4 Ways Good Branding Helps Your Business
Are you starting a new business, or just looking to improve what you currently have? Start with branding. If you have ever painted a house or a room for that matter, you know that it’s most efficient to do it before you move all of the furniture in and start hanging things on the wall. While the furniture and decor might be the pieces you interact with the most, the paint is the foundation of the overall aesthetic that you are trying to achieve. Beyond that, it’s a pain to try and paint the walls after you have decorated the room.
Effective branding works the same way. The sooner you work with a professional designer to develop a proper brand identity and strategy, the easier it will be and the better your foundation will be the visual language of your brand.
So, before I give any more advice on the Feng Shui of your house let’s focus on these benefits
You’re Recognizable
Take a look at these series of logos:
Either you recognize every single one of these with actually seeing their name or product, or you have been living under a rock for a good long while. Which, if that’s the case, can you let me know where? I’m always looking for a good vacation spot away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Anyway, back on topic, you recognize more than just their logo, whether intentionally or not, you are aware of the impression that they left on you, good or bad. That leads us to the next point:
Builds Trust
I touched on in a previous blog post, but it’s worth reiterating: a logo is the face of your business, and your brand is the personality. When you recognize a person, you picture their face, but then you think about WHO they are. The two go hand-in-hand. Your first thought is of their appearance, but then you think about their values, and if their dependable or not.
This is exactly how people interact with brands. Here’s a great example: The North Face (fun fact, I used to work for them) customers would often enter the store and ask about our products because they recognized the logo, and they were aware of the reputation the company has for high-quality apparel. There are two levels of recognition going on here: the first level is the visual (logo), and the second is the reputation (brand).
That second level is where the value is. That’s what takes the most work to build and maintain. By having a visual brand identity that supports and capitalizes on that reputation, then the quality of your appearance matches the quality of your brand. That is exactly what people come to recognize.
Better Advertising
We have all seen it happen, companies will spend thousands of dollars on an advertisement, but won’t spend hundreds of dollars on their branding identity, or even their logo for that matter. That’s like buying $5,000 wheels and putting them on a rusted out ’98 Honda Civic. It’s saying “Hey, look at me!" but then not knowing what to do once you have their attention.
Having a solid brand identity makes the attention that you work so hard to bring your business worthwhile. The target audience begins to build trust and recognize your brand.
Increased Financial Value
Growth is a key to success for any business. Even if the goal isn’t to become the next major brand, each company has goals that it wants to achieve. Perception is a huge part of that. Clients and customers must perceive the value of your brand. Perceived value often translates to the actual value. When a customer looks at your brand, if it seems like you put a lot of thought and effort into your appearance, it’s easier for them to be convinced that you put a lot of thought and effort into your actual business practices. It’s like the adage “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
WHERE DO I START?
With a designer. Preferably, one that specializes in Brand Identity design. You’ll know one when you meet one. They will put forth a lot of effort to learn about you and your business’ needs, goals, style, etc. Then they work to communicate those complex ideas into a simple, visual form. You guessed it, a logo. From there, they expand on the design by creating supplemental pieces that consistently support the overall message and visuals of the business.
If you are considering a new logo or brand identity for yourself, or know someone who is. Pass this along and subscribe below for more helpful information coming soon.