Think of your brand image as what someone thinks when they first meet you.
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Does your brand encourage thoughts of trustworthiness?
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Does your brand leave a lasting impression?
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What stands out about your brand?
While we’d like to think that most people look beyond first impressions, the fact of the matter is that these first few moments play a factor. Your business’s brand is exactly the same.
First impressions matter regardless of what industry you’re in. Of course, having a solid product or service to back up your brand is critical, but having a clean and attentive brand will help garner trust in your sales process’s early stages.
There are three primary factors to consider when launching your business or going through a redesign:
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Create a lasting brand from the get-go.
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Refreshing a brand is inevitable, but it’s imperative to establish a solid base.
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Acknowledge your core values and incorporate them within your brand identity.
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What makes your product stand out from the rest?
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Ensure scalability across platforms.
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Your logo and brand imagery need to look cohesive across every platform (online, mobile apps, print media, letterhead, and more). This means having a recognizable logo that can easily be scaled across various sizes.
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A lot more goes into a brilliant brand identity, but let’s take a deeper look at these three as they are the most critical.
Create a lasting brand from the get-go.
For many successful small business owners, their company starts as a side-project – a means to escape their typical 9 to 5 job. This can be a dangerous stage for some, especially when creating an initial brand identity.
When you spend your free-time grinding on the business, it’s easy to become attached to the branding you’ve created. Rightfully so! Chances are, this business has been your baby for many months, if not years. As a result, it can be difficult to part ways with the visuals you’ve created.
However, it’s imperative that you create a cohesive brand that corresponds with your company’s mission and values. If you’re having difficulty removing yourself from the emotional attachment, consider reaching out to a neutral third party for their thoughts and feedback.
If you’re looking for inspiration, consider visiting websites like The DieLine and Brand New for some examples of well-executed branding.
If you don’t consider yourself a “creative type,” it might seem like a waste of money and time in the early stages of your business. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s say you execute with a mediocre design in the beginning and print the necessary signage, vinyl car wraps, window clings, business cards, and more with this design. After a few months, or years if you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself having to shell out even more money to replace everything once you’ve updated your branding.
Acknowledge your core values.
Start simple on this one. If you haven’t had the opportunity to write down your core values, here are some questions to get you started:
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What does your product/service offer that competitors do not? What’s your competitive edge? Write it down.
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Who are you targeting? Be specific and narrow.
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What is important for your consumers?
If you haven’t gone to market yet and are unsure of your ideal audience, take the time to do some research by looking into whom competitors are targeting. If you’re looking for a good place to get started, try downloading our brand identity template here.
It’s worth noting that you don’t need to incorporate all of your company’s values into your brand identity. It’s generally better to focus on a few instead. By only incorporating your most important values into your brand,you will be left with a more refined message that better engages your potential customers.
Hopefully, after taking the time to comb through the details, you will have a solid picture of who and what your business is, and you can use that to begin building your brand.
Pay attention to scalability.
Scalability is an often overlooked component that many small business owners don’t consider. How will your logo and color scheme look across platforms?
Intricacies may look beautiful when blown up to a large scale, but they get lost and become indiscernible when scaled down to smaller sizes. If you have your heart set on an ornate design, consider creating a second logo to complement your primary logo when necessary.
While this only brushes the surface of what a comprehensive brand strategy should look like, it will give you the tools to build a solid base for years to come. Building a brand is both a science and an art, with major corporations paying upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars to rebrand themselves. If you’re a small business or startup looking to create an eye-catching brand, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation.
