You have a great idea, and now you’re ready to launch your company. But, are you? Branding is KEY to getting your company off the ground, and many people think, when I have money later, after I start selling, I’ll work on my brand. But, at that point, it’s too late.
Why? Here are what I believe to be the top 3 reasons branding is so important to your business, and why you should make sure you have a complete brand (that means logo, business cards, website, and any other marketing pieces you will need) ready to go BEFORE your launch!
Reason #1: It’s in the Name
Would you want to eat from a pizzeria named Throw-Up? Probably not, as it sounds fairly disgusting. But the owner perhaps thought he was creative since he “throws-up” pizza dough when making his pizzas. Perhaps a better name for that pizzeria, using the same idea would be Up, Sky High, In the Air, or Heavenly Pizza? You really need to think about what your name says about your business, what it portrays, and how easily it can be remembered, so that it can be shared. Is it easy to say? Is there an easy way to remember it? Perhaps it is funny or clever, but maybe it’s different or unique. Whatever it is it’s good, as long as you stand out in a POSITIVE way.
Reason #2: It’s in the Colors
As we’ve already talked about, the colors of your brand say a lot about your company. If you’re selling food red/orange/yellow are more of the family you would want to use over teal/blue. However, if you are a spa, teal/blue are probably colors you would like to use over red, to help evoke the relaxation you hope your customers will achieve. Take a look at your favorite businesses, what do you think of their colors? Has a logo ever bothered you, but you didn’t know why? Often times it’s the color that does that!
Reason #3: People are Visual
It’s in our DNA that we’re visual learners. My mom likes to tell the story of how when I was 18 months, I’d sit at the diner, look out the window across the highway and ask, “Are we going to Bradlees?” because I saw the store. Could I read? No, but I recognized the brand, from looking at circulars, and on signage. Around the same age she also took me to Burger King for a treat, but I didn’t want BK, I wanted McDonalds. She told me McDonald‘s was closed, so I reasonably asked, “Can you drive me by and show me?” I wanted to see the closed sign next to those golden arches. It’s the same thing today, without you realizing it, you’re subtly exposed to hundreds of brands a day in TV, newspapers, signage, social media, and the brands that have the most unified, cohesive look are the ones you’ll be attracted to, whether or not you realize it right away.
Contact us today and let us know how we can help you launch or re-launch your brand. And, don’t forget to take a look at some of the brands we’ve helped launch.
