“Products are made in a factory but brands are created in the mind” – Walter Landor
A brand is a name, design or symbol that identifies a company or individual. People relate to brands based on the values they associate with it. When I started out I had so much fun figuring out what my brand would be. Here is three points that I found to be important.
1. Visual Identity
When you think of products you like, you will immediately form a picture in your mind that relates to it. This is what you need to keep in mind when forming your own brand.
There is a variety of aspects you should consider when developing your brand such as:
1.1 Colors
For myself I chose red and green as my colors. The reason for this is that I love nature and green is a natural color that calms me. I chose red because my maiden name refers to red; it brought in a link to my past.
Consider your favorite colors. Ask around what color people link you with the most. Your friends and family already associate them with you; you feel most comfortable using them and on the long term you wont risk getting tired of them.
Use color psychology to match your identity.
1.2 Logo
I once again used my name as inspiration here. My family name by marriage refers to a fox. So I used a little red fox as part of my logo. As you can see, to me family is important and they serve as my inspiration.
Keep your logo simple and relevant. Make it unique to you and memorable.
1.3 Typography and imagery
Be consistent in your use of fonts. Pick two fonts that complement each other. There are a variety of sites that can help you here.
In my case I like bright visuals, so in my products I use brightly colored graphics that I design myself. For you it might have to be pastel images. My sister-in-law uses ice-cream and cupcake colors. Whatever it is, be sure to use it wisely across all your branded platforms.
2. Vision and Mission
What drives you? Where are you going with this? To be successful you are going to have to generate a lot of online activity through content publishing, product creation and social media visibility. You wont get clients if you don’t. So having a vision and a mission becomes extremely important.
Start with your vision. Where do you want your business to be 1 year from now, 5 years, 10 years? What field are you in, who are your competitors? Now describe what success will look like for you. Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal to get there. Your vision is a timed outcome and can change once you have reached your goal.
Your mission should not change however. Your mission describes what your business does and how or why you are unique in your field of expertise.
Along with your vision and mission comes your personal brand statement. For myself :”I am an educator at heart with a passion for teaching” sums me up in a nutshell.
3. Constancy
In a multichannel marketing world it is actually very difficult to keep your brand the same across all platforms. But being consistent can make the difference between gaining or losing a customer.
By exposing your customers to the same core message, brand elements and visuals you solidify your brand recognition.
Well that is how I started. Did you find the information on branding helpful? Leave a comment below. I’d love to know what you think.
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