Why branding matters and why you should spend more time and money on it
It’s fizzy, it’s sweet, and I see it everywhere all the time.
Although I’m not a big fan of the drink now, I’ve been admiring the branding of Coca Cola since I first visited the United States at the age of nine. I grew up in a graphic design and marketing studio in Budapest, Hungary, and I’ve never stopped caring about how a company presents itself since that first sip of Coke.
Anyone can create a website, come up with a business name, or order a batch of business cards. What will make you stand out from the competition and be successful is your unique brand: that striking, one-of-a-kind imagery that everyone can instantly recognize.
Much more than choosing a name or creating a logo for your business, branding is about developing an easy-to-recognize look and feel that’s consistent across all media. Your logo, your business card, your letterhead, your website, your newsletter, your advertising material, and even the language you use in all your communication with your clients and potential clients have to tell the same story.
The more the same message is communicated, the more your potential clients will remember you, the more seriously they will take you, and in turn, the more business you’ll likely generate. Your website, your logo — every representation of your business — will become a marketing tool. You are selling a feeling. An experience. Not just a product.
Your website is typically the first point of contact prospective customers will have with your brand. How well does it speak to them? Importantly, how does it look on a mobile device? With more and more people using smart phones to browse the web and make purchases online, it’s essential that your website looks as good on an iPhone screen as it does on a laptop. Fortunately, responsive web design companies can make your site mobile friendly, so that your brand is properly conveyed across different devices.
However, branding cannot be successfully created without your cooperation. While designers are experts when it comes to logos, fonts, style and marketing rules, you are the one who knows the most about your business. Here’s how you can help your branding expert design the best image for your business:
- Define your company’s mission and values
- Be honest about who you are, and what your business is about.
- Think about how you want your customers to feel when they first see your marketing material.
- Think about the most important message you want to communicate.
- Be consistent through all platforms of communication, including how your office is set up, how you dress, and how you communicate.
- Once you’ve had your branding created, trust value it, and live by it. Branding is not just a necessity, but an opportunity to stand out, create the business you always wanted, and build success.
Especially now, in a challenging economy, people want to know they are investing their money in something worthwhile, something that is likely to bring results.
Investing in branding is a very important step in developing trust with your clients and anyone who hears about your business. And it is this trust that will persuade your prospective customers to buy your products or services.