What is a Brand?

During this course learning why branding is important, what the voice of your brand is, your brand's story, and then buttoning it all up has helped me shape a comprehensive understanding of the critical elements that contribute to a strong and impactful brand identity. Understanding why branding is important laid the foundation for recognizing the significance of creating a unique and memorable brand presence in a competitive market.

Exploring the concept of my brand's voice allowed me to identify the tone, personality, and messaging that resonates most effectively with my target audience. This insight has not only enhanced my communication strategies but has also established a consistent and authentic connection with customers.

Jumping into my brand's story was a journey of self-discovery, uncovering the roots and values that define my brand's identity. This storytelling aspect not only adds depth and relatability to my brand but also is a powerful tool for building emotional connections with customers and fostering loyalty and trust.

Finally, "buttoning it all up" has been a massive help in bringing together these diverse elements into a cohesive and harmonious whole. This involves ensuring consistency across all touchpoints, from visual aesthetics to messaging, creating a unified brand experience for customers.

In essence, this course has equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to strategically develop and maintain a compelling brand that not only stands out in the market but also resonates with the hearts and minds of my target audience.

Digital Storytelling and Branding Course Objectives for Mastery Journal Reflection Entry:

1.0 Students will be able to express the attributes of a brand using concise and engaging language that connects with the target audience in one short paragraph that can be used in a variety of mediums.

• In order to complete this requirement the assignment covering "Three Little Questions" (Who are you, what do you do, and why does it matter) Leads to a short paragraph bridging the gap of brand attributes of Palmetto State Armory, and understanding the brand's key points. This showed a distinct difference between PSA and other competitors.

2.0 Students will be able to define their brand’s unique voice using human personality traits in a twenty-slide digital presentation less than seven minutes in length

• Finding your brand's voice best links to finding its persona. The outcome was a 6-ish minute Pecha Kucha presentation comparing the physical form of Keanu Reeves against the metaphysical form of PSA.

3.0 Students will be able to produce a brand story in written or digital form no longer than one written page or two minutes in length that can be used on the company’s website

• The accomplished task linked to this particular objective is the creation of the Brand Short Story. The outcome was a 2-minute video that draws inspiration from the Guy Next Door archetype for PSA. This video serves as a means for customers to establish a connection with the brand by tapping into a sense of inspiration and creativity.

4.0 Students will be able to prepare a comprehensive brand strategy no more than fifteen

written pages in length that incorporates brand concepts and outside research to support recommendations

• The task aligned with this particular objective involved the development of the Brand Strategy Document. The final product is a comprehensive 12-page paper that meticulously analyzes the existing branding elements and provides insightful recommendations for enhancing the brand strategy for PSA.