The one thing this ever-increasing consumerism has brought with itself is the need for the service providers to stand out from the rest in order to be profitable. The aforementioned cause gave birth to the practice of what we know as “Branding”. The textbook definition of the term Branding is the process of building and shaping a brand in the minds of consumers to give meaning to a specific organization, company, product, or service. However, the norms dictated by the Council of Architecture prohibits any architectural practice from advertising itself via video graphic or any other such medium. Branding is not limited to those mediums only. Branding is essentially the process of articulating a product’s or service’s unique selling proposition that sets it apart from its competitors.
The country produces a rough number of more than 20,000 architects each year. Out of which, many go on to establish their practice. With that many architectural practices running against each other to bag the clients, it automatically becomes a necessity to stand out in order to get noticed.
Although not all of the practices indeed established make it big or have a larger clientele base to cater to. But there has to be a specific identity for the practice to be associated with. That helps the firm land its next project; and building a brand does the exact same thing. It is irrelevant to discuss following which specificity would print the maximum bills since the profession is not meant to be money-driven. There is an opportunity to make money everywhere if you target the right audience depending on your firm’s size and expertise.
Architecture branding entails more than just having a well-designed logo. In fact, a distinct brand is essential for articulating what makes your architecture business unique and different when it comes to marketing. Clear goals are the foundation of successful branding for architecture firms. You are identifying where your current standing and where you project yourself to be in the future is an easy method to decide on your branding goals. It is critical to have a clear understanding of your financial objectives. This knowledge will aid you in determining the value and number of new clients you require, as well as the workforce required to manage new projects while maintaining profitability.
Identifying your potential clientele base is one of the major prerequisites for your branding. A residential architectural practice has a different audience from that of commercial architectural practice. When you’re aiming to create and expand your brand, it’s also critical to focus on your target audience. To figure out who your brand needs to connect with, you’ll need to be as detailed as possible. When you’re aiming to create and expand your brand, it’s also critical to focus on your target audience. To figure out who your brand needs to connect with, you’ll need to be as detailed as possible.
Creating a brand for architectural practice is a meticulous task. You can statistically calculate the design choices that accurately represent your organization once you’ve established your brand identity and distilled it into a series of bullet-point traits. The choice of colours reveals a lot about your business. Greys and dark blues, for example, imply serene and seriousness, whilst oranges and pinks come out as more lively and exciting. Shapes are also vital in conveying information about your company. Shapes appear in your logo and in every aspect of your visual branding. The fonts are another important aspect to be taken care of while formulating a brand for an architectural practice. And why is all that important? Because this customized setting lays out the foundation of how the public will perceive you and eventually remember you.
Although the curation of your branding process has to be target-oriented, the loudness of your statement shall not be exclusive. For example, not everyone uses or possesses an iPhone, irrespective of whether they can afford it or not, but everyone is still aware of the brand. Around half of the population does not use a razor, yet everyone knows what Gillette sells. That is the power of branding.
What the common mass today calls a Xerox machine is actually a copier machine. Xerox is the leading manufacturer. A similar trend follows for the popular toothpaste brand Colgate, famous hot-tub manufacturing company Jacuzzi, and many more. Their brand names have been generalized in normal day-to-day conversation because of how they placed their brand.
Branding is an essential aspect of running an architecture practice as excelling in design skills alone, behind the four walls of the office is not enough to make the institution profitable. Building a brand imparts an identity to architectural practice, which is necessary to remain unique amongst the sea of their competitors.
References:
- https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-branding-marketing-11685.html
- https://www.archmark.co/blog/branding-basics-for-architects
