Why branding is so important for your business
Food for thought – whether you know it or not, you already have branding for your business. A new customer will make a judgement call about your business as soon as they see it based solely on how you look (think – logo, website, social media, business cards, or even a branded car). This may sound pretty harsh – I mean, we’ve all been conditioned to not judge a book by its cover – but let’s face it – we all do it. Your potential customer will decide what quality of service you will provide, if they think you’re trustworthy, whether or not you’re cheap or expensive (or somewhere in between) and the position you hold in your industry.
Let’s say for example (and this is quite a common scenario) that you had an idea for the logo of your new business so you put something together in Microsoft Word or you used a logo creator/generator website. You may have used some fonts and colours that you quite liked and overall thought it came together all ok. Fast forward a couple of months and you get some business cards created, and another month later the budget allows you to get a simple website made. You may ask “I’ve got a brand for my business – what’s the problem?”.
Test your logo and messaging – ask your potential ideal customers for honest feedback, and be open to it. Questions such as “what quality service would you expect from a business with this logo?” or “What comes to mind when you look at this logo?” Problems arise when customer perception of your brand does not align with how you want to be seen or with your company values.
So what makes a good brand?
First let’s unpack the logo.
Your logo is usually the first introduction someone has of your business. So without a doubt it has to look good – and of course, that can be fairly subjective.
But a good logo will:
– Stand out amongst other brands in the same market
– Be relevant
– Be memorable
– Be simple
– Be adaptable to a variety of mediums and applications
Note: before logo design is commenced it’s important that you research the market/industry you’re up against and understand your target market (client’s and customers).
What makes up a logo?
1. Typography
Oh the beautiful letters! As a designer, typography is one of my great loves – the shape of the letters, the size, the spacing in between, and the unique story each font tells. Your choice of font will speak volumes about what type of branding for your business you are.
2. Colour
Colour creates an immediate emotional response and a good logo design will use colour to convey the tone and personality of the brand and help it to stand out in the market.
3. Graphical Elements
Graphical elements in a logo can pack a mighty punch, from a memorable symbol like Nike to unique illustrations. Some logos use the typography as their graphical element – many are custom-made fonts that have a creative idea relating to the company designed in the lettering. In saying that, there are many well-known logos who forgo any graphical elements and rely solely on their typography and colour to be memorable – think Netflix, Google, Disney or Panasonic.
Brand doesn’t stop at the logo. Your logo is the starting point from which the rest of your brand identity will stem from. Your brand identity may include:
– Your unique colour palette
– Graphical elements other than your logo
– Typography (different from that of your logo) this will be the fonts used for all material – websites, business cards, letters etc.
– Tone of voice – how do you want to speak to your customers – are you formal or do you use more relaxed language?
– Photography – including photographic styles and types of images used to convey the correct tone of your company
– Illustrations
Usually when you get your logo designed by a graphic designer you will receive a ‘Brand Guidelines’ document which will include the correct and most impactful use of the above elements, including how to use your logo in different mediums and applications to make sure it always looks it’s best. You should also receive the logo and elements in all usable file types.
Starting your own brand is an exciting endeavour – and it need not be a daunting process. As TTM industry experts we know what it takes to be at the top of our game. We often talk about ‘the team here at Parallaxx’ because as a collective, we all support each other – no matter the role we play in the team.
Working hard behind the scenes we have a collection of design and media specialists – you may not see them, but I’m sure you’ve seen their work. We are proud to say that all our branding, design, website, copywriting, social media, and SEO is done in house, as early on we recognised the important role brand plays in running a successful business.
If you think your brand needs a bit of love then don’t hesitate to get in touch – as always, we are here to help.
Our design and media services are now on offer to external clients.