What is branding really?

Well, while we all agree on a general level, the nuances are something that many of us disagree about. Without going too far down the rabbit hole I like Investopedia’s definition of brand identity.

“Brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds.”

Essentially it’s the sum of all of these little pieces of the world that remind clients and potential clients that you exist, and hopefully increasing your perceived value. A strongly delivered brand identity tied to a good consistent product that consumers are happy with is a calling card leading them back to you. But it’s also part of your character. Part of what makes up the personality of a company. Good brand identity provides an emotional connection for employees and the company.

If you’re wondering whether or not now may be a good time to reinvent your visual identity, here are some guidelines that we hope will help!

Is your company the same company it was five years ago?

If the answer is, “no,” it’s time to have a quick look in the nearest metaphorical mirror.

Just like people, companies change over time. They adjust to new markets, take new directions with their core services, and grow up a bit over time.

After years of focusing on making sure that your product is as well made and profitable as it can be, it’s easy to let branding fall by the wayside and it happens all the time. If you’ve outgrown your original concept, it might be time to have a look at updating your visual communication to better reflect who you are now.

Does your brand represent your company accurately?

We’ve all done it. Sometimes a bandaid is the best you can do for the moment. We’ve helped plenty of companies that started out with a terrible logo and no real digital communication strategy. When you start a company you just need parts to work right now and we figure we’ll get back to fix that part when we can.

While the debate rages on about whether Socrates would have been an emoji guy, we can all agree that a visual language that doesn’t accurately represent your company is one that is confusing to clients and has a much harder time building trust from consumers lowering your perceived value which makes you work harder for less money, which often lowers either the quality of the product or the amount of product you can push out.

Are you ready to tap into a new demographic?

It’s often part of the natural growth of a company to assess its market and take advantage of new options, and sometimes it’s essential for different markets to be approached with some changes to your original model.

When a company is ready to tap into a new market, it’s is absolutely necessary to consider whether or not the same old tactics and communication styles will work for this new client base.

When it's time

Everyone has to do it eventually and getting it right is so important it adds a ton of stress to the process. Finding the time and motivation to enact a brand adjustment is hard enough without thinking about the amount of time and effort that this process takes. Even selecting the right company (ahem) can be a pretty daunting task.

With the right help, adjusting your visual communication can be rewarding on a ton of levels. It helps by creating renewed interest in your company from employees and customers alike. It can take a company to the next level or open it up to a whole new market of consumers. It’s exciting and the final result will make even you look at your company differently.

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