I can not stress strongly enough the need for every business to build an iconic brand. One that forges brand equity and loyalty. Think of your brand as the business – they are one-on-the-same.
A company’s brand is its identity (personality) which must bring its founding, core values to life! In brand-building, I suggest the following steps be followed.
Research
Study the market. Visit similar businesses and sample the competition. What are they doing right, what wrong?
Take the best elements of what you want your brand to represent – this will help to explain your ideal positioning to any branding coach or consulting team.
Select A Good Branding Consultant
It is very important that you have faith in the company you entrust to design and forge your brand. They have the expertise so listen to them. However, don’t allow them to go off point and create work that only satisfies them. Make sure they are taking your input and research and applying it to their design and thoughts.
Go Beyond The Logo
Several years ago I published a presentation entitles, “What’s Behind Your Logo: Forging An Iconic Brand”. I have given that presentation over and over to many entrepreneurs and startup groups. The one thing that comes out after all of these presentations is that… branding has to become an integral part of the everyday operation of any business. Ingrained into management and staff, customers, vendors, and the marketplace.
Many brand consultants and designers often refer to the logo, color palette, business cards, and letterhead as the basic elements, but you need to go well beyond that. Your brand must be communicated in everything the business is involved in.
Application
How you color, print, and position your brand is key. A great logo that is too small and not recognizable, and disappears as potential customers page thru your website won’t do you any good.
Make sure your brand’s palette is coherent and ‘fits’ your business. Make sure the logo, patterns, and fonts are suitably scaled. Think in terms of sound volumes: sometimes it needs to be quieter, others times turned up.
Further Development
Brand development NEVER stops. Think big and always be positive about success. If you do what’s right for the marketplace you will be rewarded.
Maintenance
The appearance and application of your brand should stay true to the original design. Brand coloring and style can change over time but it must be done very carefully.
Summary
Listed below are some additional references and insights to guide you in developing your ‘iconic’ brand.
What is an ‘ER’ Brand and Why You Should Never Be One
