Types of Branding for Your Business

The moment you hear the word “branding”, what comes to mind? If you’re thinking about marketing or brand advertising, then you’re not exactly wrong. But there’s a little more to that.

Branding is the action of creating your own brand identity and strategy. Marketing, on the other hand, deals with how you create brand awareness. They’re interrelated and work together to achieve your business goals.

This blog deals with the essentials of brand strategy and its types. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it.

Importance of branding

It’s 2024, and you already know branding is the key to your business’ growth.

76% of Gen Z consumers state that they like to buy from brands that stand for a greater mission or purpose. The right branding in marketing management will pave the way for your business and get it recognized among a million others.

However, that’s not all it does. You need branding for your business for other reasons too:

Gives your firm an identity and purpose
Ensures that your brand stays memorable
Establishes a connection with your consumers
Builds confidence and authenticity
Analyzes target audience and adds value

What is a branding strategy?

A brand strategy is a system or framework that decides how your brand shows itself to the audience. It helps you create a strong and positive perception of your brand in the minds of the consumers.

It includes information on your company’s mission, vision, and value. It shapes the view of your firm in the minds of potential clients. So, a valuable branding strategy is the face of your brand.

Although brand strategies rely on the perception of the viewers, it isn’t the same as brand identity. Brand identity is your brand’s visual elements—logo, color, typography, tone and voice, etc. However, the brand strategy is how you use these elements to influence a consumer’s view.

To create a branding strategy that speaks for your firm, it is essential to create one that perfectly aligns with what your business has to offer. Here are a few branding strategies to help you get started.

Types of Branding Strategies

Branding strategies are manifold and can be utilized as per your firm and its preferences

1. Corporate Branding

Corporate branding focuses on creating a strong brand identity for the entire company. It includes:

Brand name and logo that represents the company’s values and mission.
Mission statement outlining the company’s purpose and core values.
The consistent tone and style of communication across all platforms.

Tata Group, a conglomerate surrounding diverse sectors like steel, automobiles, IT, and hospitality is the best example of such corporate branding decisions. Their brand identity emphasizes on trust, innovation, and global reach.

2. Retail Branding

This strategy deals with creating an identity specifically for retail stores or chains. It includes:

Visually appealing store design
Trained staff for customer service excellence
Retail marketing materials like ads, flyers, and other promotions

Think of Big Bazaar, a retail chain using a playful brand image to cater to Indian families. Their in-store experience focuses on value for money and a wide product selection.

3. Product Branding

This strategy creates a unique identity for individual products within a company’s guide. Its elements include:

Distinct names for distinct products of the company
Catchy designs and clear communication of product features on the packaging
Ads and promotions made to highlight the specific product

Parle-G Biscuits is one of the best examples of this. This iconic biscuit brand has transcended generations with its simple packaging and focus on affordability and taste.

4. Service Branding

Similar to product branding, but focuses on building an identity for the services the company offers. Its key aspects are:

Communicating the value proposition and benefits of using the service
Highlighting what makes the service one-of-a-kind
Consistent and positive experience throughout the service interaction.

Think of ITC Hotels. This hotel chain offers a range of properties under different brands like WelcomHotels and Vivanta. Each brand caters to a specific segment, like business travelers or luxury seekers.

5. Geographic Branding

This strategy relies on the reputation and characteristics of a particular location for promoting any product or service. It commonly uses:

Food and beverages in famous locations for specific quality or profiles.
Tourism campaigns relying on geographical locations or cultural heritage to attract visitors.

When you think of Darjeeling, you think of Tea. Likewise, you think of chocolaty treats whenever Ooty is mentioned. These are the ideal geographic branding examples.

6. Cultural Branding

This brand strategy leverages a range of cultural trends, values, or movements to connect with specific audiences. It involves:

Aligning the brand image with the social cause or popular trends
Design elements and imagery to resonate with the target audience and culture
A collab with cultural influencers or firms to step up the messaging

Fabindia is a clothing and lifestyle brand promoting traditional Indian textiles and crafts. Their brand image embraces cultural heritage and sustainability.

7. Personal Branding

These types of branding strategies create a strong personal brand for an individual. Its elements include:

A personal brand statement including a summary of your skillset, experience, and value proposition.
Professional website and social media profile to showcase your presence and expertise.
Strong networking and establishing yourself as an expert in the field

Well-known examples of personal branding are Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi Mukherjee. They have cultivated a distinct brand image associated with luxury, elegance, and Indian fashion.

8. Co-Branding

This brand strategy involves a partnership with another brand to create a new product or service. They help you

Reach new audiences after combined awareness of both brands
Combine the strengths and resources of both to create a unique offering
Distribute the marketing cost burden for the new product or service launch

Uber and Spotify’s partnership is one of the successful co-branding examples of two tech giants leveraging each other’s strengths to enhance the customer experience.

9. Activist Branding

Also known as conscious branding, these types of branding in marketing position a brand as a champion to support an environmental or social cause. Its key elements include:

Actively supporting the cause through actions and donations, not just lip service.
Weaving the social or environmental message into the brand’s core identity.
Communicating the brand’s efforts and impact clearly to consumers.

The Body Shop India actively promotes fair trade practices and supports local artisans in India, aligning with their global commitment to social responsibility.

10. Ingredient Branding

This brand strategy highlights a specific ingredient or component within a product. It’s commonly used for:

Food products: Organic, non-GMO ingredients, highlighting superfoods like kale or quinoa.
Cosmetics: Promoting natural ingredients or those with specific benefits like salicylic and hyaluronic acid or retinol.

A well-known example of this is Dabur Chyawanprash. This traditional health supplement highlights its key ingredient—Amla, rich in Vitamin C and known for its health benefits.

11. Online Branding

Among the various features of branding, this strategy focuses on creating a strong online presence. It includes:

Creating a user-friendly and informative website for brand identity
Social media marketing (SMM) to engage with customers and build brand awareness
Creating valuable content like blogs and videos to educate and entertain the target audience.

Nykaa, a renowned example of online branding, has built a strong online presence through influencer marketing, user-generated content, and engaging social media campaigns.

12. Offline Branding

This strategy focuses on creating a strong brand presence in the traditional world. It includes:

Traditional advertising through TV commercials, print ads, and billboards to reach target audiences.
Generating positive media coverage and building relationships with journalists.
Participating in industry events or sponsoring relevant causes to increase brand visibility.

MRF Tires is an example of this brand strategy. This brand uses TV commercials featuring the iconic MRF logo and catchy jingle to create a strong offline brand presence.

13. Rebranding

This type of branding strategy involves changing a brand’s identity, often due to:

Shifting target audience to appeal to a new generation of customers.
Combining two companies to necessitate a new brand identity.
To help shed a negative image and create a fresh start for the brand.

Air India recently underwent a rebranding, updating its logo, uniforms, and in-flight experience to cater to a more modern and global audience.

14. Debranding

This strategy involves intentionally removing some branding elements from a product or service. This is generally done to:

Create a more minimalist aesthetic for consumers who value simplicity
Targeting a specific niche audience like price-conscious consumers, for example
Focus on the product itself by letting the quality of the product speak for itself

The best example of such types of branding is DMart. This retail chain by Reliance offers everyday essentials with minimal branding, focusing on competitive pricing and bulk-buying options.

15. Umbrella Branding

These types of branding strategies involve using a single brand name surrounding a variety of products or sub-brands. Its benefits include:

Brand recognition by leveraging the established reputation of the parent brand
Efficient marketing efforts to focus on building the umbrella brand
Maintaining a cohesive brand image across all products

Think Unilever or even ITC Limited. ITC Limited conglomerate uses the ITC brand name across diverse offerings like biscuits (Sunfeast), and paper products (Classmate).

Similarly, Unilever has an array of products across various categories like personal care (Dove, Axe, Sunsilk), food and beverages (Lipton, Knorr, Ben & Jerry’s), and others.

16. “No-brand” Branding

This strategy focuses on a product or service with minimal or no branding elements. It’s often used for:

Generic products competing on price with established brands
Sustainable products focusing on eco-friendly packaging and fewer marketing materials
Private label products sold exclusively by a particular retailer

Wholesale stores are an accurate example of “No-brand” branding. Many wholesale stores in India offer generic products with minimal branding, catering to price-conscious bulk buyers.

Which Strategy is Right for Your Business?

The right types of branding strategy depend solely on your brand—its purpose, identity, niche, and target audience. Hence, no matter what strategy you choose, make sure it aligns with your company.

The right strategy will kickstart your firm in the market. Through the right branding, you can easily furnish your business with its authentic self and connect with your target audience.

At Raysoft, we tailor our strategies based on what your brand needs. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today to get started with the right branding for your business.