Branding Basics
Your brand is so much more than your company name, or the products/services you sell – your brand is the experience you create for your customers/clients. From your packaging to your website, and every social media interaction in between – everything revolves around your brand, so every detail matters.
A strong brand presence improves brand awareness and recognition, builds trust, and creates loyalty with your customers/clients.
“90% of consumers expect that their experience with a brand will be similar across all platforms and devices.”
In order to achieve this, you must first define your brand’s identity – starting with your logo.
Your logo is the foundation of your brand, and will be used across all networks, platforms, and devices. Its purpose is to grab attention, be memorable, and be recognizable by your audience.
When thinking about your brand logo, here are a few things to consider:
If you want to include an icon or image in your logo, think of it as your symbol, it should represent your entire brand not just your products or services.
You may also want to consider creating logo variations for different networks and devices. A colour version and a black & white version is what I would recommend having on file. Keep it simple.
“Presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.”
This brings us to brand colour selection.
The colours you choose for your logo are the signature colours of your brand. They will be used on your website, social media, in-store, branded merchandise, advertising, etc., so the colour palette you choose matters greatly.
Plan on selecting three colours: a base, an accent, and a neutral.
I won’t get into colour theory and the link of colour to our emotional state, but if you’re curious what emotion your brand colours evoke, click here.
My brand colours, purple, in case you were curious, is associated with mystery, creativity, royalty and wealth. Lighter shades of purple are often used to soothe or calm a viewer, hence why it is used in beauty products. Incorporate purple to make a design look more luxurious and wealthy or a lighter purple to show romance and mystery. (Source)
“Using a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80%”
One of the first investments I made when I started my business was professional Photography.
Whether you have a service based business (like me), or you have a product that is the star of your brand, you will need photos for marketing.
Before you reach out to a photographer, here’s what you need to know:
Be prepared – know what you need to shoot and where these images will be primarily used (social media, advertising, website, etc.).
Find photography styles that you like – this gives the photographer an idea of your vision for the brand, so they can prepare for your session.
You will be responsible for bringing props and styling photos (unless you hire a stylist – some photographers may already work with one, just ask).
Plan ahead – most photographers are booked months in advance, so get your session scheduled early.
“67% of consumers say the quality of a product image is “very important” in selecting and purchasing the product.”
Lastly, but more importantly, your brand Message is the story that you tell the world; your story is what makes customers relate to your brand so they would want to buy from you.
The tone and voice of your brand will matter greatly from the content that you share to the captions you write for social media.
Are you going for a fun, playful brand? Or, is your audience made up of senior-level executives and requires a more serious, professional tone?
Research similar brands in your industry to see what you like and don’t like about their tone before you make a decision.
Once you’ve reviewed all the basics and you have a general idea of what you want your brand to look like, it’s time to make a plan and execute on that plan
If you started building your brand and would like a professional consultation
If you have a new or existing business and you are interested in brand management services
