The Importance of Your Brand

They say that a

picture is worth a thousand words. So, here's a quick question for a budding entrepreneur: What one picture says the most about your company?
Give up? It's your brand.
A brand name can be the single most valuable part of a company. A brand's logo can be an icon as familiar to people worldwide as religious figures and pop stars. Worldwide, more people recognize the significance of the Golden Arches than the Christian Cross. Market research has even found that children can recognize brands before they recognize their own name. (And, dear readers, that's a bit scary.)
Your brand and everything about it does two incredibly important things:

• It represents you, creating your image and an impression of what you stand for, and
• It allows you to stand out from the crowd, making yourself distinct and interesting.

In short, branding is about what you stand for and how you stand out.
Branding Your Image
Unfortunately, not all of us are lucky enough to be sitting on top of a globally-recognized brand icon like the Golden Arches or the Apple logo. You have to give serious thought to the design of your brand, and what information you want in it.
Consider:

• Color scheme: Your logo should be based around two, or possibly three, main colors. More than that is possible, but tends to look at a bit cartoonish, although it certainly works for some companies. These colors should be the basis for your corporate color scheme, including uniforms and your website, so choose carefully.
• The design: Trends in logo design change almost as often as shoe styles, but currently the trend is towards stripped-down, minimalist logo designs. Microsoft's new logo is a perfect example: taking the old "wavy" Windows logo and turning it into a flat grid, with an unassuming sans serif brand name to the side. What does that tell you about Microsoft, versus their older brands?
• The motto: Once a brand gets big enough, they can get away with dropping the motto, but you probably can't. Keep it short and catchy, using as few words as possible. Try words that work separately as well as together, such as Wrangler's "Real. Comfortable. Jeans." slogan. This blog article makes a nice argument for the value of three-word mottos.

A good brand needs to stand out and be eye-catching, but without seeming overly pushy or ostentatious. A logo needs to match its company. If you're a quiet accounting firm, a big comic-book splashy logo probably won't work, unless you're looking to make yourselves into the "fun" accountants. (Not a bad idea, really.)
Your branding helps form the core expectations customers will have for you. As we said, it helps you stand out while defining what you stand for.
Branding: Old is New Again
In the age of the Internet, there's another reason your brand is critical, and it's not a new reason. In fact, it's a very old one.
Thanks to the prevalence of online piracy, branding your uploaded materials serves exactly the same purpose that branding did back in the days of the cattle barons. It protects your property. It's simple for unscrupulous people to take your content -like YouTube videos- and stick their own watermark in the corner.
Properly and distinctly branding your online content prevents this. Even if someone does redistribute your content, your brand will follow along with it. Don't let Internet scammers take credit for your production!
Take time building your branding. Think about what you're trying to say. Find a brand that truly expresses why your business is special and different.
Call DeepSky Marketing to find out how you can create profitable marketing strategies for your company. DeepSky Marketing is a company that provides businesses with profitable marketing systems and verifiable return on investment (ROI). To schedule a brief no-cost consultation call 707 823-3888.