Branding expert Matt Weiss is the CEO of Right Brain Design Group and an adjunct professor with the University of Akron who smiles every time business people say to him, “So, you do logos for a living?”
Matt answers that the proper approach to a well-rounded branding and corporate identity is more than just a logo.
He explains that, “Quite often when a company thinks about ‘their brand,’ the thought only goes to their logo. As important as your logo is, an organization’s brand doesn’t stop there. From business culture to the image a business wants to promote through marketing, the objective of company branding is to show potential clients what the business is all about.”
Your Target’s Identity Matters
Before the design component of a company’s brand can even begin, research by a creative brand designer needs to uncover the underlying driving factors.
Weiss explains, “When developing your brand, the first thing your organization needs to consider is your target audience.”
These are the questions he recommends the business owner and branding expert fully explore when establishing a brand identity: “Who are the people that need and or want your services or products? What is that demographic? What is going to attract their attention? Why can’t they exist without what you offer? What makes you unique?”
The answers to those questions form the foundation of the appropriate brand image that will be created or reinforced which will yield maximum R.O.I.
Establishing The Brand
Once the target audience is completely understood, the images, fonts, colors and means of getting the brand disseminated need to be established.
A business needs to consider what these style and color elements say about the organization.
Weiss explains it this way, “If you are in need of legal services, are you going to an attorney that has a logo with the same fonts and colors as the Toys R Us logo? Probably not. The elements used need to establish confidence with your potential and current clients.”
Don’t underestimate the importance of doing research on color theory and font styles. These elements really have an important role in establishing your brand in a way that your target will respond to.
Brand Delivery Matters
How a business gets their brand and message out to their target audience is extremely important.
Understanding who the target audience is will provide valuable clues about how they prefer to receive their information. From print, environmental graphics, web and social media, if the target is not seeing the brand message, a company is wasting valuable advertising dollars.
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency!
From color, to where the company’s logo is placed on all of its marketing, to the wording used to present the company’s message, to the service and or product the company provides, consistency is vital.
Consistency establishes expectations, brings a sense of comfort to the company’s clients and avoids confusion. As every business owner knows, happy customers are return customers and they are also more likely to refer the business to their connections.
Branding Starts With Knowing Who You Are
Knowing who you are as a business is necessary. Because your brand spans across all aspects of your organization from marketing to culture, be sure your brand’s message is consistent with what you want your organization’s image to be.
To learn more about how Matt Weiss approaches branding give him a call at (330) 703-8246 or visit his website at: http://rightbrain-designgroup.com/.