A brand is not just your logo, it is your overall company image, it is you making a statement to your audience about who you are and what you stand for, it is something that builds trust between you and your customer, it can earn you respect and strengthen your proposition and it can make you stand out from your competitors.
So, to the people who ask me “Can I not just stick my logo on something and becomes branded?” The answer is no!
You should have consistency across your company and marketing so that you are creating a clear identity for your business, in time, the awareness of your brand will increase and your audience will feel they have made an informed selection when using your product or service.
Your brand not only needs to be aesthetic but also needs to define your product or service, how you would like to position yourself within the market and what your unique selling point is or what you are promising to achieve.
Can people tell it is your company if your logo was not on a particular piece of marketing? If the answer is no then you are going wrong somewhere along the line.
We would know a BT advert without the BT logo on by the shapes they use and the style of photography. We would know an Asda campaign by the colours and typefaces they use. These companies have spent thousands on branding and creating the right image and are seen by a wide audience, but that doesn’t mean that a small business or a sole trader can’t apply the same techniques and principles when branding their company,
In fact, I would say it’s more important to do so if you are smaller and you shouldn’t pay the hefty price tag either, it’s all about questioning yourself about who and what you are and how you want people to see you and how you want them to feel.
So, next time you do any marketing or decide you’re going to do a DIY advert, stand back and question whether it is promoting the right look, feel and promise of your company.
Or, just get a professional in to look at your overall brand and advise you on how to go forward. I can recommend a good one!