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03.2024
A BRAND IS NOT YOUR LOGO, OR IS IT?
A brand is more than a logo, including all the values and behaviours of a company and its employees. But, when done right, the entire value, behaviour, personality, quality and product can be summed up and epitomized by the logo.
01.2024
GREAT BRANDING PUTS YOU OUT FRONT
Branding is about distinction. It positions you in the market by defining who you are and, critically, who you aren’t. Because it’s those differences that set you apart from the rest. And with more than 600,000 businesses launching in the US annually, brand differentiation is the difference between getting by or becoming a market leader. Remember, products may come and go, but great brands last forever.
12.2023
MARKETING AND MEDIA PLAN
It's very important to have a strategic marketing plan for your business for the entire year to establish your budget and marketing efforts for the year, otherwise you may spend funds needlessly.
10.2023
MARKETING BUDGETING.
Too often I see marketing is the last thing a company will budget for when starting a new business. I've seen thousands of dollars spent on furniture for a new restaurant, but little spent on the branding side of things. Your brand look is just as important to the success of your business as every other element of your business venture. Consumers are more savvy then ever, and brand positioning is crucial to your success. I've seen retail clothing stores charge more for their product just by getting rid of the clutter, and making their product look more sophisticated, and a higher perceived value. Combine that with a better brand design, and you're ahead of the game.
05.2023
BUDGETING.
How long is the piece of string?
Or, how long will it take?" or "how big is it?" when the length or size is unknown, infinite, variable, or relative.
That's what I ask in return when receiving a request to design a brochure, or and type of communications, for that matter.
The more information you give me, the more accurate your estimate will be, and the less variables you'll have when requesting an estimate from several designers. For instance, when requesting an estimate to design a 24 page brochure, just don't say "how much to design a 24 page brochure".
There are lots and lots of variables?
- Do you need copywriting?
- Do you need the writer to do research, and interviews?
- Do you need stock photography, or custom photography?
- Do you need photo manipulation?
- Is photography on location, or in studio?
- Do you require models, stylists?
- Is travel required?
- Are you supplying your own photos?
- Do you have the rights to use the photos?
- is there photo manipulation required for the photos?
- Are the photos high resolution?
OKAY, YOU GET THE IDEA, RIGHT?
And the biggest question is.....
WHAT'S YOUR BUDGET?
Because if you have a low budget, then most of the things I've noted above are not doable, and will save me a lot of time and effort. The benefit of having a complete and detailed estimate is, you'll avoid any unexpected surprises in the future, and you'll look a lot smarter, especially to the higher-ups in the company you work for.
04.2023
ALL BRANDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE CHARISMATIC.
Not every brand can be an industry leader. But charismatic brands can - and are. And any brand can become a charismatic brand. Including yours. There’s nothing inherently charismatic about computers or flat-pack furniture. The success of companies like Apple and Ikea is all in their branding - and how that branding has shaped consumer perceptions. Branding is an art, but it’s also a skill. And it’s one you can leverage to catapult your brand into the realm of the disruptors.
03.2023
BRANDING IS THE ART OF STRATEGICALLY CHANGING MINDS.
Companies, products, or services aren’t innately inspiring. They’re made that way through branding. Branding aligns a company with certain perceptions or beliefs - until it becomes synonymous with them.
01.2023
GET IT TOGETHER. AND KEEP IT THAT WAY.
The goal of a brand identity is to gather together the various elements of your brand in a cohesive, consistent, unified way. The more consistent your brand, the more memorable it is. Your brand identity needs to do all of this while strategically advancing a desired perception. Chanel is memorable in a different way from Forever 21. The same goes for Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
12.2022
WHAT'S YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY TYPE?
Your brand personality underpins your messaging. It informs what you say and how you say it. A brand personality is described using human characteristics and traits. Think of your brand as a person at a cocktail party. How do they speak, act, and engage with people? If they were a celebrity, who would they be?
11.2022
BRANDING TIP
Branding is the art of strategically changing minds. Companies, products, or services aren’t innately inspiring. They’re made that way through branding. Branding aligns a company with certain perceptions or beliefs - until it becomes synonymous with them.
10.2022
WHAT is a brand?
A brand is more than a logo or a jingle. It’s something human. It’s about perception, feeling and experience. It’s the image people hold in their mind when they think of you. A brand arises from the collective interactions that people have with your organization. Why is that important? Because it means brands are always changing and evolving. And that means there’s always opportunity to shape the way people feel about your brand. It might seem like magic, but it’s not. It’s strategic. And it’s called branding.
09.2022
Your email is you brand
A custom email address that matches your domain is the easiest way to make your business more credible. Your brand needs to project value, competence and professionalism. It’s time to ditch that quirky or unrelated email address. A custom address is the easiest way to make your business more credible.