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BRANDING 101ccroausrhse A QUICK GLANCE GUIDE logos TO BRANDING

overview Who is this for Anyone who wants to understand branding in a digestible format Why was this guide put together To educate people on the power of branding give them the tools to start building their own brand What will you learn Branding essentials The benefits of branding How to build your brand What makes a good logo Pink cows why you should care

branding explained brand perceived emotional corporate image as a whole identity visual sensual aspects that form the brand logo identifies a business via a mark or symbol A brand is literally what people say about your business when you re not in the room

bberannedfiitns gof Everyone s idea of branding is different but there is one thing they can agree on The power of branding 1 CUSTOMER RECOGNITION Makes a brand stand out from its competitors 2 CUSTOMER LOYALTY Keep customers coming back for more 3 CONSISTENCY A consistent brand is memorable more effective 4 BRAND EQUITY Every branded element helps build brand equity 5 INCREASES CREDIBILITY Establishes a company as a serious professional business 6 ATTRACTS TALENT When a business has great branding people notice 7 ALLOWS SHARED VALUES Emotionally connect with customers creating loyalty for life 8 GIVES CONFIDENCE A solid brand knows its values and this evokes confidence

how to build your brand identify A strong well defined brand will make growing your company much easier But what makes a strong brand Typically what makes a brand great isn t just one amazing thing it s a combination of several This is where most people get it wrong and because of this you need a brand strategy And your brand strategy has to be aligned with your business objectives the reason WHY you exist your target client and your unique selling point To put this in perspective consider Ikea While they re definitely not a small startup they perfectly exemplify a strong brand Why Because they re known for their low prices giant stores customer experience inspiring ideas and innovative products Ikea s brand is more than just a logo Agree So define your why and the rest will follow DEVELOP A BRAND IDENTITY For a strong brand you re going to need Logo a symbol representing your business Tag line a short sweet motto Visual Aesthetic a consistent color palette fonts design style and overall concept Voice The brand s tone vocabulary syntax Once you have these setup you can start building the rest of your brand s collateral eg Your website social media graphics packaging stationery etc IMPLEMENT TRACK AND ADJUST No brand is set in stone Overtime you may want to update it or do a complete re branding Your clients new emerging technology and the ever evolving economy will dictate when you may need to consider re branding

wgohoadt mlogaok es a A good logo is effective It is distinctive appropriate practical graphic simple in form transmits a predetermined message SIMPLE A plain logo design is easy to recognize and allows the logo to be versatile Good logos feature something distinct without being overdrawn Think Apple s bite VERSATILE An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of applications eg On your website clothing more Think Nike 5 principles of good logo design MEMORABLE An effective logo design should be memorable and this is achieved by having a simple appropriate logo Think McDonald s TIMELESS A practical logo should endure decades Ask yourself will the logo still be adequate in 10 20 50 years Think Coca Cola APPROPRIATE The logo should be designed for its intended audience eg A toy store s logo would be vastly different from a law firm s logo Think Toys R Us

wait WHAT what is a pink cow and why should you care You do know that branding is an old topic right Yet with the rise of social technologies branding is as accessible as ever meaning you have so much more opportunity but also so much more competition to build and grow a business which thrives For this reason alone you have to stand out and create a one of a kind brand You re either dominating competitors or you re invisible in the market You don t want to build a me too brand You want to be completely different You want to be the pink cow Seth Godin talks more about this in his book Purple Cow I ve simply re branded this idea as pink cow because you know pink rocks define your pink cow brand Before creating your brand you must have a target market set specific goals and plan accordingly Take a look at where you are at now and where you want to be in the future Ask yourself What do you personally want to be known for In business what do you want to be known for What about in 2 years time 5 years 10 years Maybe you want to become an authority in your niche or perhaps you want a popular eCommerce store Or be the next Google Whatever your goal plan correctly from the start Be the pink cow Here s how to brand yourself as the pink cow of your industry

build your brand After you ve set your goals outlined your target market defined how you wish to be perceived then you can start to build your brand Start with these 3 brand essentials need a hand Email Kate Putnam kate putnam marketing com Your Unique Visual Identity Having a unique visual identity is one of the easiest ways to differentiate your business from the competition Your identity should be consistent and reflective of your initial goals yet flexible enough to work across all communication This includes your logos fonts colors stationery social media profiles and more Your Social Networks It s not enough to have a Facebook or Twitter account you have to actually be active there share content provide value ask and answer questions and as frequently as possible Remember that everything you do say and share is effective for your brand Your Own Website Domain Name Email Address Do you know what comes up when people type your business into Google Hopefully your own website e g JohnSmith com and social media profiles Are you using a customized email address such as john smith com These all reflect your brand s image If you implement these 3 steps you ll be on your way to creating an irresistible brand Questions Please email kate putnam marketing com