Look at me, believe in me
This article will offer a guide to branding, and a few general
pointers when working with Flipside.
Idea, research and preparation is key
Once you have your product or service, you need to
choose an agency to brand and promote it. We believe
ideas, preparation and research are key to any project.
We can also help you when it comes to the design
process and development.
Quality counts
We believe that the raw materials of any project,
the components that make up the brand, have to
be consistent in their quality and aesthetic importance.
We’ll ensure the whole experience of the brand,
the clarity and the continuity, has the same look
and feel.
Create, position, promote
Once you’ve established your company, you need to
give it a name and visual personality that embraces the
essence of the product or service. It’s the core of
the brand that creates it's emotional energy. Maybe it
needs to be masculine or feminine, or perhaps it’s a
lifestyle brand?
Be different
In a competitive marketplace you need to stand out
from the crowd. Your personality and character should
be simple and easily recognizable, whether it’s the
design of the product or the audience that you will
appeal to.
The value of good design
Good design is a very powerful tool used to
differentiate your product or service, upholding values
and creating style. Creating and sustaining a trust,
along with delivering promises, and creating the all
important desire is what branding is all about.
It isn’t just a set of graphics – the whole
organization has to believe in what the brand stands
for.
Understand your brand
The key is to remember that the customer comes first –
understand your customer. How your company and
employees understand your brand is equally important,
especially in service industries. This is also
essential when it comes to promotion and, of course,
the whole reason for creating your service or product:
the selling.
Factors that make up the brand structure
Every brand is made up of this structure in varying amounts:
Product
What you are selling?
Environment
Where do you sell it?
Communication
How does the brand tell people?
Behaviour
How it behaves, how every single person operates
You may already be using one or all of these elements.
They should all be considered when creating, promoting
and sustaining a brand.
Questions to consider when branding, rebranding or getting your brand back on track
Your company's brand isn’t just it's logo. It is how every part of it's visual language talks to it's customers and conveys a message and personality. Below are some of the questions we ask before embarking on a branding project.
Q and A
• Core focus of business, it's purpose, what do you do and for who?
• Are you happy with your brand? If not, why?
• Identity and marketing efforts, what would change?
• What makes your company different from others
in your sector?
• What gives you credibility and difference?
(Products, services, location, price…)
• What brands do you admire and why?
• Is your perception of your company different from your customers' perception?
• How do you want to be perceived?
• Pricing, how do you want to be perceived?
•What 3 words describe you as a company?
e.g.
Helpful
Technical
Open
High end
Friendly
Community
Elite
Not a straight jacket
There are no exact rules to branding, but hopefully this offers a useful brief insight to building and sustaining a brand, and telling the right story about your brand.
Branding guidelines shouldn’t be seen as a straight jacket. They should act as a general overview to manage those larger branding projects – we are creative after all.
