One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make is to overlook the power of branding. Branding is the one marketing strategy proven to help set your company’s offers above the competition. Use branding as a way to frame the way consumers perceive your company.
A great example is the brand Fisher Price, a US-based toy company. Parents who chose Fisher Price toys over the competition associate the brand ‘Fisher Price’ to terms such as ‘quality’, ‘safety’, and ‘durable’. Tennis players relate to the Nike brand as one of ‘uncompromised excellence,’ ‘performance,’ and ‘Just Do It!’
If you haven’t thought how you wanted your brand to be perceived, do so before you become active on social media. You’ll want to weave company brand messages into Facebook, Twitter and especially into website content. Additionally, you’ll want the artwork on you Facebook, Twitter and similar social media business pages to mesh with your brand colours and logos.
Professionals Versus Company Brands
This is the era of professional branding. Whether your expertise is in accounting, skateboarding or yachting, you’ll want to take time to establish a professional personal brand. Perhaps you are a realtor. You might want your brand to be associated with trustworthiness or multi-level marketing programs designed to sell homes quickly. An orthodontist may want to have her brand associated with a bright and sunny smile. Her logo would present that in a graphical manner while the company tagline would make the connection with words. However, do not try to copy logos from other organizations since they are copyright protected. Doing so will land you in lot of legal fees and headaches.
A brand design can include logos, colours, catch phrases, and even the company name. It’s really difficult to “unbrand” your company so be comfortable with direction you set. It will be reflected in artwork for websites, logos, brochures, and even is represented in your products or services. McDonald’s logo is a classic example of a simple logo that conveys a strong corporate image. It is very effective at evoking a perception about their food services in the minds of customers.
Total Web Design has marketing professionals who help companies define their brand, establish branding guidelines, and then implement it throughout their marketing material. Contact them today for a graphic or free consultation.