“I need a logo for my business!”
Mmm not exactly, and I’m going to tell you why.
Mmm not exactly, and I’m going to tell you why.
You have a business that you can’t wait to launch. Pretty much everything is ready, but you need something other than you to represent your business - a logo.
Having a nice-looking logo is a great start, but if you really want to take your business off the ground so you can attract your dream customers and clients, then you need more than just a logo – you need a brand identity.
You probably know what a brand is, but what is brand identity?
A brand identity is your business’ personality. It’s your business’ reputation and it sets you apart from your competition. Building your brand’s voice, messaging and visual identity shows how your business is different from the others. You may sell makeup like MAC, but what makes you different from MAC? Why should people buy from you instead of them?
Why do people buy cars from Audi or Range Rover or Vauxhall? They all sell cars that will get you from A to B, but think about what makes them different from each other? Why do people choose to buy one brand over the other?
I’ll tell you why.
Each brand has something unique about them. This goes for all brands including yours.
Each of our favourite brands have crafted a way to connect with us to show us why we should buy from them. Through their brand identities, we come to understand:
* Who they are
* Who they are serving / whose problem they’re solving
* What do they do / what problem they are solving
* How they do what they do
* Why they do what they do
Ensuring you communicate these things is extremely important when it comes to building a timeless and memorable brand. Again, these are the thing you communicate through your:
* Brand voice – what you say to your audience and how you say it. How you sound and come across. E.g., Nike’s voice is positive, friendly and motivating.
* Brand messaging – the way in which your brand communicates its values and personality, from your business offer to your content.
* Brand visuals – your logo, brand colours, brand typefaces, business cards, signage etc.
As business owners, we want to attract certain clients/customers and loads of them. We want to grow our brands to be like the ‘it’ brands we buy from- think of Apple, Fenty, Nike etc.
But your favourite brand whether that’s Apple, Fenty or Nike all have more than just a logo, which is why we love and buy from these brands constantly.
Think of a car. There are so many different car manufacturers, but what persuades people to buy an Audi or Tesla over a Vauxhall or a Skoda? (shoutout to my Vauxhall and Skoda drivers though!)
Each of these brands have been carefully crafted through strategy, design, photography and marketing to serve different audiences - some are more successful than the others and this is because their identity is so strong, these brands effortlessly continue to grow - resulting in more success.
So what you actually need is more than just a logo.
You need:
Strategy - Research, plans and methods that take into account your short and long-term business goals.
Where do you want your business in 2 or 10 years? How will you get there? What type of clients are you trying to attract? Do you know how to find them and sell to them? What type of brand do you want to be? How can you position your brand to be perceived as an expert within your industry? How will your market your brand?
A Strong Brand Identity - Tone of voice, messaging and your visual identity.
What first impression are you giving without customers/clients even buying from you? How do you sound to these potential customers? Are you communicating clearly? Does your logo and other visual aspects effectively reflect the type of brand you are and what you value? What DO you value? How do you STAND out from the other brands like yours?
