Nine key steps to building a successful brand

— Artem Dovgopol

Remember: a brand is not what you say about yourself — it's what customers say about you when you're not in the room😉

Key takeaways 👌

1. Audience

The first rule of successful branding is simple, yet often ignored: you can’t create a brand for everyone. Your goal is to deeply understand the people who truly need your product.

For example, if you own a fitness studio, your audience isn’t “everyone who wants to be healthy.” After in-depth research, you may find that your core audience is busy moms aged 28–40, looking to carve out one hour for themselves in the chaos of daily life.

How do you study your audience in practice?

Start simple: talk to 10–15 of your current customers. Ask them:

• Why did you choose us specifically?
• What problem does our product solve for you?
• Where do you usually search for information?
• What concerns you most in this industry?

Then, create 2–3 detailed personas of your ideal customers. Give them names, imagine their daily routines, worries, and dreams. These aren’t just abstract profiles — they’re your future buyers, and every brand decision you make should be with them in mind.

2. Mission and values

The next step is to define your company’s mission and values. A common mistake here is thinking the mission is just a set of nice words for the website. In reality, it’s your internal compass — something that helps guide your decisions in critical moments.

A strong mission answers the question: “What kind of world do we want to create?” — not “What are we selling?”

Your values are the principles you will never compromise on — even if sticking to them comes at a cost.

Take time to honestly ask yourself:

• What do you truly believe in?
• What is unacceptable to you in business?
• What kind of impact do you want to leave on the world?

The strongest brands don’t sell a product — they sell a dream. Apple sells innovation, Nike sells achievement, Disney sells magic.

3. Competitor analysis

Competitor analysis isn’t about copying others’ ideas. It’s about understanding the rules of the game in your market and finding gaps where you can become a leader.

Create a table with 5-7 main competitors and analyze:

• How do they position themselves?
• What is their tone of communication?
• Where do they promote themselves?
• What do they promise their clients?
• What do customers criticize in reviews?

Pay special attention to the last point. Negative reviews about competitors are a goldmine for your positioning. If clients complain about slow delivery from a competitor, make fast delivery your competitive advantage.

4. Unique selling proposition

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is your answer to the question: "Why should the customer choose you?" The key here is to be specific.

Bad USP: "We offer quality services at affordable prices."

Good USP: "We install air conditioners within 2 hours with a same-day operation guarantee, or your money back."

See the difference? The second option is specific, measurable, and sets clear expectations.

When creating a USP, use the formula: Problem + Solution + Result + Guarantee.

• Problem: What worries the client?
• Solution: How do you solve it?
• Result: What will the client get?
• Guarantee: How do you protect them from risks?

Remember: your USP should be not only attractive but also achievable. Don’t promise what you cannot confidently deliver.

5.Visual style

Now let’s move on to developing your brand’s visual identity — the visual embodiment of your brand. Often you hear: “The main thing is that it looks nice.” That’s not true. The main thing is that it’s right.

Every element of the visual style should support your positioning:

Logo — it’s not just an image, but meaning in graphic form. It should be simple (so it’s memorable), relevant (to fit the industry), and scalable (clear on both business cards and billboards).

Colors influence emotions. Blue builds trust (which is why banks love it), red conveys energy and urgency (great for sales), green evokes calm and nature. Choose 2-3 main colors that reflect your brand’s character.

Fonts also speak about character. Strict fonts suit conservative companies, handwritten ones fit creative businesses, and modern sans-serifs work well for tech brands.

For example, a children’s development center should use soft, rounded shapes, bright but not flashy colors, and a friendly font. This creates a feeling of safety and joy, perfect for parents choosing a place for their kids.

And a bit more about branding…

Learn more about developing your brand in our article What is a brand book and why your business needs it?

6. Brand voice

Your brand should not only look good but also sound right. A slogan is the essence of your promise to the customer in just a few words.

A good slogan should:

• Be easy to remember
• Reflect the main advantage
• Be unique in your niche

Examples of strong slogans:

"Just Do It" by Nike (motivates action),

"Connecting People" by Nokia (about connecting people),

"Because You're Worth It" by L'Oréal (about self-esteem).

Tone of voice is HOW you speak to your customers. You can be:

• Expert yet approachable
• Friendly yet professional
• Creative yet clear

Identify 3-5 key characteristics of your tone and stick to them in all communications. Create examples of phrases that sound “in your brand’s style” and those that definitely don’t fit.

7. Promotion channels

Now that you have a clear understanding of your brand, it’s time to share it with the world. But don’t rush to be everywhere — it’s better to be an expert in a few channels than a novice in many.

Choosing channels depends on where your audience “lives”:

• Social media — great for B2C brands; LinkedIn for B2B; TikTok for younger audiences.
• Content marketing — blogs, YouTube, podcasts. This is about building long-term trust through valuable information.
• Email newsletters — the most underrated channel. You have direct contact with customers without social media algorithms.
• Offline activities — exhibitions, conferences, local events. Especially important for local businesses.

Start with 2-3 channels where your audience is definitely present. It’s better to manage one channel well than five poorly.

8. Customer experience

Here lies the secret of many successful brands: they think not only about the product but about the entire customer journey — from first contact to repeat purchases.

Create a customer journey map:

1. Awareness (How does the customer find out about you?)
2. Research (Where do they get information?)
3. Purchase (How easy is it to buy?)
4. Use (What emotions do they feel when using the product?)
5. Support (How are problems resolved?)
6. Repeat Purchase (What motivates them to return?)

At every stage, the customer should feel your brand’s values. If you position yourself as a premium brand, then the packaging, service, and even emails must reflect that.

9. Brand monitoring

The market changes, the audience evolves, and new competitors emerge. Your brand must stay relevant.

What to monitor regularly:

• Brand awareness — conduct surveys among your target audience. Do they know your brand? What do they associate it with?
• Online mentions — use monitoring tools to track what is said about you on social media, forums, and reviews.
• Competitive environment — keep an eye on competitors’ activities, new offers, and strategies.
• Channel performance — which promotion channels deliver the best results? Where is your most loyal audience?
• Customer feedback — regularly collect opinions about your service, product, and communications.

Be ready to evolve. Even giants like McDonald’s or Coca-Cola periodically update their brands while remaining recognizable.

Conclusion

Building a brand is an investment in long-term success. Focusing on your target audience, company values, and visual identity helps create a strong, lasting image. Competitor analysis and a clear unique selling proposition (USP) allow you to carve out your niche.

Well-planned communication channels and a customer engagement strategy boost trust and loyalty. To speed up your launch and maintain brand integrity, the Toimi team is always ready to handle everything for