The importance of branding

Branding is something that the business owner needs to think long and hard about as most companies will keep their logo and branding for many years. It needs to convey your business and what you do and you as a business owner. Its a very important part of the process and can be a huge benefit if you get this right. 

Branding includes your logo, but is so much more than just a logo, it is about you and what your brand needs to communicate. 

What is a brand identity - Good branding makes you stand out from the crowd and people can identify you quickly and easily with a coherent and complimentary brand across all platforms, print, digital, stationery, etc using consistent colours, icons, visuals and fonts that represent your company.

Brand identity is a mixture of things. Your products and services, the company name, who your audience is, the colours and the fonts being used, what the company wants to convey; playful, smart, professional, relaxed… the list is endless and each company has different requirements. 

If you get this right it will explain to your target audience what you are all about and what services or products you offer and in turn will encourage your prospective customers to buy from you sooner than your competition. The message needs to be easy to relate to and needs to be simple and easily identified. 

Try not to be too clever and way out with names or concepts as it will only confuse customers. Your message needs to tell your potential customers, exactly want you do and be instantly recognised. 

The Company name, logo and colours - This is the first thing that people will see and know about you, so make sure it is memorable, easy to use and spell and unique. Use the same name, colours and fonts across all platforms but before you become transfixed by a certain name, check the availability of the domain name, as it may already exist. Names can be simply your name if you so desire, or a quirky name that is memorable. Difficult to spell names are always a problem when trying to find you on-line so I personally think that simple or memorable names are easier to get right.  

Some people struggle with a logo and what they actually want to use, while others have a clear idea in their heads, but just need some help in getting it into an electronic format. Logos are very subjective and not everyone will like everything, but ultimately you are the business and it is you that needs to be comfortable with the final chosen design. If you are happy then you will be able to promote your company with pride. 

The logo: Keep it clean and clear and one that can be used in various applications, clothing, vehicle graphics, printed collateral, website, social media etc. Logos are better as vector files as they are scalable without losing resolution, which means it can be used at various sizes and will always look great. Consider what you want your logo to convey. Tell your designer of any ideas, colours and styles that you like and more importantly anything that you really don’t like or want, this will save time in the long run. 

Colours: Look at the meaning of colours and how they would work with your business. It would be wise to have primary colours and then some secondary colours for use as accent colours. This will allow your branding to work across a variety of platforms. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) colours are used in printed matters as a general rule of thumb and RGB (Red, Green and Blue) for web and social media posts, so you need to have your logo in both formats. 

Logo Variations: I would suggest having a landscape and portrait version of your logo as it will be easier to fit into certain situations and also have a white and a black version. 

Brand Guidelines: Always request brand guidelines from your designer. These will tell you what the colours are and what fonts have been used. This will help with continuity going forward and keep your brand consistent wherever it is used. 

For more information contact me on 07773 253654 or email raywoodgraphicdesign@gmail.com | raywoodgraphicdesign.co.uk