So, What's Your Brand?

When most people think in terms of shopping or eating out, they generally think in terms of names, such as McDonald's, WalMart, Nike, Polo, Chanel, Sketchers, Marc Jacobs, etc.  It's not just because they have the big bucks for advertising, it's also because they are easily recognizable and their logos, colours, slogans, etc. stick in our minds.

This is also true of any sports team.  You don't even need to see their team crest to know the name of the team.  Just seeing their colours is usually enough for you to know which team is being represented.

This is called branding and it's important for any size business.  It is also extremely important to have your branding in place before you initiate any marketing of your business.  Branding is simply making your business instantly recognizable AND the first one customers think of when looking to purchase the types of products you sell.

So, how exactly do you brand your business?  In order for branding to work as it should, you need consistency.  Your logo, colour scheme, slogan, even font should be the exact same on everything and anything that is associated with your company.  Think of WalMart of Home Depot.  Not only do they use the same colours on their signs, carts and shopping bags, etc., but they also use the same font.  This is even true of their websites.  The moment you open their homepage, you recognize it, because their header matches everything else that is associated with their store.  It's that consistency that makes it instantly recognizable and makes their store name pop into your head when you see their particular colours.

For a small business, I would suggest your start with your logo.  Your logo needs certain components and will be the basis for your colours and fonts to be used on everything for your business.  I know it is easy to envision a logo that has graphics, your company name, a fancy background, maybe some sparkle to it.  However, to create your brand properly, means that it will be on absolutely everything that has to do with your business, such as:

• your website
• invoices/receipts
• envelopes/letterhead/business cards
• banner to advertise on other websites
• tags/stickers
• bag toppers
• shopping bags
• brochures/flyers/posters

Therefore, you logo needs the flexibility to have clarity and legibility no matter what the size.  So, it follows that the more "extra dodads" you have, the more you will loose when resizing (especially when you need to make it smaller).  It's disappointing when you've worked on this great logo, only to find out that the smaller details in the background, or in the graphic do not show up when resized for on a tag or envelope and it just looks all mushy.

Remember K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) and you should do great!  When you think of your logo, keep in mind the following elements:

• a mixture of either just one or two of - initials, a graphic or word that identifies you
• a maximum of 2 main colours
• easily lends itself to both large (website header) and small (stationary) without loosing clarity
• does not infringe on any other company's branding identifiers

Branding should be used in every aspect of your marketing strategies.  Successful branding will ensure consistency and, in a very short period of time, instant recognition of your company by those who see your logo, colour scheme or even the font.  In short, it gives your business an identity.

So, what's your brand?  Do you have one?