How to Build a Brand Customers Love

Why branding matters is clear, but it is not always obvious what a new identity will cost, what the process involves or when a rebrand is needed. In this interview, we spoke with Elizabeth Rumyantseva, Serenity's Branding and Web Design lead, about questions that matter to businesses and how a structured branding process can make working with an agency clear and useful—and help a company become more profitable and competitive.

How do you know when your business needs branding?

Branding is the image that takes shape in your audience's mind as they get to know your business. It is more than visuals: content matters too. The two work best together.

Consider working with a branding agency if:

• your business lacks a coherent brand platform: a clear understanding of its audience, positioning and values;
• your visual identity is outdated or has never been developed;
• your competitors look more compelling;
• you want to enter a new market or reach a different audience;
• you have worked only offline and now need to build your presence in digital channels.

Those points make sense. But why can't I take a brand that worked in the “real world” online?

If a company in 2022 has no website and is just moving online, its identity may not meet current standards. It may look dated or rely on too many colours and complex fonts. We have refreshed brands with identities dating back to the 1990s, so I know the challenge. Print materials such as signs, outdoor ads and leaflets were designed for very different requirements. The digital world of devices and screens has its own rules: vector logos, brighter palettes, lighter fonts and more. This is what we call digital branding.

You said branding works best in synergy. How does that work, and why does it matter?

At Serenity, we take a broad view of branding. Our aim is to create a coherent company image through both visual and verbal identity. To make a brand memorable, distinctive, consistent and positive, you need to consider every element.

People perceive and remember things through all their senses, forming an overall impression. Every detail matters.

1. The company's tone of voice: branding is also how you communicate with your audience—what you write on your website, say on the phone and send in messages.
2. The content, usability and design of your website: how easy it is to find product and service information and make a purchase.
3. Your tagline, logo, visual identity, photography, PR and more: how you stand out from competitors and remain memorable to your audience.
4. The packaging, quality and appearance of your product: how enjoyable it is to use and how satisfied customers feel after buying it.

Modern branding combines marketing tools that create a company's character and image. Neglect one, and the impression may fall apart.

Brand promotion matters too. To help customers discover your company and experience its new identity, you need to bring them into contact with the brand. We discuss this in another article about the synergy between branding and performance marketing..

How does this synergy work in practice? Can you explain it through a specific project?

Of course. One good example is our work on the brand “Vo!Moloko”. Understanding and trust between the agency and client helped us create a consistent identity. Vo!Moloko, a Vologda-based natural products distributor, came to us to refresh its image as it moved into digital. Previously, it had promoted itself offline through stores in St Petersburg.

We first proposed improving the social media presence, updating the website and then starting promotion. As we worked on social media, new branding needs emerged. The old logo no longer fit the new concept: minimalist, contemporary and digital. It had been designed for signs and other offline materials, with too many colours, shadows and elements. We discussed it with the client and agreed that a redesign was needed.

Our graphic designer simplified the logo, keeping its lettering and adding a recognisable symbol. We reduced the palette from nine colours to two and chose new mint and blue shades that worked better together.

The new logo fit the social media and website concept. The client also updated the store signs and was pleased with the result.

Research and social media planning also showed that the brand needed strong visuals to stand out and evoke nostalgia, one of the client's goals. Graphics and stock photography were not enough. We proposed a creative photoshoot for high-quality online-store product images and still-life photography for social media, using details associated with Soviet village life: a jug, checked tablecloth and towels, wildflowers and porcelain dishes.

The social media concept initially looked like this:

After the photoshoot, it looked like this:

At first, we planned to put text on the post images. Later, we decided the Instagram feed would look better without text. For VK and Facebook, however, we still needed templates combining text and graphics.

The visual identity became much stronger through the combination of photography and design than it would have been with design alone. Branding marked the beginning of a new stage in the company's development.

This was a complex project. How did you organise the work?

Working on Vo!Moloko's social media and website was a unique experience that let us apply a less conventional branding process. We started the online store by planning its structure and writing page content, which took about a month. At the same time, we refreshed social media and created banners so promotion and enquiries could begin before the website was ready.

Usually, a digital designer aligns social media with the website's design system to create a consistent, recognisable identity. In this case, the website designer would not start for another month, so we developed a new concept from scratch. By the time web design began, the client had approved the social media and banner style. The website designer used it as a reference, carrying over colours, fonts and graphic elements. That is unusual in our work; normally, the process happens in the opposite order.

Banners promoting products on social media:

The brand's updated website:

This project shows that branding combines communication, visual identity and many other tools. It takes specialists from different disciplines working together to refresh a brand and make it coherent. It is just as important to bring that new image to the audience.

What makes Serenity's branding team different?

Our approach is built on minimalism, simplicity, solving marketing problems and taking an integrated view. Many treat branding as a beautiful new wrapper. We make sure the design reflects the company and its products, supports marketing goals, attracts attention and resonates with the audience. It should also be practical for the client to use.

What does that mean in practice?

Take website development. When planning the structure, we consider usability and how easily people can find information. We write content in the brand's tone of voice, making even technical topics clear to every reader. We include relevant SEO keywords so the website can perform its marketing role, not just look like a digital brochure. Good design makes it attractive, clear and easy to use. Animation can engage visitors and invite interaction. We also build a content management system and integrate the services the client needs, so they can later update content and product catalogues themselves.

The Serenity team works as an integrated unit. For every project, we bring together leading specialists in their fields, each contributing to the identity while following shared principles. That is what makes our branding team strong.

What determines the fee for branding services?

UAE pricing is being prepared. The fee depends on your objectives, scope, deliverables and the expertise required. We can provide a tailored quote after reviewing your project.

Here are the people involved in a branding project:

• A sales manager reviews your needs at the start, prepares a proposal and answers your questions.
• A project manager brings the team together, oversees quality and deadlines, and guides the work towards your goals.
• An account manager stays in touch, coordinates approvals and documents, and joins meetings.
• Specialists—designers, paid social experts, strategists, editors and others—depending on your project and chosen services.
• Discipline leads oversee their teams, support the specialists and monitor key parts of the project.

What advice would you give a company planning a rebrand?

Listen to the agency's designers, strategists and marketers. If you disagree, explain why instead of simply saying “that's not right” or “I don't like it.” We have written about effective client–designer collaboration in an article on VC.ru..

Learn the basics of branding yourself, and ask questions whenever something is unclear. A simple misunderstanding between a company and an agency can lead to serious problems.

Before contacting an agency, decide what you want. Look at competitors' logos and designers' projects on Behance. Identify what you like and what you do not. This will help you reach your goal sooner and understand the branding process.

How can Serenity and its clients communicate effectively during a branding project?

When you work with us, you get a partner, not just a supplier. We work as equals, share expertise in our respective fields and listen to one another.

An agency is not a magic button. You and the team need to work through every stage together, step by step. A strong brand comes from a collaborative relationship, and the client also needs to invest effort—sometimes including internal change.

Once your brand is ready, make sure your audience sees it. Invest in promotion every month through channels such as social media, paid targeting, SEO, paid search and PR. That is how the brand can start delivering value.