Branding can often be overlooked in a small business for a wide range of reasons, but maybe its time for you to take a second look at this sometimes mystifying subject.In this article I plan to provide information about what branding is, its importance in a business of any size or type, and some simple ways that you can start on a new path with your branding strategies.
Till Death Do Us Part
The basis of branding is to create a relationship between a product or service and consumers.That relationship is most often triggered by names, logos, colors and even fonts that a business has chosen to represent itself with.
A basic branding example for you: we all have that one person who loves to use an “interesting” font in everything and I am sure you can think of someone right now who does this; guess what, they branded themselves to you.I bet that font can give you an impression of their personality, even if you had never met them before.
A simple font is able to create an image in your mind and also remind you of that person and feeling every time you see that font.
All of the elements I mentioned and more are used create impressions and feelings in us about a specific business.These feelings have a profound effect on us, even though we may not consciously think of them when seen or heard.
One of the most important things to remember is that impressions last a long time, which is why I often recommend to friends starting a business for the first time to make sure they put the time and money into portraying the right brand.You want to control how a person feels about your business and not wait for someone else to do it for you in a negative way.
It’s a relationship that can last forever in a consumers mind, either positively or negatively, you should be the one to decide.
The First Impression
If you haven’t already created your name and logo, and even sometimes if you have – it’s called re-branding, then that’s the best place to begin.These elements are the foundation of your brand for the life of your business.
We’ve all heard the sayings about first impressions, well, for all companies this is usually their name and logo.In my business I often get clients who have an epiphany a few years into their business when they realize that they have spent the last couple years giving thousands of clients and potential clients the wrong impressions.
Everything about your name and logo can be part of the branding, obviously from the words in the name and images you use, but also from the colors, fonts and even layout.The epiphany that many people have comes from the fact that when we start our businesses, we all try to save where possible.My opinion for them, don’t overlook your brand.
The Second, Third, Forth, Fifth…You Get the Point
Well, you have that perfect name and logo; people just look at them and get that warm fuzzy feeling [FILL IN YOUR OWN DESIRED IMPRESSION HERE] you wanted them to.Good Job!Sorry, to burst your bubble, but it’s never over till… ok, it’s never over.
It is sometimes hard to remember the effects of a first impression and enforcing that continued relationship as you try to run and grow a business, but be wary of this dangerous path.Everything that makes contact with consumers, including documents, product sheets, e-mails, websites, sales people, and the list goes on forever, have an effect on your brand and company image.You wouldn’t want your sales people to dress like they are beggars, so I don’t think you want a website that looks like a third grader created it.
One client I had come to us a couple of years ago and asked for a little consulting about their branding and marketing, which they had done everything themselves up to this point.Not to my surprise, but I found that their logo had different colors on almost every material they had; their website even had a completely different color scheme than the rest of the company.The worst thing was that if you asked a couple of their employees or clients, they didn’t even know which logo was right.
The End of the Beginning
Whether this knowledge is new to you or you just haven’t had the time to put the proper care into it, well now is the time to get started on the right track.The people that you get involved are what will make this process the most successful for your organization, so make sure you use the right people.
Most people in the Marketing biz will sit down with you at no cost; it doesn’t hurt to hear what they have to say. The most important thing that I can impart when looking for the right people to help is to do your research. Look at other work they have done, have other people look at it, talk to them and their clients; make sure you pick the people that will get you the best result.
Good luck and remember - looks do matter in business.
Resources & Author Information
Andy Halko is the President & CEO of Insivia, a marketing and technology firm.Insivia is a unique firm that places high regard upon both form and function, providing services such as branding & identity creation, collateral design, and online presence and application building.To learn more, please visit www.insivia.com or call them at 800-231-8461.
