By Jodi Stephenson, PR and Content Account Director at Gardiner Richardson
Every business tells a story, but no business tells its story in isolation.
Collectively, our brands and organisations help shape the reputation of our region. The way we communicate, the standards we set and what we seek to achieve all contribute to a bigger narrative. Effective brand communications is not only beneficial for individual business needs, but beneficial to the wider community of businesses and organisations based here.
I’ve worked across different campaigns for a range of clients in the North East and across the UK. I’ve seen how strategic communications can not only drive growth and commercial opportunities, but also progress societal change, generate a sense of collective pride and build a picture of innovation.
Whatever your communication goals, here are a few crucial ingredients to success.
Stories and belonging
We’re wired to seek stories, shared values and a sense of belonging. The brands that succeed understand their audiences and position themselves as part of the solution to their challenges.
That begins with knowing who you are talking to and why they should care. This creates space for interesting ideas to flourish and the opportunity to create content that really connects.
The power of imagery
Your biggest brand building tool is your visual identity.
Before a single word is read or spoken, people will judge what they see, so it needs to land well and resonate positively with them.
At Gardiner Richardson we build brands and bring them to life. We help clients all the way from brand strategy to the creation of quality assets – meaning you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.
Collaboration is key
The more a brand communicates its values to the world, the more opportunities will come knocking. Businesses that consistently communicate their values start to draw likeminded people towards them. This could include joint event opportunities or social media collaborations, which can generate interesting content and make your messages travel further.
Test and learn
It’s rewarding when the early seeds of strategic brand communications start to bear fruits. But the pace of change is rapid and it’s up to us to keep up. AI, evolving social platforms and shifting audience expectations are providing exciting new opportunities to test and learn from.
At Gardiner Richardson, we’ve spent almost 30 years building and managing brands across the region – including heritage brands like Ringtons, Dicksons and the Grainger Market, and organisations like Egger UK and Northumbria University, where we help to inspire and influence new audiences.
The strategic communications activity taking place within individual organisations all across our region is contributing to the wider story of who we are, where we’re going and what we represent.
If you would like your brand to be part of this journey, get in touch.
www.gardiner-richardson.com