Corporate Branding Tips: How to Transform Your Company into an Incomparable Brand

Does anyone have a tissue? I'm bringing diapers! Help, I need paper towel! Do these statements sound familiar? Here you will learn how the product name Tempo replaced the handkerchief thanks to corporate branding. So sit back and learn from the greats.

In sales and recruiting, a strong brand is the alpha and omega. It ensures that people buy your products without testing them: they buy them because your company name is on the packaging. A meaningful brand will get you the best candidates and not because your salaries and benefits top those of other job advertisements. The highlight for applicants is being able to be part of your company. In this article, you will find out what a corporate brand is, how it differs from umbrella and individual brands, and how you as a start-up or grown-up can create a strong brand.

What is a Corporate Brand?

Goals of Corporate Branding (Source: 111percent)

Your Corporate Band is your company brand. It communicates to outsiders who you are and what you stand for. Thus, corporate branding affects the complete creation and further development of your company brand and thus every single marketing and communication measure - both internally and externally. Your Corporate Brand decides about the success in sales and employee recruitment (Employer Branding).

What is the difference between a Corporate Brand, an umbrella brand and an individual brand?

Compared to umbrella and individual brands, the Corporate Brand focuses on your entire company. Your company brand should create a certain image in the minds of your customers, employees, suppliers and all other business partners. The focus is therefore on your company, not on your products.

Corporate Brand (company brand), umbrella brand and individual brand overview (Source: marketing Institute)
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An umbrella brand refers to well-known manufacturers with at least two brands, also called sub-brands or endorsed brands. All brands benefit from the good reputation of the manufacturers. Visually, the different brands are usually connected by the design, even though they act independently. An example is Vorwerk, which with Thermomix and vacuum cleaners offers different products. In direct comparison, you can see the family affiliation because of the design.

Corporate Branding Vorwerk with subbrands Thermomix, kobold & Co. (Source: marketing-group-zurich)

If you develop a separate brand or branding for each product, it is an individual brand (monobrand). The company mostly remains invisible, the product is in the foreground. An example of this is Rama Cremefine. Do you remember this commercial?

Commercial: "But please with Rama" (Source: YouTube)
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If you had to describe this spot, probably terms like "harmonious family" and not "Unilever" (the manufacturer name) would come to mind, wouldn't they? The same applies to many other products that we consume in everyday life: Could you list all the products that belong to the manufacturer Procter&Gamble?

P&G Brands (Source: Grossmutters Sparstrumpf)

Let's summarize, these are the differences between umbrella and individual brands:

. . . . . . .

	Header tag	Single tag
Build-up
In the foreground	the parent company (corporate brand of the branded house)	the product
Identity	There is one identity for all sub-brands	Each product has its own identity
Trademark	There is a common word and figurative mark, typography and tonality	Each product brand is separate and independent
Advantages	You have less effort in managing, controlling and establishing new products	You have more creative freedom in positioning, addressing target groups and implementing measures
Disadvantages	A scandal has a negative impact on all associated brands	Product establishment and brand building are more complex and expensive
Examples	Vorwerk and Miele	Nestlé and Procter&Gamble

What is the task of Corporate Branding?

Corporate Branding is about the development of your company brand. It therefore affects the following points:

• Corporate strategy

• Brand styling

• Positioning

• Corporate Culture

• Internal and external business partner selection

The task of Corporate Branding is the establishment and further development of your Corporate Brand based on your Corporate Identity, your Corporate Design and your Corporate Communications.

The goal of Corporate Branding is to clearly differentiate yourselves from competitors both internally and externally. Buyers should decide for your offer because of their positive association with your company - without comparing product features. Just as employees should decide for you because of your positive employer brand (Employer Brand) - without comparing salary offers.

Here's how: 7 tips for successful Corporate Branding

1. Define brand messages that inspire your customers

There is always a "why?" that contributes to the creation of your brand. Give your brand its own personality by answering questions like these for you:

• Why and for whom does your brand exist?
• What does your brand stand for?
• What feelings should your brand evoke in customers?

Example: "Christmas always finds a way."

Corporate Branding Coca-Cola, Christmas spot 2022 (Source: YouTube)

Coca-Cola stands for joy and happiness. That's what their commercials are all about, like this one. Who isn't touched by this message - especially after two years of mandated contact reduction and full of differences of opinion? Coca-Cola's Corporate Branding is doing a lot right, including the choice of their brand message.

2. Differentiate yourself from competitors with unique selling points

Your customers should not learn about your uniqueness by chance. Therefore, directly address your unique selling points in Corporate Branding. For example, you can point out innovative product features or extraordinary customer service.

Example: "Power-X Structure"

Corporate Branding Zewa, TV-Spot 2018 (Source: YouTube)

In this commercial, Zewa shows a scenario in which their new Power-X structure offers added value for paper towel consumers, thus highlighting a unique feature of their product.

3. Shine with innovation

It's not easy to find a new topic that gets a lot of approval. But it's this mix of "that's brilliant" and "being the first" that makes successful Corporate Branding. That's how you stand out from the crowd. Whoever follows suit is good, but you're better.

Example: "Get Into Your Youniverse"

By now, you'll hardly find any Employer Brand that doesn't stand for Diversity - a note on the career page is almost a must-have. The clear frontrunner is Dell. The company anchored Diversity in their strategy several years ago, which is geared towards 2030.

Corporate Branding Dell, TV-Spot XPS (Source: YouTube)

4. Offer the ultimate User Experience

Whether customer or applicant - the User Experience determines how long people interact with your company across channels. The more personal you address them and the more targeted your touchpoints are, the better.

Example: "We always give everything and a little more."

Corporate Branding Apollo, TV-Spot 2021 (Source: YouTube)

Apollo not only offers the all-round carefree package on site as in this spot. Already in their digital Customer Journey, users can inform themselves in the Apollo-Advisor, find branches, book appointments and more.

5. Consider intercultural competencies

If you are active internationally, then your Corporate Branding should be adapted to the target groups in the different countries. Target group approach goes far beyond the choice of language. Intercultural aspects influence humor, views, and preferences of your customers, among other things.

Example: "Red Bull gives you wings"

Red Bull doesn't simply broadcast a translated version of their commercials in every country. Instead, they film individual spots that target the intended audience.

Corporate Branding Red Bull, TV-Spot UK (Source: YouTube)

Corporate Branding Red Bull, TV-Spot USA (Source: YouTube)

6. Get to know your customers

As the basis for your Corporate Brand, you should do market research and create Buyer Personas. With A/B tests, for example, you can find out which colors and designs are well received by your target group. Through communication with your target group, you get to know their vocabulary and can incorporate it into your company brand.

7. Rely on Universalization

Universalization means not only globalization. Universalization also refers to local development and production.

Example: "Tinted Serum with 1% Hyaluronic Acid"

Corporate Branding L'Oréal Paris Perfect Match Nude (Source: YouTube)
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L'Oréal has created research, innovation and marketing centers worldwide in order to get to know their customers and to adapt their cosmetics universally to the wishes, needs and traditions of their users.

Which tools are suitable for your Corporate Branding?

The Brand Management helps you to improve and scale customer loyalty (Brand Loyalty), visibility, pricing policy and predictability. On OMR Reviews you can find many useful Brand Management Softwarefor the

• development of your brand strategy.
• development of your Employer Branding Strategy .
• Positioning of your brand.
• Maintenance of your brand, the Brand Marketing andBrand Monitoring (TV advertising, social media branding and content marketing).
• Ensuring a uniform and strategic appearance of your brand.
• Creation and optimization of your Customer Journey.
• Creation and optimization of your Candidate Journey.
• Implementation of your Employer Branding Measures like Employer Branding Campaigns andSocial Media Employer Branding .
• Improving your teamwork (e.g. Branded Home Office ) and cloud-based storage of your data.

The verified user reviews will help you find the perfect brand management system. These are currently the most popular Brand Management Tools on OMR Reviews:

Frontify

Bynder

Filestage

BrandMaker

Kontatino

Canva Pro

empower

You want to know more about Digital Branding, the differences between Performance Marketing and Brand Marketing and other marketing topics? OMR Reviews provides the suitable answers - check it out right away!