All businesses, regardless of their size will have a name and a logo. So, why doesn’t this make a brand, and what does?

Brand is everything. It is a company’s reputation. It’s how you’re seen by the outside world. It is your logo. It is advertising. It’s the words you use, how you answer the phone, write an email and speak to the cleaner. It is that extensive and that important.

If your company has a strong brand it will be successful. Without it, your customers won’t recognise you, what you are about or what you have to offer them. Without informing and inspiring them, it becomes very difficult to get those customers through the door. That’s not to say if it doesn’t it won’t. It’s all relative, and success is in the eye of the shareholder. With that in mind you might not even need us, and although that makes us a little sad, as we do love designing cool stuff for people we like, we’re happy for you. Keep up the good work.

It doesn’t take much though, for the whole thing to come tumbling down, swiftly followed by the company bank balance. If an identity is muddled or just plain ‘bad’, establishing recognition and building a reputation beyond what is perceived by the visual aesthetic is almost impossible. Having an effective identity reinforces your brand personality, makes you memorable and builds loyalty.

Let’s say you’re a business offering the latest must have thingamajig, a great product which is selling well. But recently the company is receiving some negative feedback, not regarding the product, that thing is awesome, but due to poor customer service. This quickly effects the company’s reputation therefore damages the brand. Now you’re the guys with the great thingamajig that no one will buy because they just don’t like you anymore. It’s that simple.

Branding should be consistent and standards maintained, with everybody connected to the business ‘singing off the same hymn sheet’, ‘speaking the same language’ or any other clichéd idiom to that effect. Avoid using those terms though when trying to engage your team to do just that. They’ll get that glazed look and you’ll find you’re basically talking to yourself.

Don’t worry though if you don’t know the best words to use to get the company vision across, we do. It’s all part of the service. We thrive on the creative opportunities that developing  or originating a brand present. We offer everything from designing a logo, to the key supporting elements that make up a brand - colour, typography, imagery and the often elusive 5th element (a graphic device which neatly ties it all together). As well as tone of voice, messaging and a brands application to signage and online media - right down to the guidelines which help make these things happen exactly as they should.