Your logo is just
the first step

Branding is the key to success.

It’s the image you project and the public’s perception of your company. Do you make a quality product? Can you be trusted to stand behind it? It takes work, and like a job interview or meeting your prom date’s parents, first impressions are important.

Effective branding:
Effective branding means the market clearly understands who you are and has confidence in your products and services. What is your competitive advantage and what do you do better than anyone else? To become a strong brand, you must constantly focus on your unique benefits.

Define your company:
Decide who you are and what image you need to present, then be consistent with that image. It’s a lot more than how you present your logo on your ads and catalogs. In fact, sometimes that’s not so important – Some well-branded companies occasionally color outside the lines. What really matters is the experience the public has while dealing with your company; from noticing your ads, to reading your catalog, to experiencing your point-of-purchase display, to calling customer service. It’s an attitude that‘s presented in collateral materials, your company representatives, your dealers or retail outlets and your interactions with the public. “Look” is important, but not as much as “feel”.

Define your brand(s).
Recognize your target audience. Implement a consistent image. Have a core idea and a vision. If you do, it will be easier to sell yourself, because your message will be uniform and powerful.

What make a strong brand?
Image
– A visual representation that suggests quality and builds consumer preference

Benefits – Real or perceived advantages your products have over the competition

Quality – Builds customer satisfaction, return business and growth

Pricing – Suggests the quality of your product, and is a component of overall value

Distribution – Is your product readily available?

Presence – Media presence builds brand recognition

Awareness – When widgets are mentioned, does your company spring to mind?

Reputation – The enduring public opinion of your brand

Positioning – How are you different from your competition?

Market Share – The natural result of a successful branding campaign

Customer preference & commitment – Predisposition to buy based on long-term brand loyalty

From a design standpoint, branding is a unified message about your company throughout all of your communications: Advertising, brochures and catalogs, packaging, point-of-sale, collateral pieces, trade shows, web design and even photographic and illustration style.