Creating a unique brand for your fitness business

“Brand” and “logo” are often interchanged, but they don’t mean the same thing. Your logo is just a part of your branding, it doesn’t encompass it. Your branding is every single thing about your business that your clients see or that affects them. So, yes, this includes your logo, your website design and your branded clothing, but it also includes your business personality, your values, and your voice when you communicate.

Your branding is the impression your customers have of your business as a whole, not just the individual product/service that they buy.

Think about brands you know and love, it could be a tech company like Apple or Google or a soft-drinks company like Coca-Cola. What do you think of first when you think of them? Sure, it could be their distinctive logos, or it could be their innovative product design, their customer support, their quirk daily doodles or how they embody the Christmas spirit.

All of the things that they do culminates into a feeling that you get based on your experience with that brand. That is their brand identity.

Now it’s time to create yours:

1. The first thing you need to do to create a unique brand is research. Research your target audience, research your competitors and outline what makes you unique.

These three things alone will allow you to cater specifically to your audience while distinguishing yourself from your competition by highlighting your niche.

2. Remember to think about the personality of your brand. Is your business formal and straightforward, or is it fun and cheeky? Think about your audience and the type of personality they’d best respond to.

3. Design your logo. It’s time to bring your brand to life. Your logo is the most recognisable part of your brand and it’ll be shown everywhere; social media, your website, uniforms, business cards etc, so it’s important that it looks good across all mediums. When designing your logo, think about your brand personality, should your logo be colourful and bright or reserved and distinguished?

4. Think about the language you use when communicating. If your brand is fun and cheeky, you’ll want to avoid long, dull sentences and keep things sharp and playful. This applies to your social media, customer support, and even your tagline/slogan. If your brand is formal, you might want to steer clear of slang, especially if you’re targeting an audience that might not understand it.

5. Be clear on what to avoid. This is particularly important if you have staff. Everyone who plays a part in your business, and therefore your brand, should be clear on the brand values, personality and things that should definitely be avoided to prevent giving your customers mixed messages.

6. Review your branding regularly. Check your feedback and review your metrics often to find out what customers are saying about your brand and to ensure that you’re staying true to your branding plan and what your customers actually want.

Creating a unique brand isn’t easy and it isn’t as simple as designing a catchy logo. Your brand is the very essence of your business, and it will take work to get it right. Once you do though, you’ll have created a unique brand that stands out from the crowd and makes people talk!