Whether you are starting a business or own one that has been around for 30 years, branding should be an important part of your marketing strategy. The importance of consistency in branding should never be overlooked. Yet we regularly find clients who have not even considered their branding. Even more shocking; their marketing agents haven’t helped them with it either. This has made branding a main element of our service, even a manifesto of the design team, if you will.
Help small businesses establish branding through their online presence.
Branding is the magical element of marketing that allows me to say “Target” and you think of a bullseye, the color red, big block lettering, and maybe even a little white bull terrier. Or “Google” and you think of primary colors in sans-serif font. Maybe you wouldn’t have the words to describe what comes to your head, but the image is there, instantly. You have created a memory of that business. What they offer, what they stand for, and any interaction you have had with them. By simply saying the name, or seeing a red bullseye, all of those things are brought to mind.
Why is this so powerful?
Entrepreneur.com said it best, “consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company’s products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The most obvious example of this is Coke vs. a generic soda. Because Coca-Cola has built a powerful brand equity, it can charge more for its product–and customers will pay that higher price.” Better branding leads to stronger recognition. Stronger recognition leads you to being seen as more trustworthy by your consumers. Being more trustworthy means you can draw a larger client base and/or charge more for your product.
Simply put: better branding = better business.
Consistent branding is carefully planned, well thought out, and completely intentional by these companies. Decisions like where to use a color or what font to use are just some of the factors they consider. Branding permeates into every aspect of your business: starting with your logo (icon, colors, typography), your tagline, core values & messaging, online and printed marketing materials, even down to how you interact with customers.
How does branding work?
The trick is… branding is not “magical”. Consistent branding is attainable by even the smallest business, and is important to create recognition and – most importantly – something memorable in your customer’s minds. In this series, we will break down 3 key elements of visual branding: logo, colors, and typography. These are the foundation of your branding. Stay tuned and follow our branding series in 3 installments:
- Components of a Good Logo
- Applying Colors with Intent
- Typography – the Visual Component of the Written Word
If you already know you need help with branding – contact our Internet Marketing Consultants today. They’ll show you how our designers can guide you through this process from beginning to end!
