Does your business need a re-brand? If so, here are a few important things to consider.
Innocent, Apple and Nike all have one thing in common – they are global brands with clear and purposeful identities.
A great brand can build your business reputation. Equally, a poor brand can reflect badly on your sales.
A strong, recognisable brand will help your business build a reputation in your target market. A brand can also be a work of artistic integrity, exhibiting heritage and tradition. So, how can you achieve this?
Firstly, if you are the one paying for the brand, you must admit to yourself that you are not a professional designer.
When it comes to proper design and proper re-branding, you must accept that a professional designer will, most of the time, have a better ‘eye’ than you.
When choosing a professional designer, look at their portfolio and their previous clients. Ask yourself – ‘Would I be happy to appear on that list?’
The pre-digital brand
Another key element to consider is how your brand looks and feels on digital channels. For example, if you have a ‘cluttered’ brand identity, it may not look quite so good on smaller mobile screens.
Four questions you should ask before a re-brand
Before you delve into a re-brand, you should ask yourself four simple questions:
- Does your brand feel out of date?
- Have your products or services changed in recent times?
- Are you losing your target audience?
- Is your brand consistent and understood across all of your business activities?
If your answers to these questions point towards the need for a re-brand, you should talk with a designer and discuss the following three elements:
Simplicity: Clean, bold lines with no clutter. Don’t use any elements that will distract from your key message.
Originality: The colour palette, shape, symbolism and flow of your design should be original. Don’t try and ape a competitor’s brand.
Versatility: Your brand should have a lasting impact on potential customers and it must be consistent as well as versatile. Your brand identity should be transferable across all media. It should look as good on a billboard as a smartphone screen.
Remember
Effective communication with your customers is key to increasing revenues. Your brand identity is a vital first step in that process. The more effective you are at communicating with your audience, the better you’ll be at bringing in revenue.
