Branding on a Budget: Four Steps for Brand Consistency
03 Jan 2014 Leave a Comment
in Marketing, Marketing TIPS Tags: branding, logo
In the long run, it pays to have a professionally created company or brand logo as the centerpiece of your company’s identity. A custom logo doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be simple, eye-catching, and unique.
Unless you’re a graphic artist or you already have a great one on staff, work with a designer for logo creation. While there are libraries of standard logos you can choose from, it’s worth it to have a logo custom designed by an experienced graphic artist who can capture the essence of your business. Try to resist the temptation to design your own logo using PowerPoint or a similar program because it will probably always look amateurish. You also won’t be able to generate all the different file types you need for various media.
2. Pick a color scheme.
Once you’ve found a graphic designer to work with, ask him or her to create a corporate color scheme for you while they’re working on the logo. The color scheme should include two or three colors that coordinate well together, and it should include light and dark shade variations of the chosen colors.
The experienced eye of a graphic artist will come up with fresh designs and color schemes that you’ll love, even though you might not have considered them on your own. When you settle on your colors, you can ask the designer to provide the Pantone color code values and the CMYK equivalents to prevent inconsistencies that occasionally occur if people try to “eyeball” the correct shade on future documents.
3. Create a style set and templates.
If you use page layout or word processing applications, you’ll want to create a custom style set that includes fonts, heading styles, margins, and spacing defaults so your documents always have a consistent look and feel. A graphic artist’s expertise will come in handy here, too, by giving your documents an appealing look.
Consider installing the style set for new employees when they join your company, or have IT set them up for you, so employees automatically create consistently formatted documents and presentations. It’s a huge time saver when you don’t have to reformat every document before publishing it.
4. Post a branding “book” or style guide.
A style guide doesn’t have to be complex, but it does need to make the guidelines for logo usage and other branding elements clear. To help ensure consistency, include the standards for color values, official product and company names, and links to corporate templates. It only makes sense to have a style guide if employees will use it, so try to keep it simple if you can.
Creating a recognizable brand requires consistency to avoid muddying brand identity. By following a few guidelines, you can help ensure that prospective customers will instantly recognize your brand.
Is Your Company Tagline Boring Your Customers?
28 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Design, Marketing Tags: branding, image, logo, Taglines
Are your customers board of your Tag-line?
A tagline is a short, descriptive phrase used alongside a company logo to drive home the message and promise of a brand. If your tagline is getting long in the tooth or does not resonate any longer, it may be time to take a look at upgrading it. Even big brands like Coca-Cola change their tagline when it needs reinvigorating. It’s never too late to change a tired tagline.
Eric Swartz of the Byline Group suggests sitting down and asking yourself some core questions about your company:
Who are you?
What are your values?
What is your vision?
How would you describe your corporate culture?
What nouns and adjectives would you use to convey your brand’s promise and its solution?
What words might your customers use to describe your company?
Are there any misconceptions about your company that need to be cleared up?
(More information here: Slogans That Are the Real Thing)
To get your creative juices flowing, here is a list of the top 10 taglines since 1948:
“Got milk?” (1993, California Milk Processor Board)
“Don’t leave home without it.” (1975, American Express)
“Just do it.” (1988, Nike)
“Where’s the beef?” (1984, Wendy’s)
“You’re in good hands with Allstate.” (1956, Allstate Insurance)
“Think different.” (1998, Apple Computer)
“We try harder.” (1962, Avis)
“Tastes great, less filling.” (1974, Miller Light)
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” (1954, M&M Candies)
“Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” (1956, Timex)
(Source: The 100 Most Influential Taglines Since 1948)
Not having a great tagline (or one at all) may not doom a business, but having a memorable tagline can certainly help a business stand out from the clutter of a crowded marketplace.
