If you’re reading this, then it’s crossed your mind and we’re very proud of you for taking a step in the right direction. Picture a room filled with slow clapping, nods of excitement and back patting as you make your way through the room. Welcome to our world, we’re here to help. You may be considering starting your own business, thinking of a brand refresh, or you just want to know what all the fuss is about and whether it really is necessary. Here’s the thing, we’re all about branding and creating a logo that will launch your business into infinity and beyond, but if it doesn’t resonate with your audience, it’s a missed opportunity. Firstly, you’re going to need more than just a logo. Yes, your logo is incredibly important but it’s just the start. Here’s what you need to know about brand creation…

1 Brand personality
This is a biggy but is often overlooked. It’s like meeting a stranger for the first time, you’re a bit unsure if you’ll get along, not knowing anything about them. You can tell by their appearance (we don’t mean to be judgy) if they are somewhat serious, laid back or bright and bubbly. It’s a crowded room, there’s some music in the background, a little chit-chat and five minutes later, you’re either besties, cool acquaintances or you go your separate ways. See, brand personality is exactly that, human characteristics that are attributed to your brand name. It’s a feeling, an experience, a message that evokes an emotion. Get it right and you will attract your perfect audience. What is your brands personality and who do you want to attract?

2 Colour therapy
Colour is powerful. Imagine choosing a wall colour for your home. You experience it every day, you add décor that compliments it and you place pretty pictures against it. Do you see where we’re going with this? Colour holds meaning, it stimulates the senses and can be energising or calming. What attracts you to a certain colour, how does it make you feel and more importantly, how will it communicate something about your business? When working on branding, creating mood boards and colour palettes are essential. It will assist you in creating your desired look and feel and aid in keeping all the elements of your brand consistent. Consistency is key, as it gives your brand a more professional appearance and helps your brand stand out in a busy marketplace.

3 Typography
This topic right here deserves a post of its own. This is where your logo and brand creation begins. Typography is also responsible for the large amount of hours that goes into creating an impressive logo or brand mark. It also contributes to the selection of fonts used across all platforms of communication. There are as many fonts as there are stars in the sky, make sure that your font choice is legible, fresh and won’t date easily. Don’t be scared to try different font styles in the beginning. Being open to suggestions from your design team can spark ideas or a direction you might not have thought of before.

4 Packaging
We’ll be honest, our most requested element for packaging is a sticker with the logo on it. While this is a completely useful branding tool, there is a lot more thought that goes into it. How will your product be packaged beyond that sticker? Will it be boxed, bagged or tagged? Ask yourself, “how do I want my customer to experience or feel about my brand when they receive my product?” All of the above, numbers one to three, need to be considered and implemented to create a consistent and thought through experience. You want the consumer to connect with your brand, and it doesn’t hurt to put a little extra in to achieve that WOW factor.

5 Website
We live in a digital world. We also live in a world where businesses have budgets and website development can be quite pricey. The good news is that there are options available to create websites that fit your budget. WordPress is amazing and we swear by it when our clients shudder at the mention of online presence. It allows you to maintain your own content and make updates when you need to. It also offers e-commerce (online store) options that are easy to use and relatively painless. Word of advice, opt for a responsive website. Most internet users visit websites using their smart phones and usability is very important. Not to sound like a broken record, but it’s all about the brand experience. If your website doesn’t work or if it’s difficult to move around on, chances are, people will get irritated and leave. It is worth spending on your website right from the start.

6 Social media
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat… and there’ll probably be something new by the time you read this. Choose the ones that work for you. It is quite time consuming so allocate the time needed to spend on social media, not only promoting your products or services but also interacting with your audience. We offer our clients social media strategies to help ease the load (it is incredibly important to have a plan), and also get the most out of these platforms for marketing. Remember what we said about consistency? It lives here as well, which brings us to our next point.

7 Photography and videography
Visuals contribute to all the points we’ve mentioned and it really is money well spent. You can have the most amazing logo and brand creative but if your images fall short, it puts a damper on the experience. Don’t get us wrong, we are aware that most businesses have tiny budgets when starting out and that budget needs to spread like a little bit of butter across many loaves of bread. When it comes to creating your budget, keep these points in mind. You may not be able to do it right now, but it should definitely be part of your long-term marketing plan. When selling products, bad images have the ability to undermine the way people experience your brand and the quality of your brand or service. We’re haunted by the flashbacks to the good ol’ days when clipart was the order of the day. Photography is part of your visual language and sets the tone for a more professional and appealing product or service. That, and the fact that consumers tend to purchase with their eyes. We’ll leave this here to simmer.

Videography has also stepped into the arena in a big way. It’s important to keep up with the times and the evolving methods of marketing but what is it all about? Story telling. It’s about creating content, telling stories and bringing your audience along on the journey of your brand. Again, it’s all about the experience, interaction, connection and creating an interesting environment your customers will want to spend time in.

8 Set the tone
What’s in a word? A whole lot actually. Your choice of language and tone is what gets the conversation going. Not only do we have designers working on brand creation, but wordsmiths too. Creating a language that makes the connection between you, your brand and your customer. Copywriters play a hugely important role in creating the content and message that goes out into the world. Is it a humorous or a serious matter? Is it factual and how do we say a lot with just enough words so we don’t put people to sleep? Setting the tone and making sure that the information about your service or product is easily understood, and presented correctly, makes all the difference.

So it’s not just about pretty pictures, clever catch phrases and fancy fonts. The art of understanding what your brand is and getting that message across is more than just a logo. It’s a beautiful conversation between your product, your people and your passion! Let’s go tell some stories…

Layla
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