Sam has been asked to present a Branding Masterclass for University of Surrey, Surrey Technology Set Squared today.
Apparently it is one of the ‘hot topics’ at the moment, it’s always been ours! Sam has over 20 years’ experience in the graphic design industry and has an MA in Graphic Communication and she’s delighted to share her experience with the nine companies that have signed up to the class.
As a business, your brand is what makes you different from your competitors. In communications terms, it’s how people connect with your company or product on an emotional, not just a purely rational, level. It’s what makes them think ‘these are people I can identify with, who understand me, and I know I can work with.’ In the end, it’s the reason why someone buys your product rather than someone else’s – even if yours is more expensive. For the company, the brand provides reference points for decision-making, and benchmarks for measuring individual and business performance. It sets out exactly what you stand for, and sets the tone for all communications, internal and external. For a brand to work, it has to be based on fundamental truth, and those working with it have to recognise themselves in it. If you don’t identify with the brand and its values, you can’t properly represent it – and neither you nor the business will reach your full potential. If after one of our masterclasses you came away with a fully-formed brand strategy, that’s brilliant (and we’re even better at this than we thought!). And if the questions we pose get you thinking more deeply about life in general, then we’re happy, too.
The event will take place today between 12pm and 2pm and we look forward to letting you know how it went.