Branding is the key to success. In the cluttered global market, your company's brand is the way the outside world perceives your product or service. Many business problems revolve around poor branding: your clients might think you're too small for a job, or not technically capable, or charge too much. Common customer grievances could be alleviated by a positive brand image.
Branding isn't necessarily tangible. It touches the emotive side of human behavior - you feel, see, or relate to a brand. But because it has such power it needs to be managed in any organization, no matter how big or small.
Think about McDonalds and you will see the yellow arches, in the shape of an "M". Think of Nike and the swoosh is the first image in your mind.
It doesn't have to take millions of dollars and 15 marketing consultancies to come up with a great logo, but make sure you get a professional designer to make it.
Many organizations rely too heavily on their logo, assuming it defines their brand. But a brand is much more than a visual mark—it's an emotional connection built through every interaction customers have with your business.
Branding encompasses much more than just a logo; it includes the color palette, typography, brand elements, visual language, and the brand's voice. It is the consistent application of these elements that truly defines a brand's identity.
The start point of your branding is the logo. From there everything the company produces or owns should "feel" like it comes from your company. When you walk by a pile of documents on a desk, you should recognize that it's from your company. It's not just plonking the logo everywhere.
These are things to keep in mind for good branding:
It's perfectly normal that a logo starts to look outdated in over decades, so it needs a refresh. In this case, you should aim to keep the most recognizable characteristics of the old logo, so people will automatically know it's the same company when they first see the new logo.
Warning: Be careful before redesigning - Some brands are constantly changing in order to “stay fresh”, but that’s a mistake. Customers stay loyal through habit, not because you've forced something new and unfamiliar on them.
<youtubeEmbed url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dOIRSqNqAzE" description={"Video: Think Twice Before Updating Your Brand (8 min)"} />You can still create immediate brand recognition even when it's not applicable to use your full company logo. This can be achieved by taking symbols or motifs out of your main logo and using them in your branding material.
Business cards are essential tools for networking and making a lasting impression on potential clients or business partners. However, traditional paper business cards can present various issues in today's digital age.
Email signatures are a great way of adding some advertising and branding. You should always use a nice email signature for external emails. Internally, you may use a short one (just your name or initials).
Changing the appearance of your browser's new tabs can greatly enhance your browsing experience and add a touch of personalization. By incorporating branding elements, you can make your browsing sessions more enjoyable and reflective of your unique style.
At SSW, after consulting, the second tier of our business are the software products. It should be obvious, as soon as our software is run, which company built the application. And more than just plonking the logo in the corner - the app should be recognizable even if the logo has been taken away.
Think of a sporting event and it's likely that you can think of a sponsor for the event. For example:
The list goes on...