Say the word “brand” and the first thing that springs into your mind is a series of images. You’re likely to envision some of the iconic ones, and what you’re probably seeing in your mind’s eye is their logos. But there’s much more to a brand than a logo. It’s certainly an important component of brands, and the most likely element to be remembered, so let’s begin there!
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1. Logo Tips and Tricks
Think about the type of business you’re planning to create. Your logo should be appropriate to that. As you can imagine, this means that an event organiser’s logo will be completely different in its look and feel to a lawyer’s. You also want a distinctive logo that people will remember at a glance. Simplicity is key, not only to how memorable your logo is, but also because you’ll be using it in a variety of sizes and formats.
If these are more items than you know how to work around already, try using a free logo maker online. It asks about your business and helps you to brainstorm ideas. Talk to IT experts and print media experts to see what input they can give. You may need to touch up the artwork professionally, but you need to be sure it’s a good, workable design concept.
A logo is like a brand’s ambassador. It represents the company in a marketplace full of other businesses. When a logo is distinctive, it can make a business more memorable and help it express its personality values. However, designing a logo can be expensive, and even the most beautiful ones might not make the best impression. This is because the logo will be present everywhere the brand exists. Your marketing team can get some very valuable feedback by testing your logo with potential customers before making the final decision. Conjointly’s Logo Test can help you identify areas that are making a positive impact or that might need further improvement.
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2. Choose a Name That Says What You Do
You don’t want prospective customers giving you the go-by because your business name isn’t informative enough. Need some examples? Names like Jimmy’s Bakery, Acme Tool Hire, and Paws Dog Parlour say much more than just “Jimmy’s,” “Acme,” or “Paws.”
How does Apple get away with it? Well, by now, everybody knows what they do. When they started out, they were “Apple Computer Company.” Point proven! By the way, they chose “Apple” because it began with an “A” so that they would be near the top of alphabetical listings. Is there a business in your town using the word “Acme” in their name? Now you know why.
Maybe someday, your brand will become so well-known that your business name no longer needs to be descriptive, but an ambiguous business name is definitely not a starting point.
3. Consider Customer Impressions First
Your logo and brand must fit what you do in the eyes of your customers. Before you settle on an identity, ask people who fit your customer profile whether they think you’ve matched your branding to your products and services. Quite simply, your company image has to harmonize with its activities. As a silly example, imagine a hardware store with a pink, floral logo. It doesn’t really work, does it?
Even different businesses in the same niche may have contrasting presentations depending on the market segment they serve. Know who your customers will be and how to talk to them – and “talking” includes visual cues too. If you are not really design-focused, you can always use services like Design Force who are able to offer a lot of design support services that can continue throughout your business timeline.
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4. Think About the Personality to Match the Needs Your Company Meets
Your brand will thrive if what you do meets a need in your community or market. What are those needs? What kind of identity would you associate with a solution to this problem? Your brand consists of a voice, an identity, a promise, a set of values, a target market, and its positioning within that market. People view the unified result of these elements as a means to fulfill needs and wants. Everything you do should be on-brand, so get customer oriented answers to these questions and turn them into the basis of how you do business.
In essence, your brand becomes the “personality” of your business. For example, if your business is ladies’ fashion, you could be elegant, upmarket, stylish and exclusive. On the other hand, you could be outdoorsy, casual, laid-back,and affordable. As you can see, these personalities are distinctly different from one another even though they are both stores selling ladies’ apparel. Their products will differ,and their clients will be looking for a specific brand personality when seeking out those products.
Brand Iron has a unique approach to each project- ensuring that your company’s message is reflected in every design aspect. They offer high quality investor deck designs, with no shortcuts or templates. Check out the pitch deck agency they have created for businesses like yours.
Read More: Tips for Choosing a Logo Font
5. Happy With Your Brand and Logo? Now Use Them Everywhere!
Your signage, your website, social media marketing, work uniforms, invoices, your vehicles, your packaging – it’s amazing how many places a logo can go. Use it wherever you can, from on your car to on your socks (you can check out Custom Sock Club and find out how it works here if you are interested in customizing socks for your brand) and on your stationery, only stopping short of having it tattooed on your forehead!
With your brand’s personality taking shape, remember that every message you deliver on its behalf should be in character. This ranges from visual messages to the words you use in advertising and marketing your business. Consistency is key, so train your staff on what’s expected from them in order to represent your brand to the public.
There’s much more that can be said about branding, and even more that you’ll learn as you go along, but these basics are a good grounding to get you started. Are you ready to get started? Then get set and go!
