Brand platform

A brand platform is a marketing document created to describe the distinctive features of a brand both ideologically and visually. It is essential to form the holistic image of the business and provide a unique offer for the target audience.

In the article, we will explain why a brand platform is important, highlight its components and describe ways to create an effective marketing platform.

Why is a brand platform important?

According to Smallbiggenius, 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values. Discover how the brand platform helps to develop trusting relations with the customers, increase brand loyalty, and sell more.

This document aims to provide effective business management, find a certain niche in the market, and raise income by attracting customers. Let's look closer at all the advantages of a brand platform.

It helps your business create a clear message. A brand platform makes all the components of a brand identity and marketing actions coherent. It creates strong associations with a brand and provides a clear position in the market.

It helps stand you out from competitors. Companies with effective brand platforms attract more customers because they have something unique and provide an amazing customer experience. A well-defined platform helps you send strong messages and evoke certain emotions that resonate with the audience to boost your brand in a competitive environment.

It helps expand the market share and find new ways to develop. A brand platform gives a clear understanding of the brand’s values, and you can use it to create a marketing plan that will make the product less prone to temporary changes. Moreover, a well-defined brand platform can show you unexpected ways to expand the product line and find directions for development on the market.

It provides efficient communication among the company's staff. Business owners with a strong brand platform can always give detailed guidelines for employees. This document provides a clear corporate vision and explains the purpose of the company's work. It helps motivate employees and unite them around common values. Using a brand platform, you can also attract collaborators with the same values as yours.

Now you understand why a brand platform is so important. Continue reading to discover its main components.

Brand Platform Components

Creating a brand platform can become the first step in building a successful brand or boosting your company in the market. Below there are the main components of a strong brand platform.

• Purpose. What is the reason for your brand’s existence? What impact do you want to have on the world? Highlight the brand's main aim and the smaller goals.
• Target audience. There can be a few groups of customers. You should define their needs, pains, interests, and values.
• Values of the brand. They should be similar to the target audience’s values. What is important for your brand, what topics concern it?
• Personality. Imagine that your brand is a person and think about its main human traits. It might be a good idea to give your brand qualities that your target audience value.
• The tone of voice. It should include characteristics that shape your brand’s messages. Think about phrases and the way of presenting information that will differentiate your brand.
• Unique proposition. Highlight the advantages based on the functional characteristics of the product and the amazing customer experience that distinguish your brand on the market.
• The name of the brand, its logo, slogan, packaging of the product, and all other elements that you develop based on the brand positioning.

The brand platform can also include key functions, corporate values, brand history, and its marketing strategy. Continue reading to discover how to build a strong brand platform and make all the components clear to your employees.

How to build a brand platform?

Creating a brand platform can take weeks and even months of work. However, you can make this process faster and easier by following all the steps below. Discover how to develop a well-defined brand platform in this section.

1. Research the market. Conduct market research to discover your target audience, direct and indirect competitors. Firstly, think about people who buy your product. Create an image of your ideal clients and think about how you can persuade them to choose your brand. Secondly, identify your niche and take a look at the companies which already sell something within it. Gather all the information about the competitors, check their websites and social media, and then highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Do a SWOT analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to develop a company's competitive strategy.
2. Create a brand's philosophy. Think of your brand’s purpose, values, unique proposition, and personality. All these components should resonate with the values and needs of your target audience, and reflect their way of life. Write down a list of adjectives to describe a brand as a real person. Think about the benefits you can provide to your audience.
3. Define a visual language and tone of voice. Visual language and tone of voice should correspond to the philosophy to create a holistic image of your brand. Choose the main types of content you use in marketing campaigns, define main colors and develop the brand's style. Then think about how you will communicate with the audience. This step will help you create strong associations with your product in the customers’ minds.
4. Choose the right business name, create a catchy slogan and an attractive logo. These are the first three elements that new customers pay attention to when meeting your brand. Your name and slogan should be memorable and easy to pronounce. Try to capture the values of your brand in these few words. Your professionally designed logo should reflect a brand personality.
5. Make a brand platform work. Now you are ready to apply a platform to your company. It is important to review it regularly, make changes, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Make your employees read the brand platform in order to inspire them to work further.

Congrats, now you know all the main information to build your successful brand platform. Use this document to boost your company on the market.