If the answer is yes you have come to the right place!
We have many years experience working with and helping develop some of the leading UK and International brands. All sounds rather grand I know, but we also work with small business and start ups to balance things out so we don’t get carried away! Each business brand has it’s challenges and is unique in its offering, so there is never a ‘one size fits all’ solution.
The following tips and guidelines will explain what a brand is and how once established we go on to define the brand identity and manage the application.
Brand Strategy – Defining your brand
Defining your brand provides clear definition and direction.
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why does it matter?
Most people/companies will probably answer the first two questions easily but really struggle with the third. We can help you with this and once the third question is fully understood and you can explain why you do matter then this becomes your brand promise and ultimately what makes you different.
Differentiation is so important for all businesses. It enables you to stand out, be unique and sell on value and not compete on price. Differentiation works because of how our brains are wired. Our brain learns how to tell things apart, to stop us drowning in the vast amount of trivia we are bombarded with daily. We get data from our senses then compare it to what is stored on our brains. This enables us to differentiate between a cat and dog, apple and orange etc etc. So our visual systems are focussed on spotting differences this also includes branding. When we see a new packaging design, brand identity, brochure layout etc we find it aesthetically pleasing, we see it, we like it and want to be part of it.
Brand identity
Your identity is the image your brand portrays, and the feelings consumers derive from that impression. Your brand’s visual identity is essential to establishing and maintaining a presence in your marketplace. Reducing complex ideas into its visual essence requires skill, focus and patience. We never know what the process will reveal, but we will explore many options at this stage until a final idea emerges as the strongest.
The best brands stand for something, a big idea, a strategic position, a set of values or a voice that stands apart. Symbols can be full of meaning and become more powerful with frequent use and when people understand what they stand for. Great examples are Amazon’s ‘A to Z Arrow’, Twitters ‘Tweeting Bird’ and Apples… well… apple.
For your brand to be competitive in today’s global marketplace, it requires a consistent implementation of its elements. Consistent presentation reinforces customer expectations. As part of this process we usually develop the following;
- Logo design
- Typography standards
- Color palette
- Photographic / illustration style
- Visual guidelines
Check out some of the brands we work with and some of the Brand identities we have developed, and please get in touch if you would like to discuss how we can help you develop your brand.
