The power of crafting a brand identity and positioning that resonates

Creating a brand identity and positioning is not as simple as designing a logo and writing a creative tagline. Done well, it can help differentiate your business from competitors and create a lasting impression for your customers.

Having a strong brand positioning can help you differentiate your brand, justify your pricing strategy and give your brand that creative edge over your competitors. Look through the resources below to learn more about establishing a well-defined brand identity for your business.

Books:

1. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller – In this book, Donald Miller teaches marketers and business owners to use the seven universal elements of powerful stories to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their business.
2. Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World by Nick Westergaard – Brand Now uncovers the new rules of branding in our complex and chaotic world, explaining how to build brands that resonate both online and off.
3. This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See by Seth Godin – Godin offers insights into modern marketing strategies, including brand building and positioning, with a focus on empathy and understanding the customer.
4. Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story by Miri Rodriguez – Learn how to leverage brand storytelling in the marketing mix to strengthen brand engagement and achieve long-term growth, with advice from brands like Expedia, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adobe and Google.

Reports:

1. The State of Branding Report 2021 by Bynder – Supported with independent research firm Vanson Bourne, Bynder and OnBrand surveyed 1,600 marketing and creative professionals from a variety of functional roles, company sizes, countries and industries to answer some of the biggest questions in branding.

Articles:

1. Branding Vs. Positioning—And How To Seamlessly Blend Them by Forbes – This article looks at the differences between branding and positioning, and explores how they work collaboratively.
2. 12 Comms Pros On ‘Branding’ Vs. ‘Positioning’ And Why You Should Master Both by Forbes – 12 members of Forbes Communications Council share their insight on the differences between branding and positioning, and how you can go about mastering both.
3. Why Brand Building Is So Important For Startups by Forbes – Learn the four key reasons why brand building is so important from a marketing expert.

Guides:

1. Your Ultimate Guide to Brand Positioning by Qualtrics – Here, Qualtrics outlines what brand positioning is, before digging a bit deeper into brand positioning strategy, methodology and templates.
2. A Complete Guide to Successful Brand Positioning by Hubspot – In this article, Hubspot shares tips on how to successfully position your brand within your ideal market.
3. Brand Identity: How to Develop a Unique & Memorable Brand in 2023 by Hubspot – Hubspot explores different examples of strong brand identities, plus how to create one for your own business.
4. The Brand Report Card by Harvard Business Review – The branding report card can help you identify areas that need improvement, recognize areas in which your brand is strong, and learn more about how your particular brand is configured. This guide also identifies the 10 characteristics that the world’s strongest brands share.

Podcasts:

1. Brand Builder by SnackNation – Brings you the people, stories and lessons learned from the most innovative natural food and beverage brands in the world.
2. How Brands Are Built by Rob Meyerson – In his podcast, Rob Meyerson interviews strategists, designers, writers, researchers, and others who are part of the world of branding. Tune in to learn what they do – and more importantly, how they do it.

The above resources can assist founders in their journey of brand development and positioning, helping them build a business that resonates with its audience, has an impact and is remembered in the long-term.