Video transcript: Creating your brand
[Audio/Visual: Upbeat music starts playing as a blue introduction screen opens and the white text “business.govt.nz presents” is displayed in the centre of the screen. The music plays throughout the video.]
[Visual: The text changes on the blue screen to “Creating your brand” displayed in white text in the centre of the screen. The screen changes to show the presenter in an open space in the centre of the screen.]
How would you define your brand?
[Visual: The white text “Name?” appears in the top left-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The white text “Logo?” appears in the top right-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The white text “Style?” appears on the left-hand side of the screen underneath “Name?” and stays in place. All text disappears from the screen.]
Is it your name, your logo, or is it your style? In fact, it is all these things and more.
[Visual: The screen changes to show the brand for Kinross in white text in the centre of the screen and their yellow cross logo above the text. Behind the brand is a blurry panning shot of a winery. The screen changes to show the front of a Rowena Watson store. The screen changes to show a close up of a grey motor vehicle seat with the logo for V8 Trike embroidered onto the seat in blue. The screen changes to show a panning shot of a dentist practice All About Smiles and their signage outside the front of the practice. The screen changes to show a person working at a desk with the brand for Cogo on the green wall in white font. The screen changes to show a selection of soap and beauty products in a wooden display case with the brand for Dear Heart.]
A brand is the way customers see, hear, and feel about your business, which is why it's worth thinking through carefully.
[Visual: The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen. The black text “business.govt.nz” appears in a white button at the bottom of the screen and stays in place. A mouse icon hovers over the screen and clicks on the button and disappears from screen.]
This video will give you an overview of how to create your brand using resources from business.govt.nz. That may be where you are watching this, but if not, you can head there afterwards.
[Visual: The screen changes to show the business.govt.nz website homepage and a mouse icon click on the menu. The screen changes to show the contents of the menu and a mouse icon click on “Getting started” and then on “Building a brand”. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
Click on the menu icon and look under Getting started, Building a brand to access plenty of great tips. A good place to start building your brand is imagining personas for your key customer types.
[Visual: The screen changes to show a group of five mature people riding in a large three wheeled motorcycle called a V8 Trike. The screen changes to show a close-up shot of the two people sitting in the back seat of the V8 Trike. The screen changes to show a close-up shot of handmade pearl earrings on display. The screen changes to show a worker behind the counter in a store and a customer handing them a piece of jewellery over the counter. The screen changes to show a selection of products for pregnant people or people with babies on a shelf in a store. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
How old are they? Where do they live and what do they do? What problem does your product or service solve for them? When you think about your business through the eyes of your customers, it can help you decide what your brand needs to catch their attention.
[Visual: The screen changes to show a close-up shot of a server pouring a glass of wine. The screen changes to show a wider shot of the server pouring the wine for two customers. The screen changes to show a panning shot of a stationary V8 Trike. The screen changes to show the side of the V8 Trike and the words “V8TRIKE TOURS NEW ZEALAND” printed on it. The screen changes to show three V8 Trikes driving down a road.]
Also, think about why they should choose your product or service over your competitors.
[Visual: The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen. The white text “Unique Selling Point” appears centrally at the bottom of the screen and stays in place. The bold white text “USP” appears after “Unique Selling Point” and then all text disappears after a few seconds.]
This is called your unique selling point or USP. In today's digitally connected global marketplace, it's hard to be totally original, but you should be able to find something that your customers would really value.
[Visual: The white text “Name” appears in the top left-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The white text “Logo” appears in the top right-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The white text “Slogan” appears on the left-hand side of the screen underneath “Name” and stays in place. The white text “Tagline” appears on the right-hand side of the screen underneath “Logo”. All text disappears from the screen.]
Thinking through these things can guide choices about the basic building blocks of your brand, your name, your logo, and your slogan or tagline. Depending on your plans for your business, you may want to work through these things with a designer or brand expert, but there's a lot of groundwork you can do yourself, which will help you give them a good brief.
[Visual: The black text “business.govt.nz” appears in a white button at the bottom of the screen and stays in place. A mouse icon hovers over the screen and clicks on the button and disappears from screen. The ONECheck logo appears in the top right-hand side of the screen.]
Business.govt.nz's one check tool is a huge time saver here.
[Visual: The screen changes to show the ONECheck tool start screen and the name suggestion “Earls Electrical” being typed into the search bar. The screen changes to show the search results for “Earls Electrical”. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
It allows you to test out names and see whether they're available to register as a company name, a trademark, use as a website domain, or social media usernames.
[Visual: The white text “Earl’s Electrical” appears on the left-hand side of the screen. In between the two words is a black graphic of a lightning bolt. The text and graphic disappear from the screen after a few seconds.]
Your logo can be created from your name or it could incorporate an additional graphic. Either way, it should be simple and eye catching. You need to think about how it looks and reads at different sizes, in colour and black and white, and in different contexts on uniforms or vehicles in a store, on a website or social media pages. This is where an expert can really add value, but looking around for logos you might like and which might appeal to those customer profiles you've created is a good starting point.
[Visual: The Warehouse logo appears on the left-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The YouTube logo appears on the right-hand side of the presenter and stays in place.]
Think of brands like The Warehouse or Nike, and I'll bet a particular phrase pops into your head.
[Visual: The screen changes to show a black screen with a large white Nike logo in the centre of the screen. The screen changes to show the Nike tagline “JUST DO IT” in large white text. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
This is a slogan or tagline, and it's a way of expanding on your name and logo to say more about your brand and its USP. Again, you might want to get an expert to help you, but brainstorming with your team or customers may give you some good ideas.
[Visual: The white text “TM” inside a white circle appears on the left-hand side of the screen and stays in place. The white text “R” inside a white circle appears on the left-hand side of the screen, underneath “TM”, and stays in place. All text disappears from the screen.]
Once your brand elements are sorted, have a think about trademarking. This isn't just for big businesses and it can set you up well for the future by protecting your investment and your brand and helping to keep competitors away. A great brand is really valuable and should be treated as an important business asset.
[Visual: The black text “business.govt.nz” appears in a white button at the bottom of the screen and stays in place. A mouse icon hovers over the screen and clicks on the button and disappears from screen. The screen changes to show the business.govt.nz website homepage and a mouse icon click on the menu. The screen changes to show the contents of the menu and a mouse icon click on “How to grow” and then on “Intellectual property protection”. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
You can find out more about this at business.govt.nz under How to grow, Intellectual property protection.
[Visual: Screen changes to show a person sitting at a desk in front of a computer monitor. The screen changes to show a YouTube video of a person demonstrating how to button up a shirt for breastfeeding people while talking to a phone camera and ring light setup. The screen changes to show three people sitting down in a booth and talking. The screen changes to show a panning shot of the three people sat in the booth. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
Finally, you need to make sure your brand filters through to every other aspect of your business, from the language and visuals you can use on your website and social media posting or correspondence right through to the way you and your team dress, speak and deliver on any commitments your brand makes.
[Visual: The screen changes to show a close-up shot of a person using a tablet device and filling in their delivery details. The screen changes to show a wider shot of the person with the tablet standing next to a bike in front of a bike shed. The screen changes to show the inside of a jewellery store including a display case of jewellery and a customer browsing the store. The screen changes to show a close-up shot of two smiling people standing side by side and wearing branded jackets for V8 TRIKE TOURS NEW ZEALAND. The screen changes to show the presenter in the centre of the screen.]
If you promise hassle-free returns or lowest price matching or service with a smile, you need to make sure it happens. As your business evolves, keep an eye on your brand and make sure it remains in sync with any changes in your market, customers or product service offers. You may not need to change the name, but a tweak to the look and feel or the slogan might help bring it up to date.
[Visual: The black text “business.govt.nz” appears in a white button at the bottom of the screen and stays in place. A mouse icon hovers over the screen and clicks on the button and disappears from screen. The screen changes to show the business.govt.nz website homepage and a mouse icon click on the menu. The screen changes to show the contents of the menu and a mouse icon click on “Getting started” and then on “Building a brand”.]
So if you're starting out on your brand journey or looking at updating your brand, you can find more on the topics covered in this video and lots of other helpful information at business.govt.nz. Head to Getting started, Building a brand and get your brand really pulling its weight for your business.
[Visual: The screen changes to the full blue outro screen. The upbeat music swells as the business.govt.nz logo lifts into the centre of the screen before fading out. The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki logo and the New Zealand Government, Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa logos then fade into view on either side of each other.]
[Video ends.]
