward-thinking. Innovation is not just about product development. It's also about the way you engage with your audience, market your brand and adapt to changing consumer expectations.

If you remain agile and open to change, your brand will not only survive, but thrive.

7. Data-Driven Decision Making

Finally, we must mention that brand positioning, like most business operations, relies on data-driven decisions. By using analytics, you can track and measure the success of your efforts in real time. This allows you to refine your strategies, optimize campaigns and adjust your messaging based on what’s working and what's not.

For example, Klarna's brand positioning as a flexible and "smooth" shopping experience is reinforced through campaigns like the “House of Y2K,” which blended nostalgia with a modern, seamless shopping experience. By partnering with high-profile figures like Paris Hilton and creating immersive brand experiences, Klarna successfully attracted Gen Z and millennial consumers, driving significant app downloads and engagement.

Data helps you understand your audience’s behavior, preferences and interactions with your brand to ensure your positioning remains relevant and effective. With insights from metrics such as customer engagement, conversions and market trends, you can make informed decisions that drive long-term success.

How to Implement Brand Positioning Step-by-Step

Good positioning builds trust and loyalty, connecting customers to your offer. Without it, your brand might get lost among competitors, making it harder to grow and attract loyal customers. With solid brand positioning, you can turn casual buyers into long-term supporters, driving lasting success.

Establishing effective brand positioning requires a structured approach. Here’s a clear process to follow:

Research Your Market and Audience: Analyze the market landscape and your competitors. Dive deep into your target audience’s demographics, needs, and preferences to understand what they’re seeking.

Define Your Brand’s Core Elements: Identify your brand’s mission, vision, and unique value propositions (USPs). These elements should resonate with your audience and differentiate you from competitors.

Identify Your Brand’s Niche: Based on your research, determine a unique market position where your brand can thrive. Ensure this niche aligns with your brand’s values and audience needs.

Develop Consistent Messaging: Craft a brand message that reflects your core values and speaks to your audience. Use a consistent tone and style across all platforms to ensure recognizability.

Create a Visual Identity: Design visual elements, like a logo, colors, and font styles, that represent your brand’s personality. These visuals should be uniform across your website, social media, and other materials.

Implement and Test Your Strategy: Launch your brand positioning strategy and observe how your audience reacts. Collect feedback and monitor metrics like engagement, customer feedback, and brand recall.

Refine Based on Feedback: Adjust your positioning based on audience responses and market trends. This step is ongoing as positioning evolves with shifts in consumer expectations and competitive moves.

By following these steps, you can build a unique, consistent, and aligned brand position that is aligned with the needs of your target audience.

Measuring Brand Positioning Success

To measure brand positioning success, businesses rely on a few essential performance indicators (KPIs) that reveal how well a brand resonates with its audience.

Brand recall is one of the most telling metrics, as it shows how easily customers remember the brand. High recall means that your positioning is memorable, and customers can quickly think of your brand in relevant situations. Surveys and online brand mentions help track this.

Customer loyalty also reflects positioning success. Loyal customers not only return to buy again but often recommend the brand to others, indicating a solid emotional connection. Tracking repeat purchases and retention rates can offer insights into how well your brand resonates with its customers.

Lastly, market share is an overarching measure showing how your brand stands against competitors. An increase in market share suggests that your brand positioning is effective, helping you capture more of the audience within your industry.

Consistently reviewing these indicators can provide a clear view of how well your brand positioning works and whether it’s driving growth and customer engagement. Together, they paint a comprehensive picture of your brand’s strength and impact in the market.

Wrap Up

In summary, this article shows that effective brand positioning is the key to success in today’s competitive marketplace. By focusing on a clear identity, understanding your target audience, staying ahead of the competition, maintaining consistency, building emotional connections, encouraging innovation and making data-driven decisions, your brand can thrive.

These seven elements are the foundation for long-term success and will keep your brand relevant and impactful. Are you ready to improve your brand and digitally transform your business? Our team at millermedia7 can help you strategically position your brand for growth. Reach out today and let’s work together to create a powerful brand that resonates with your audience!

Apr 15 2020

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Why UX in Healthcare Technology Matters and Where It’s Going

By Ivanna Branding, Interaction Design, User Experience, User Interface, UX

New challenges in the healthcare industry accelerate the development of healthcare innovation. Striving to improve patient care, hospitals and clinics seek ways to digitize medical services and internal administrative processes. But while a lot of attention is focused on functionality, the role of a u ser experience design in healthcare software often remains undervalued.

In this article, we’ll outline key trends in medical technologies. We’ll also explain how quality UX design can help healthcare providers deliver better patient experience.

Telemedicine

With the help of telemedicine, physicians can consult, diagnose and treat patients remotely using telecommunication technology. A typical telemedicine appointment looks like a traditional visit to a doctor’s office. The only difference is that the patient and doctor communicate online. Video conferencing solutions and remote health monitoring apps are the most popular tools that medical organizations use for delivering clinical services from a distance. But the concept is constantly evolving so there is a lot of room for new ideas.

Potential telemedicine solution users aren’t a homogeneous group. In other words, UX design of this software must be created with different categories of patients in mind. In particular, to build an inclusive telemedicine application, UX designers should take into account such characteristics as users’ age, mental states, and tech skills.

Ideally, a telemedicine appointment should resemble a face-to-face visit as closely as possible. So when working with this healthcare technology, designers have to recapture the feeling of real-life experience for patients and doctors. This is obviously vital with this current COVID-19 pandemic.

Health wearables

Smartwatches and fitness trackers became mainstream soon after they appeared on the market. And their popularity continues to soar. For example, one study shows that the number of wearable devices is forecast to hit 1.1 billion by 2022. But the growth isn’t just in quantity. Technological developments allow app creators to expand and enhance the functionality of wearables, turning them into useful healthcare technology tools.

Most regular smartwatches and fitness trackers can monitor basic metrics like the person’s heart rate, steps, and sleep patterns. Medical devices are much more advanced and can also detect different deviations in users’ health conditions. For instance, they can identify atrial fibrillation by tracking the person’s heart rhythms.

To build a successful UX design for a health wearable, designers should properly prioritize information. A device must be simple and intuitive so users don’t feel confused when they need to quickly find necessary data or functions.

Healthcare chatbots

In healthcare, the chatbot technology is still in the early stage of implementation. Yet, it has the potential to become the industry standard in the next few years. Today, hospitals and clinics use chatbots mostly for experience optimization. For example, there are chatbots that help patients book appointments, connect patients with doctors, or collect feedback after a consultation.

But it’s expected that digital assistants will eventually become the first line of primary care. In particular, they’ll be able to analyze health information provided by a user and offer responses with personalized instructions.

If powered by artificial intelligence, healthcare chatbots can help medical organizations deliver patient-centric services while reducing workload for doctors. It’s important to remember that people who seek medical advice need to feel cared for even if they talk to a machine. So the main task of UX designers is to make an interaction with a bot very similar to chatting with a real person.

Medical virtual reality

Virtual reality opens doors to a variety of new opportunities for the healthcare industry. First of all, this technology improves training methods for doctors. It also allows them to master professional skills without risking the health and life of real patients. Research shows that surgeons who used the VR platform for simulating operations enhanced their performance by 230 percent compared with doctors who used traditional training techniques.

medical vr — Image source: healthiar.com

Another use case of virtual reality in healthcare is the reduction of pain and discomfort during unpleasant treatment procedures. For instance, VR healthcare technology comes in handy when a patient needs to sit for hours to undergo lengthy chemotherapy. VR can also help people with amputated limbs get accustomed to prosthetics.

Building a UX design for a VR-based healthcare solution is an extremely encompassing task. Designers working on such projects need to clearly outline the needs of a target audience and make accuracy their top priority.

Electronic health records

EHR solutions aren’t a new thing for medical organizations. Hospitals and clinics have been using this type of software for a long time. The purpose of EHR is to digitize medical charts and records while reducing the amount of paperwork needed. While this healthcare technology is widely adopted, its usability, in general, remains at a questionable level. As a result, nurses and physicians cannot fully rely on the system, as it may lead to errors and patient safety risks.

EHR system — Image source: sapristic-biion.com

Before creating a UX design for EHR software, designers need to study how medical staff will interact with a system. What is a user’s typical sequence of actions? Which fields are mandatory and which of them can be left blank? Is there something a user can forget to do after inserting information in a chart? Conducting extensive UX research will be very helpful during the early stages of development. But designers must also perform user testing and quality assurance at a later phase to ensure that a solution is user-friendly and effective.

UX and healthcare technology in a snapshot

Medical technologies aim to improve the efficiency of healthcare, enhance the patient experience, and make the doctors’ hard work a little bit easier. The UX design plays an important role in whether a particular health app meets these goals or not.

When deciding to develop a medical solution, healthcare providers must pay attention not only to its functionality but also to the user experience. At the same time, designers engaged in such projects must understand the specifics of the medical sector and be ready to deal with great responsibility that comes with tasks.

Looking for the right team of UX designers for your healthcare development project? Drop us a line!

Oct 07 2019

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How Visual Identity Impacts Branding & UX and Why It Matters

By Ivanna Branding

Visual content, brand positioning and outstanding user experience (UX) are main things that help businesses stand out from the competition. Combined, they constitute your visual identity. This visual identity makes you different in the eyes of existing and potential customers. Both brand positioning and UX center around a company's interaction with its target audience. Brand messaging constitutes the foundation of any business-customer relationship. However, your visual identity and the form in which your company communicates with its buyers play a pivotal role – and ultimately determines the overall success of your customer engagement.

That’s why a properly designed visual identity can not only make a company’s digital presence beautiful. But it is also an effective tool for demonstrating a brand “personality” and improving the overall user experience (UX).

In this article, we will provide some visual design examples. We’ll explain how elements of graphic design and visual content constitute content marketing 101. Additionally, we’ll explain how it can strengthen your bond with customers.

We’ll also provide you with some useful tips for creating an outstanding brand image with the help of visuals and user interface (UI) design. But before we dive into the practical stuff, let’s briefly outline the basics.

What is a "visual identity"?

Visual identity and branding are often used interchangeably. But, they are not the same thing. Branding is a broad term and is about how a business wants to be perceived by consumers or clients.

For instance, a coffee shop that uses only recyclable coffee cups may identify itself as an eco-friendly place. They can demonstrate this through design as well as visual and text content. This position would be a distinctive feature differentiating it from many other cafes which also offer good coffee.

Image credit: justcreative.com

At the same time, a visual identity is a set of visible elements that would help the coffee shop convey its brand message. In general, it may include anything from interior design, graphic design principles and elements, to a logo. But if we narrow it down only to the digital presence, then visual identity would consist of the following two blocks:

elements of basic design (i.e. typography, colors, layouts, grids, etc.)
visual content (i.e. images, infographics, screenshots, videos used mainly for marketing purpose)

So, for example, a green color palette might be a great choice for a website or mobile app of the eco-friendly coffee shop. See the example below. At the same time, an infographic showing what happens with coffee cups after they’ve been used would be a nice supplement to its blog posts or marketing emails. They could also feature as pamphlets or posters.

Example of a website for the eco-friendly cafe
Image credit: The Pear Tree Kitchen

The above case is oversimplified, but it perfectly explains the main idea. When website visitors know what you and your offers are about, their trust and engagement levels increase. This naturally leads to better experience optimization, business growth, and higher profits.

Why establishing effective visual communication is a must

As human beings, we perceive visual information easier and process it faster than plain text. That’s why internet users in most cases prefer images and infographics to other types of content. In fact, visual content statistics really underline this:

People are really good at remembering images. One study found that people remember 55 percent more information they heard three days ago – if there was a picture added to it.
Infographics can drive the increase in website traffic by 12 percent. On top of that, internet users spend more time on a web page if it contains informative visuals. See what type of visuals draws perform best in the image below.

visual content performance — Image credit: venngage.com

Interestingly, Twitter users retweet 150 percent more tweets that contain images as compared to tweets without photos, memes or infographics.
It’s three times easier for people to follow visual instructions than written guidelines. This is why you should focus on illustrations, icons, and color hierarchy which guide users to their goal when creating UX design for a digital product.
More than 63 percent of digital buyers believe that the quality product image is more important than a detailed product description or reviews.
Internet articles that contain images have 6.5 times higher engagement than text-only blog posts.

So how design works, creating engaging visuals and building a decent design system, is not only about drawing customer attention. It's also about communicating and conveying information in an efficient way.

It’s worth mentioning that there is no visual content vs text confrontation. Both types of content are important elements of any good content marketing strategy and brand positioning. That’s why they should complement rather than replace each other.

The role of design and visual content in branding

As we’ve outlined above, visual appearance is a crucial component of a company’s online presence. But how exactly does it benefit businesses’ self-presentation and the customer perception of a brand? Let’s discuss this in greater detail.

Setting the right tone

Website design and visual content marketing are the focal points and tools of visual communication. They determine the tone the brand use to “speak” to its target audience. Once visitors enter a web page, they form their first impression about the business behind it. If that impression meets visitors’ expectations they stay on the website. If not, they leave in the first few seconds without even reading the text.

For instance, if a bank’s website was designed like a digital platform for kids it would probably have a high bounce rate. So make sure that the visual appearance of your web design and brand corresponds with your brand identity and cannot be misinterpreted. But don't forget about the aesthetics — it plays a crucial role as well. That's why you should try to create a visually pleasant and relevant UI design without compromising on any of these aspects.

Building brand recognition

The long-term success of any commercial organization heavily depends on brand awareness and recognition. To build them, a company needs to develop a comprehensive brand strategy. This includes visual identity, among other elements such as a story, messaging, and personality. For most customers, the visual identity is the key differentiator since visuals are in general more memorable than text or audio.

Judge for yourself. When someone mentions Coca-Cola, what is the first thing that pops up in your mind? Chances are it’s the logo or brand colors. In most cases, it works in reverse equally well even if some element of graphic design is taken out of context.

For example, the combination of yellow and red is often associated with Mcdonald’s. Generally speaking, you should avoid any divergences between your offline and online core visual elements.

McDonald’s screenshot — Image credit: McDonald’s

Delivering brand messages

There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that’s exactly what visual identity is all about. Because while it may seem that we communicate mostly with words, studies show that nearly 90 percent of the information that is processed by our brains is visual. That’s why visual content and identity should not only describe what the business stands for – but also demonstrate it visually.

The question becomes; how do we do this successfully? Since every brand is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all recipe. However, different colors evoke different emotions (see below). Similarly, typography, layouts, and icons may tell a lot about the company's style, while color hierarchy shows what exactly a business wants to emphasize, and so on.

Colors and emotions — Image credit: bigmouthdesign.co.uk

The same applies to the visuals used in marketing campaigns. For instance, even the high-level review of visual content on social media may give you a clear idea of what values a brand has and whether you want to buy from it.

The role of design and visual content in UX

An awful user experience can break even the most thoroughly built brand identity. That’s why when designers and marketers are working on a visual identity for a company, they should also think about the usability of a website or app.

The bottom line is that all elements and principles of basic design, as well as any pieces of visual content, must enhance the UX. In short, a decent visual identity and brand positioning should not come at the cost of user convenience. But let’s take a closer look at how visual identity impacts the UX.

Capturing attention and telling a story

According to Forbes, Google performs around 3.5 billion searches per day. Additionally, a study by the New York Times shows that modern people are on average exposed to 5,000 ads every day.

For businesses, this means that older marketing strategies likely struggle to grab customer attention. Or, in other words, they should use other means to help internet users notice them. Unique UI design, overall design, and high-quality visual content are the best tools to do that.

Besides, visual storytelling is often perceived by website visitors more easily and can, therefore, be considered more convenient. Look at the image below.

Fitbit screenshot — Image credit: Fitbit

Instead of describing a potential use case, site creators just showed a photo of a busy man who checks his work messages on the go. As a consequence, users can understand how the product may help them while they’re scrolling a web page. They don’t need to read long product characteristics to figure out if they need this item.

Guiding a customer through a site or app

People use websites and applications for a reason. For instance, they may search for information, want to buy a product, order a service, watch a movie, play a game, or text to friends. Ideally, the design of a software solution should be straightforward enough for users to reach their goals without putting too much effort into figuring out how to do this.

A great example is the Uber app. It’s built according to the basic principles of linear UX design which is a minimalistic approach aimed at creating goal-oriented experiences.

Simply put, this means that the app “guides” users to their goals through a number of steps and users clearly know what to do next at every phase of their journey. The UI design is also in line with this idea since it’s rather simple: black and white colors for buttons and notifications, straight lines, plain layout, and no distractions.

How to create an awesome visual identity for your brand

Creating a visual identity that would properly present a brand and resonate with its customers is a complex process that doesn’t happen overnight. But here are a few recommendations that would help you do everything right.

Perform a website design audit

Before you start working on something new, you need to review what you already have. A comprehensive visual audit will allow you to understand if the visual identity of your business complies with its brand positioning. When a design audit process covers the evaluation of all design assets, its results will help your marketing team create more engaging visual content for social media, blog, and future marketing campaigns.

Image credit: infographicworld.com

Develop a design system

Once a design inventory is ready, you may proceed to the next stage and develop a design system. In short, a design system is a set of guidelines and standards defining common rules for building different components of visual identity. For example, a design system will determine a color palette and brand fonts. Not only will it allow you to set a single vision of the outward expression of your brand, but it will also help designers avoid so-called design debt in the future.

Components of a design system
Image credit: Ines Serizer

Consider basic design principles

When it comes to creating visuals for a brand, applying graphic design principles is always beneficial. They will help you develop a comprehensive visual language and make your brand “personality” look both consistent and attractive. Some things like visual weight, the level of white space, and visual texture might seem unessential to non-designers but they play a critical role in creating a holistic visual identity.

Avoid visual noise

Sometimes less is more. You should remember that every element of your design, as well as every visual, should serve a particular purpose, not just be mere decoration.

For example, there is no point in using five bright colors on a web page if three of them will just distract users and impair user experience. The same is with images. Instead of choosing a photo because it looks beautiful to you, pick a picture that tells a story or explains the benefits of your product.

Hire professionals!

Luckily, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Although there are some tools that can help you create simple template-based visuals, more complex tasks need to be performed by professionals. Otherwise, there is a risk your efforts won’t bring the expected results.