Maintaining Your Brand's Image. - Issue: 2000 Qtr 4
Excuse me, but I believe your brand is showing.
Okay, so you probably won't hear that from a prospect as they approach your trade show display from across a crowded convention hall. But what a compliment it would be. To think that he or she recognized your brand from across a room full of other brands screaming at the top of their visual lungs. If you, your Marketing Department and your Marketing Partner (also referred to as your agency) have done their homework, you will have developed a look for your brand that is undeniably its own.
So, what does it take to create your brand's image — visually? Is it just a consistent palette of colors? The use of certain type fonts? Or the accepted usage of your logo? These things are important to your visual branding but there are some other things to consider.
Who are you?
What is your brand and what does it stand for...right now at this very minute? What image of your brand do you want your clients and prospects to walk away with?
Hey! Where are you going?
What is your brand going to look like when it grows up? Where will it be one year from now? Two years from now? Five years from now? As important as it is to let your customers know what your brand stands for...right now, give them a glimpse of where your brand is headed. Let them know that they have invested (or should invest!) in a product that has a future.
Now, agreed, these are not necessarily visual questions. But they will provide you with the groundwork for developing that brand image. They are great clues to the colors, typefaces and images you'll want to use to create a consistent brand look.
Let's get visual.
Has anyone seen our style manual?
If you've got one, use it. This is one of your best guides to the basics of your brand's visual image. Color, type, logo usage, image usage... it's all there. If you don't have a style manual for your brand, get one. You'll never regret the investment and you'll thank yourself many times over. Don't know where to get one? Call Miller Brooks (shameless plug). We love branding. We eat, drink and sleep this stuff.
Avoid the "Me Too's."
Develop a photographic or illustrative style for your brand. Nothing has more visual impact than a great photo or illustration. And nothing has more impact than a photographic or illustrative style that is immediately associated with your brand. Avoid falling into the trap of using stock images. Yes, it is quick, easy and sometimes cost-effective, but if you're using it, chances are someone else is using it, too. Stand out from the crowd. Make a statement. Create your own image. Viva la difference!
Never let them catch you with your fonts down.
Ever notice how sometimes you can recognize a company or product by just the first word in an ad headline or the sale price in a newspaper insert? There's a reason for that. It's a consistent use of type. Type can say a lot about your brand and a consistent use of type can say even more. If you do this, a viewer's eye becomes trained to associate your brand with that particular type font. Create a brand look with a small family of type faces and apply them with purpose across all your brand's promotional materials.
Fly your colors.
Make a statement. Don't be shy. But use color that is consistent to your brand's image. Color can give your brand visual impact. Too much or inconsistent use of color will only create confusion. Develop a small palette of colors. Let a couple of those colors take the lead and let the rest take a supporting role. This will help create a look for your brand that will ring true throughout all visual points of contact.
Don't mess with the logo.
The heart and soul of your brand image: your logo. Give it room. Let it breathe. Place it on a pedestal. After all, it is who you are. Create guidelines for its usage. Not rules, guidelines. (Rules stifle creativity.) No matter where it appears, make sure your logo sings the company anthem.
Jump back.
Finally, take a look at what you've created. Step back from it. Is the visual message consistent? Is it unique to your brand? If you covered up the name on your logo, would someone looking at it know it was your brand? If the answer is yes, congratulations! If the answer is no, take the opportunity to make adjustments and get it right. You'll never regret it and your brand will never look back. Visually speaking.
Need help maintaining your brand's image? Contact Miller Brooks at 317.873.8100 or contact@millerbrooks.com.
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