Freshening UP your current look
Let’s talk branding! Get ready, I’m about to say the word “brand” a lot, because it’s so important.
As a graphic designer and social media marketer, I know that having a brand (see! told you.) that is true to you is key for brand recognition. It’s what clients, followers, customers and the general public immediately connect to you and your business. Making sure it reflects your company properly is important and invaluable.
Let’s use Jessica Alba’s brand, The Honest Company, for example. It “emphasizes household products to supply the marketplace for ethical consumerism.” Essentially they create products that are clean, made with real ingredients and are not harmful to you or the environment.
Looking at her branding, you’ll see “honest” is already in the name, which makes you feel at ease — like you can trust them in creating conscientious products. Their logo is round like a seal. And what are seals used for? Approval! It also includes a cute little butterfly and is a calming blue colour. Wow, their logo is already reflecting their company so appropriately and is making the consumer (you) feel comfortable trusting the company. Now… who’s ready to slather that stuff all over your kids? I know I am! And so, the logo is doing its job.
Let’s move onto the packaging. You’ll notice that it's simple. Not too many bells or whistles. It’s very clear about what’s in it and visually understated. When you think of something natural, simplicity comes to mind, which is exactly what the packaging is doing. Their website is similarly clean with a white background, black text and beautiful imagery of happy babies and mommies. They’ve even included some handwritten lettering to give a sense of human connection, like someone wrote to you. And if you check out their social media, they evoke a sense of family — sharing pictures of real children, real moms and dads and a true sense of community. The entire vibe is not over-thought and doesn’t have a corporate feeling. They could have used it to share all their products, but instead they’ve created a place to go to find people with values like you who appreciate what The Honest Company represents.
Now, how does this apply to you and how do you start? Well, I have some key steps to guide you through.
HOW TO FIND YOUR BRAND?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
What excites you?
What are your business values?
Who is your target audience?
Why is your business unique?
What feelings do you want your brand to evoke?
What are five words that describe your aesthetic?
Find a designer that can translate these answers into something that represents your company perfectly. Hiring someone to take this on for you will pay for itself over and over.
“Good design is good business.
— Thomas Watson Jr.
HOW TO APPLY YOUR BRAND AND BE TRUE TO IT?
Carrying your brand through to all corners of your business is the best way to keep it consistent. Key places include: website, social media and all collateral documents.
This doesn’t just mean how you are seen visually — it also translates to how you make your customers feel. Coming back to The Honest Company’s Instagram page, they evoke a sense of family, community and love. If you’re a wealth management company, you could evoke luxury, power and have a corporate feeling. If you’re ever unsure about how to tackle a certain facet, go back to those questions you asked yourself and remember what your brand is all about. They will keep you grounded and a good designer will give you all the tools you need to launch your brand seamlessly.
Finding a vision for your company shouldn’t be tricky, just be true to it and let it flow from there. Also we're here to help!
