It’s a new year and time for a fresh new start! Now that we’re settling in to 2015 and getting back on track after the rush of the holidays, it’s a good time to check in with all those resolutions we swore our allegiance to on Dec. 31. Maybe you wanted to go to the gym more often, or you swore off chocolate (gasp!), or you want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. My resolutions included creating more joy in my day to day life, recapturing some semblance of a love life, and meditating more. So far, I’m 2 for 3. As I was thinking of resolutions for improving myself, it occurred to me that I should probably toss in a few for my business. One of the big things on my mind this month is branding…get it?… BRAND new year? Ok, i know… lame.
But branding isn’t lame, in fact, branding is incredibly important to your business! Branding is more than just a logo, it’s like your business’ personality. It sets the tone for how your business is perceived by the world, how you communicate to them, and how they feel when they interact with you. Yes, branding is all that. The thing to remember about branding is that your business has a brand whether you consciously created one or not. Whatever the world sees or experiences that is associated with your company is your branding, so make sure you have a good handle on it. Have you ever called a company for assistance and had an amazing interaction with one of their reps? When you got off the phone with them, you felt great and thought that was one of the best companies you’ve ever dealt with, and you’d probably recommend them to your friends? That was no accident! That was part of their branding strategy, to create a positive emotional impression with customers. And it works! You were happy and are almost certain to be a return customer.
Probably the most common item that comes to mind when talking about branding is logos. Logos are awesome! They are like the fingerprint of your business, the visual que that people use to recognize or identify your business quickly. A beautifully designed logo can really help your business get noticed, while a poorly designed one can do the same, but not in a good way. Take this example below, which is a fictitious company, but it serves our purposes.
There are some valid reasons why this logo isn’t serving it’s owner well:
1. This logo uses an outdated type treatment and really bad clip art. I understand the play on the whole swan thing, but there are ways to make that correlation in a stylish, modern, professional and more relevant way. There’s no good reason for your brand to look like it’s partying like it’s 1999. Which brings us to point #2…
2. Say no to clip art. Clip art is, to put it as kindly as possible, cheesy. It’s great for that school field trip flyer or library knitting club, but it has no place in your logo. These images are used over and over again by millions of people, sometimes for many years, and for millions of different reasons. You wouldn’t want your logo image to be confused with a different company, especially if they do something that is conflicting or competing with your business. Or worse, for some cause or event that could be offensive to you or your clientele. People aren’t very forgiving once they associate you with something they don’t like. Even if it’s not a true association, they will have already made a judgement and you will be labeled forever. It’s very difficult to reverse a negative perception, so don’t chance having one. Your business deserves it’s own unique artwork to make it stand out from the crowd in a positive way. Originality is the way to go.
3. Other than the wording, this logo has absolutely nothing to do with real estate. I’m not suggesting that they have little houses in their logo, but every industry has a certain kind of vibe to it. Most real estate professionals are trying to portray an image of being trustworthy, knowledgeable, professional, approachable, and service oriented. This logo says none of that, and for some reason makes me want to order Chinese take-out.
4. This logo is sending the wrong message. What is the company saying to you by allowing this logo to possibly be the first visual impression you’ll have of them? To me, it’s saying that they don’t take their business seriously, because they let Becky the admin, who recently watched an Indiana Jones marathon, design this on her lunch break, so I shouldn’t expect that they would take MY business seriously. I’m sure that’s not really the message they hoped to send to the world, but that’s what I’m getting. They skimped on their image. If they skimp on themselves, how can I trust them or take them seriously?
Bottom line: They come across as unprofessional. No good can come of this.
So what is your brand doing for you? Is it truly representing you and your business? Does it capture your company’s personality? Are you using images and colors that are appropriate for your industry? If you’re not sure, let’s talk! I’d be happy to give you a professional take on your branding strategy, or even help you develop a new one! Click here to send me a message. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it!
Hey, I'm Julie. Thanks for stopping by!