Brand DNA: How to detect and develop your company's genetic identity

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In this sense, brands, like living beings, have a beginning, a development and an inevitable death.

This causes the brand DNA to focus on those aspects inherent to the company's identity - a fundamental part of branding - to produce emotions and responses , based on the organizational philosophy and the "individuality" that is presented.

All of this means that brand DNA is a crucial factor in defining the strategies that govern the growth and evolution of companies . But let's start at the beginning.

What is brand DNA?
Brand DNA condenses all the development points and growth business owner database factors that an organization has and that make said brand successful over time.

This sum of values ​​forms the core of the brand and contains the most representative characteristics, which must be unique and clearly defined, just as the genetic material of a living creature would be.

In other words, it is the essence of the brand's identity , and explicitly describes the differentiating and distinguishing elements that it has over its competitors , which allows it to provide specific reasons why a consumer would choose that organization over the rest.

Now, there are different ways to define brand DNA—which we will discuss later in this article—and which can have their origins in the brand’s heritage and the reasons why it was founded.

Why is it important to know our brand’s DNA?
In order to develop efficient communication strategies with our clients, it is crucial to define in advance what the values, principles, identity and differentiating points will be that will help improve the perception that potential consumers have about the brand.

The construction of the brand's overall identity and its image in the market is based on these aspects.

Thus, by having a clear purpose, it is much easier to understand the concerns, desires, aspirations, demands, possibilities and lifestyle of consumers .

This allows them to be attracted to the company's products or services.

So, once the concept and relevance of having a brand DNA has been defined, the need arises to discover the elements that make this "genetic information" truly efficient and beneficial for the company.

Discover them!

What factors make up your brand's DNA?
To define the "genetic map" that describes the brand's DNA, a series of elements must be determined in order to understand how the entire organization functions.

Each of them will show key aspects of the company and how it works.

Attributes
They describe the inherent characteristics of the brand, which are evident, tangible and can be perceived at first glance by the senses.

To be considered attributes, they must be verifiable and make a noticeable difference when viewed by a person.

A clear example of this is the design of Apple brand devices, which are notoriously of the highest quality, both in design and internal components.


Values
At this stage, they refer to those emotional and more intangible elements than attributes . That is, those that are only perceptible through the feelings and emotional bonds that are developed between a brand and its customers .

Here, the product remains solely as a transactional item and a connection is established beyond the commercial relationship , thanks to what the organization is able to provoke in consumers.

These values ​​are crucial, in terms of marketing and brand positioning , to create a positive image of the company in the minds of people and should be the differentiating factors used in branding strategies.

Promise
Here we enter a terrain where the most fundamental points for defining a brand begin to be described. The brand promise is a definitive factor in standing out from competitors , since this is what will tip the balance in favor of your company in terms of customer experience .

Each strategy, plan, graphic piece or specific action that is executed by the company must be supported by the brand promise and revolve around it.

Coca-Cola, for example, has established happiness as its brand promise over time. Therefore, the tone of its campaigns always has happiness printed as a common factor.


Philosophy
At this point we are referring, of course, to the most human element of the brand's DNA, which responds to both questions and objectives: the way in which it is presented to the public, its tone and other codes that characterize the organization based on how it perceives itself.

Now that we have reached a state of awareness about the components of brand DNA, it is relevant to address those stages that are necessary to understand our own brand.

4 steps to understand your brand's DNA
Brand DNA is not the logo or slogan that an organization has. Therefore, in order to find it, it is necessary to break down the genetic code of the entire company.

This is how you can do it!

1. Discover and define your unique voice
Every successful brand has three key traits:

can convince your potential customers;
is credible and;
is different.
If any of these three elements are missing, the connection with the audience may not occur. There are several cases, such as Starbucks, in which the brand guarantees a much better customer experience in any establishment visited.

What causes the widespread feeling surrounding the brand is not an accidental action, on the contrary, it is totally deliberate and clearly established in the organization's guidelines.


2. Know your brand
Your brand identity is a key tool in determining who your customers will be . Because the chemistry you have with consumers of a truly successful brand comes from both sides.

Many companies begin their journey through market research , marketing analysis, defining Buyer Personas , among others.

However, the most important question that can transcend the pragmatism of all this is: how can my brand meet the needs and demands in the best possible way to demonstrate that I listen to my customers?

One such example is Levi's , a brand that remains relevant generation after generation. Its authenticity and durability have continued to attract customers since 1853, from miners to hipsters.

Knowing who you are will help you evolve over time and attract potential clients regardless of the context or time.


3. Learn how and when to break the rules
A truly successful brand cannot be successful if the rules are not followed, that is clear. Consistency is the key when it comes to delivering a truly different customer experience.

Now, this doesn't mean that a brand can't "step outside the box" from time to time, but rather that these deviations should be for the greater good .

Over time, these boundaries will begin to define themselves and the brand identity will be able to consistently implement this action in each department and process.

A clear example of knowing how and when to break the rules is the case of Burger King, which, in the midst of the lockdowns caused by COVID-19 around the world, invited its customers to consume products from its largest competitor: McDonald's.

This generated a truly impactful campaign and defined the organization's personality in the face of an event of that magnitude.


4. Establish your brand voice with content
The content surrounding your brand, including your ambassadors —ranging from executives, marketers, store employees, and even customer service —should share a unified voice . However, this cannot be left to chance.

Establishing clear content guidelines is essential to maintaining consistency and continuity in your messages across all your customer service channels.

A successful brand provides its members with rules that maintain the tone, word choice, phrasing, and individuality of the organization in order to demonstrate consistency at every stage.

Conclusion
If you have reached this point, you know very well what the concept of brand DNA refers to, its importance, how to discover it and, along the way, you have learned about world-renowned brands that have used this tool to provide differentiated services that have turned them into the corporations they are today.