Do you know what your brand is? Branding expert Ricardo O’Neal of Aurikk shares his insight into what it is, and why it matters for your business.

Q: Let’s start from the beginning! What is branding and why is it so important?
A: Branding is the universal method of your business. It is the way you convey your uniqueness — your value. Branding is the tree, marketing is the branches.

Q: Where does an entrepreneur start with building their brand?
A: You have to start by understanding your identity. Your identity comes from your purpose. We do brand discovery exercises in which we ask people to write their mission or purpose in 7-14 words. Keeping it brief allows you to take all the clutter out. Also, you have to ask, “What makes me different?” “What is my value proposition?” “What is my J factor?” (J factor being your ‘Michael Jordan’ factor–the thing that sets you apart). From there, you will start to see your identity emerging.

Branding is a growth mechanism. It allows you to see order. Branding is layers and layers of effective design. Internally, it pushes you further to be organized and can make it easier to deal with tension and challenges because you have consistency.

Q: What are examples of companies that have excellent branding?
A: Google has their branding down–they are really polished, they are really organized. They stand on their mission, which is “to reach the world in one click.” They really stand by that, and they are such a great example of polished branding.

Take the first steps to building your brand and following along with Ricardo in the recorded webinar below!

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