Why branding matters for your team & your customers

I spend a lot of time thinking about branding, and so should you. It's about more than just a nice logo and choice of font.

I’ve always found branding really interesting. I think it might be the creative side in me, but there’s something so satisfying about playing with logo ideas, tweaking colour palettes, and adjusting tiny details until everything just works.

But my favourite bit is this: branding isn’t just the colours you pick or the shape of your logo. It’s your tone of voice, the personality of your business, and all the little nuances that make you, you. I'm working with a client at the moment who have recently gone through a re-branding and everything about it just looks and feels right for who they are. (It's also gorgeous to work with from a design POV)

Branding is how your business holds itself up to the world and says: “HERE I AM!”

I get it...you don’t always have time to think about branding. You’re busy keeping the doors open, hiring staff, and keeping customers happy.

Why branding matters for SMEs

When you hear the word “branding,” you might think of big corporations with huge marketing budgets, but branding is just as important – arguably more important – for small businesses.

For your customers

• Builds trust – People buy from brands they recognise and relate to.

• Sets you apart from competitors – A consistent, memorable identity makes you stand out.

  
  

For your staff

• Buy-in goes deeper than liking the colour of their uniform – True buy-in links to your vision and values and how you want your business to be known.

• They are part of your brand – sometimes the face of it – Every conversation, every welcome, every service moment is a reflection of your brand.

• Keeps staff aligned – When your team understands the brand, they don’t just follow processes – they represent your story and carry it to customers.

• Creates consistency – Your brand should flow through everything: website, social media, emails, and yes... even your training materials.

Quick statistic: Businesses that present their brand consistently see a 33% increase in revenue. (Source: Lucidpress)

Your tone of voice

Your tone of voice is your businesses personality. It's the way yit sounds in everything you write and say. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

Imagine two restaurants:

Restaurant A says: “Good afternoon, I’ll be with you in one moment.”

Restaurant B says: “Hi there, grab a table and I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

Same service. Completely different vibes.

It matters for a few different reasons (for customers AND for staff!)

• It creates an emotional connection – not just with customers, but with your team. Staff learn how you want to sound, so they can carry that voice into every interaction.

• It sets expectations – before customers even walk through the door, and before new staff fully step into their role.

• It keeps everything consistent – from your website and social posts to your induction training and day-to-day staff communication. It all 'feels' like your brand.

  
  

If your staff training is generic and off-the-shelf, it won’t sound like you. It’ll sound like someone else’s business – and your people won’t pick up the tone of voice you actually want them to use.

Pro tip: Create a mini tone-of-voice guide. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy – one page is enough, it doesn't need to be war & peace! Include a few examples of “how we talk” and, importantly, “how we don’t.” Share it with your staff so everyone speaks in the same voice. It could be something as simple as: “avoid using jargon and acronyms.”

This is where learning design comes in

At Emblem Training Solutions, we help businesses create onboarding and training that looks and sounds like you – because your people should experience the same brand inside the business that your customers see on the outside.

Branding doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about being clear and consistent so your team know what you stand for and can carry that through in the way they work. If your training feels like you, not a generic course, your staff will connect with it – and your customers will feel the difference!

So here's my CTA for you...

Ask three members of your team what your brand stands for. If their answers don’t match, you’ve got an opportunity to strengthen the way you bring your brand to life.