3 branding truths you already know
- The Apple logo can’t help you, unless you do Apple stuff. People would walk in, look around, and walk out, confused. You can only leverage another brand’s approach if you share a common audience.
- If you advertise lookpuppies, you won’t get watchdog sales. It takes longer to have a conversation if you redefine everything. You only need a few unique elements, on top of a tried-and-tested foundation.
- Names and faces do not define personalities. They only help you to remember who is what; we can learn to distrust an innocent face. Keep your actions and content in line with your brand, or the aesthetics will fail.
Simply put: A brand is everything people know about your work. Your identity, or presentation, anchors that everything.
2 main reasons to worry about your brand identity
- Is it putting off potential connections? In the absence of experience, people do judge by the cover. On the Web, we browse quickly to trim down our list of options. A well-executed presentation can keep you on most shortlists.
- Is it overlooked by your stakeholders? If appearance is an afterthought, you can still have success. But a strong look gives people a way to show they are on your team. You know people really buy the idea when they buy the tshirt.
If you don’t have these problems, congratulations! Your brand isn’t holding you back. You can cancel the project, if you like – but maybe double-check first?
Where does the brand designer come in?
My obvious job is to bridge how you want to look, and what people want to see. However, visuals can only frame your decisions and values; the whole experience has to back it up. That is why I only ask for your preferences after I understand your brand purpose.
Congratulations, introduction complete. Ready for the next modules?
Purpose: what should your branding do?
By purpose, I don’t mean your over-arching mission, actually. No vision boards needed – just your expectations for the brand you want to build. How and when you will need it, and how it should land with people.
-
Personality
If your brand was a person, what adjectives would fit best?
-
Usage
How often do you plan to publish content for your brand?
-
Strategy
What would define a successful visual brand for you? Should it identify or announce?
Preferences: how should your branding feel?
And preferences don’t exactly cover the nuts-and-bolts of your logo design. We won’t even mention ‘serif’ or ‘sans’. This is about conceptual thinking, informed by the brand purpose . Remember, your clothes don’t dictate your character. (But don’t worry, I’ll soon be begging you for specifics.)