Make Your Brand Memorable

If a picture is worth a thousand words, your brand image is worth a thousand purchase considerations. Portraying a powerful image as well as creating a unified, consistent look for your business ensures that your brand can be remembered.

You brand is your business’ image — it is the first thing your customers and potential customers will think of when they come across anything related to your company. According to an article from the U.S. Small Business Administration, a strong brand identity is crucial to successful marketing because it helps your business stand out from the pack.

In creating a powerful image for your brand, keep these questions in mind:

–          What is the first impression you want people to have of your brand?
–          What words or feelings do you want to convey with your brand?
–          Do your marketing materials communicate what your brand offers?

Your brand is the sum of all impressions people will take away from your company. In order to maintain an integrated image, you must also create a unified look for your organization with everything you do.

Creative Latitude gives these helpful tips on branding your company:

Establish the idea behind the brand. Customers buy a product or service because it offers a benefit – one of the most important steps in creating a brand image is defining those benefits.

Develop a visual palette. Make sure your logo, typefaces, artwork, photographs and color create an image that distinguishes your company from all others and is included on all of your print, presentation and online materials.

Start with a result in mind. Decide how you want both customers and potential customers to see your product or service and develop your brand with that in mind.

Assemble the pieces. Typically, your logo is the foundational element on which you build your visual palette. One you’ve created a logo, match a typeface to it. Then, combine it with an illustration style.

Choose colors. Select a combination of colors that help tell your company’s brand story. Because you designed your logo first, start there, then look at the photographs and clip art you chose for you brand, etc. and possibly pull colors from there to come up with two or three basic colors.

Create a palette and stick with it. Though you may see your brand every day, remember that customers and potential customers do not. They need to hear, read and see a consistent message over a long period of time for your brand to have maximum effect.

Remember to focus on branding your product or service, not your company. If you have business cards, letterheads, return address labels, etc. make sure to carryover the same design. And also, don’t be afraid to think outside the box, take some risks or try something new! Happy branding!