More Than a Logo: Branding and Beyond

While many people often focus on these design-related choices alone when it comes to branding their business – they're only part of the equation. Your brand is a set of guidelines covering all aspects of your business. So, how do you get started?

Two Impress is on a mission to help businesses succeed by approaching marketing thoughtfully, strategically, and collaboratively. We've established a unique approach that prioritizes people and puts our value of collaboration and respect first because we believe the greatest method to create game-changing creativity is to lean on our principles: flexibility and respect.

What Is Branding?

Branding is the process of giving meaning to specific organizations, businesses, goods, or services by developing and shaping a brand in consumers' minds is known as branding. In short, a brand is an image that represents your business. Brands are visually represented through logos and typography and verbally through tag lines and jingles – just to name a few.

Building a brand follows some basic principles:

• Determine your target audience.
• Position your product and business.
• Define your company's personality.
• Choose a logo and slogan.

We’re a full-service marketing agency with a worldwide network of creative talent at our disposal. We'll be your brand’s"training wheels" to get you the tools and branding strategy needed for a successful ride! Branding has many layers. If you'd like to learn more about the process, contact us today. 

What Effects Will Strategic Branding Have On Your Business?

A strong brand is built on the foundation of an effective brand strategy. It articulates who you are as a company and sets long-term objectives. It also establishes a goal to measure your progress against: You have no way to tell whether your brand is going in the correct direction if you don't have a brand strategy.

1. A Brand Should Communicate Your Voice

Your brand should convey a consistent message to your targeted audience.Whether you have a niche offering or something more general like"milk," it's essential that users understand what they're getting when they see the brand on the shelf (or website). Your graphic design and web copy can be developed around this singular voice.

When done right, branding is about communicating your unique value proposition to stand out from competitors and grow your business. This will help customers make an informed purchase decision based on their needs and preferences. People tend to buy things from companies that seem relatable, which is why we think of brands as human beings — because, at their core, that’s exactly what they are!

A strong strategy helps set goals and expectations for your brand and allows you to measure overall performance.

2. Branding Should Be Consistent

Consistency is the most essential part of branding. To build a strong brand, you need consistency across all channels and touch points: from your website to social media, print materials, and beyond!

Your brand voice needs to be clear, consistent and should encompass every aspect of your business. This is how customers will know they can trust what you have to say – because it’s coming from one place, rather than multiple sources that may or may not agree with each other.

Nike is an excellent example of a company that has maintained consistency across its presence in both traditional advertisements and through digital platforms. Their values are easily recognizable no matter where you see them online – whether on their Facebook page or in an ad on a website.

Consistency is crucial to branding, and it’s something you should be looking for when developing your own strategy! Whether you’re starting from scratch, or refreshing your existing brand, consider the following questions:

•  How are you going to stand out?
• How will people know what makes you unique?
• What do you want them to think about when they hear or see your name?

These are questions that need answers! If you need inspiration, review brands with similar products or services. What are their ads communicating? Is there one word that keeps popping up consistently across all platforms (just like Nike uses “fierce”)?

3. Branding Should Center Around Your Community

Brand loyalty is the result of engaging, high-quality content that your audience can relate to. And creating this kind of community around your brand will take time and effort! It’s important to remember why you started in business in the first place. You want people to love what you do so much; they feel like it's part of their life.

The best way for them to get there? Make sure all aspects are consistent with one another – from the logo and colors to how your employees speak about the company to others. These small details really add up over time! Think carefully about what you say, do, and what you use in your branding to make sure it reflects the values that are important to you.

 At the end of the day, branding is so much more than just a logo. It's about having a great team with diverse skill sets, refining your message to make sure it resonates within the market you're trying to reach, and most importantly – making sure what you put out into the world is something that’ll genuinely benefit those reading.

Brand consistency and strategic branding should be treated like cycling: You can't expect to go from zero experience in this area straight onto becoming an expert overnight! But if you work hard for it and keep learning as much as possible along the way (which we know isn't always easy), then one day, before too long, these things could become second nature. Think of it this way– it’s just like riding a bike!

Two Impress’ Branding Refresh for Next Level Solutions

Two Impress recently took on a branding project for Next Level Solutions in Springfield, Missouri. We refined their existing brand, redesigned their letterhead and slide decks, branded their office, and are currently building their new website. We’re excited to see their new branding come to life and how it’ll affect their business.

Modern Office Branding

When it comes to office branding, there are a lot of essential factors to consider. When designing and branding your office, you're setting a tone for the company. You want your office to reflect the personality of your business and how it operates while also acting as a welcoming space for employees and clients alike.

Office branding is about more than putting up fancy signs or picking out some fresh flowers – it's about creating an environment that truly reflects what you do. Proper branding of your office can encourage employees and foster an environment of creativity and innovation.

There are various things you can do to improve your office branding:

• Create an inviting space that highlights the personality of your business and how it operates.
• Use bright colors or natural light to create a cheerful environment for employees and clients alike.
• If possible, add some greenery –it's good for stress relief and productivity!
• Designate specific meeting areas where workers can collaborate on projects together in person rather than via video chat or email.

These kinds of collaborative spaces encourage teamwork which is necessary if you want ideas coming from diverse perspectives instead of just one.

A Responsive Website

Building an effective website is the first step towards a seamless brand experience. Customers and clients often develop a first impression from your website. This is why it’s crucial to have a website that coincides with your brand identity.

To communicate your branding throughout the website, use the same colors and fonts as you do for other marketing materials(like brochures, business cards, and letterhead). Here are some additional tips to help you get started:

• Make sure you’re using the correct font, color scheme, and overall layout to coordinate with your branding.
• Prioritize user experience and build your website in a way that reflects the buyer’s journey. Bonus points if you can identify and remove areas of friction.
• If possible, use video or live chat features throughout your site so that people can easily interact with you in real-time! This allows potential customers to feel more connected to your company, which builds trust over time. 

You'll need a smooth, sleek website with easy-to-use navigation and design that’s consistent with your brand. We’ll work closely with you throughout this process to build an effective brand with your website.

Branded Letterhead and Slide Decks

Another place to incorporate your branding is your business collateral like business cards, letterhead, and slide decks! Not only does it help you remain consistent, but it makes your company look professional to prospective clients or customers. The visual details you choose for these items should tie back into the overall brand identity – use color schemes and fonts that reflect those used in other materials, so everything ties together nicely!

What About Logo Design?

Your logo should be easy to understand – if it takes too much explanation or isn't immediately apparent what company it represents, customers won't resonate with it! The best logos are simple images that work well in black and white as well as color. Consistent branding helps people quickly identify who you are across platforms/channels, so they know exactly where to go when they need something from your brand.

How to Communicate Your Brand Refresh Across All Facets of Your Business

Your company's brand, specifically a brand refresh, is more than just your logo or the layout of your letterhead. Branding is a marketing philosophy that your communications need to be consistent across platforms/channels, so they know exactly where to go when they need something from your brand.

Even though it can feel like you have a singular identity, there are multiple aspects of the business that contribute to the general perception of your company – from how employees present themselves when speaking with customers or clients down to little details like letterhead and slide decks.

Each area of your business should reflect the same branding standards so that people who encounter any part of the organization's operations will instantly recognize them as "one"entity. Consistent branding helps communicate professionalism and instills trust among those who work with you.

To communicate your brand across all facets of your company, remember:

• Branding is your communication tool: Each detail should reflect the same branding standards in order for people who come into contact with any part of the organization's operations to instantly recognize them as being "one" entity.
• Branding is dependent on consistency:Consistent branding helps strengthen customer relations by offering a more professional appearance to customers/clients when they visit or call on their business premises. It also allows staff members to identify themselves as belonging to one organization.
• Branding is customers: The way customers perceive your company's image and messaging will help determine the success of their interactions with you. When they feel recognized, appreciated, valued, and at ease in your facility/space, it helps to create a positive impression of the business overall.
• Branding is staff: Employees also need to identify with how they’re presented when on location or representing an organization in public spaces outside of work hours. Ensuring that employees understand the importance of branding can improve staff morale by creating shared awareness about aims and objectives within each department or team grouping.  
• Branding is your visuals: Let's not forget about the visual presentation of your office, either. Your furniture and décor should all be consistent with your brand guidelines to ensure that everything you present in terms of decor is appropriate for your target audience or demographic.  
• Branding is authentic: Sometimes, it can feel inauthentic when you’re trying to create a brand. But when you’re true to your company's vision and values, this is the key to success.

Final Thoughts

At Two Impress, We put people first in everything we do. We're enthusiastic about building connections throughout our company, from our clients to the varied creatives on our team to the audiences we target. It's an excellent combination of ingredients for client and employee happiness and highly successful marketing efforts that have a meaningful impact on the organizations with which we work.

We're here to help you create a brand that truly reflects your organization's vision and values. We'll work with you to develop a strategy that ensures your brand will be recognized as the solution it is. If you need assistance with branding or have been considering a refresh for your existing brand, now’s a better time than any. Reach out to us today to get started! We’d love to answer any questions you have and serve as a resource.

 Sources:‍

https://forbes.com

https://hbr.org/

https://www.nlsnow.com

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/