Great brands don’t just happen. They’re engineered. – Ainsley Moir
Do You Brand?
- Have you spent time engineering your brand?
- Have you worked to find your business voice?
- Does everything you produce fall in line with your company values?
If you feel lost when it comes to branding for your company than I HIGHLY recommend the book “Branding Beyond Logos” by Ainsley Moir.
We all know that branding comes into play with everything your company does – logo, font, colors, customer support, storefront, product packaging, pricing, EVERYTHING!
For you to have a brand that lasts, all of your brand-building elements need to be firing simultaneously.
Why Branding Beyond Logos?
Ainsley Moir is so passionate about business branding and identity that she wrote an entire book on the topic! She pulls from her 10+ years of experience working as a global branding and marketing expert for multiple Fortune 500 companies as well as small and medium-sized businesses.
Her book “Branding Beyond Logos” is an easily digestible and enjoyable read that will get you thinking about how to improve your company branding and practical steps to achieve your new goals.
It’s not a read it and forget it type of book, it’s one that you’ll likely reference at different times as you work on each element of your brand.
She provides the perfect examples for each element of branding and gets you to start thinking outside the box. Her understanding of marketing and thoughtful creativity are a perfect match for each facet of branding.
(Looking for some online resources to help you get started creating your brand? Check out my two-part blog post on “How to Create a Good Looking Brand on a Budget”)
Brands are enduring: They live in the minds of consumers, employees, the public and anyone who either loves or hates what they represent. Yep, brands have that much power! -Ainsley Moir
What You Learn From “Branding Beyond Logos”
While reading the book I decided to make notes of the key advice from each chapter which are all listed below along with the chapter title. Ainsley is so helpful in each chapter clearly communicating her thoughts, meaning & examples, it’s impossible to not take something away from almost every page!
1) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR PURPOSE
People don’t buy “what” you do. Instead, they buy “why” you do it. This is true for everyone your brand comes in contact with: you, your customers and, if applicable, your employees, shareholders and business partners.
2) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Even if you are just starting out, your business and brand are unique, you just need to see that for yourself. It’s my intent to get you thinking of at least a dozen different things you can say about your own product or service to make it unique—and of countless different features you can add to your product or service offering which will do the same.
3) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR PRICE
Your brand can live and thrive at the premium, mass or economy tier. What’s important is that your brand delivers on the expectations people associate with the prices you charge and that your brand remains aligned with that pricing tier.
4) YOUR BRAND IS WHERE PEOPLE FIND YOU
You need to be online- According to U.S. Census Bureau reports for Q4 2017, sales from online stores accounted for nearly 10% of all U.S. sales.
5) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR PACKAGING
If you’re selling a physical product, the packaging it’s wrapped in ends up making an impression people will continue to associate with your brand. If you’re selling a service, your website and marketing materials do the same for you.
6) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR WORD CHOICE
Be bold about the words you use for your brand. If you worry about playing it safe too much of the time, you risk not creating an image at all.
7) YOUR BRAND IS HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE
Just know that, when it comes to building your brand, little things absolutely matter. The best time to think about how you’ll handle such complaints is now. So, don’t wait: Put sensible return, warranty and customer management practices into place immediately.
8) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR EXPERIENCE
The key, whether you’re a product or service provider, is to tap into the minds of your shoppers and imagine what will “Wow!” them most. At a bare minimum, be sure everyone has a pleasant experience and isn’t left wanting. Decide what they expect from you and do that, plus a bit extra.
9) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR CULTURE
I exercise caution and err on the side of making sure no one I bring on board is too far off from the culture I’m looking to create. It only takes a few people who are out of sync with company culture to throw it entirely out of whack and erode everything you’ve worked so hard to create. So, when it comes to selecting the right people to represent your brand, hire slow and fire fast.
10) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR FONT
Consider the emotions you want to evoke from people and then use fonts which will bring these ideas and emotions to life, as people read your packaging, review your ads, interact with your website and even view your logo.
11) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR COLORS
Color is critically important. A study conducted by Satyendra Singh, PhD, found that 90% of impulse purchase decisions were made based on color impressions alone (“Impact of Color on Marketing”).
12) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR NAME
Just like selecting a name for a child, the topic of selecting a name for your brand shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are four types of names and each has its own benefits:
- Descriptive
- Related
- Ambiguous
- Family
13) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR TAGLINE
Use the 8/88 Test to gauge the simplicity of your statement. If neither a child nor a grandparent understands what you’re trying to tell them with a particular tagline, go back to the drawing board.
14) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR ADVERTISING
Where you decide to connect with your audience, how often you connect with it and what messaging you’ll use all add up to your advertising—a crucial element to engineering your brand. There’s no one-size-fits-all for advertising. There’s simply what fits for your brand (and what doesn’t).
15) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
In the eyes of consumers, all brands which are connected to your brand and are sold alongside (or under the banner of) your brand are a reflection of who you are and what you stand for. Take the opportunity that partnering with other brands presents to continuously build on the imagery and ideas associated with your own company.
16) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR LOYALTY OFFERINGS
People share what they love—and what they’re asked to share. If you invite someone to share comments about their experience with you or a purchase they just made, they might actually do so. If you reward them for taking this action, they’re far more likely to do it. This is another form of driving loyalty that oftentimes gets overlooked. This is a great way to grow your brand, since this strategy can be extremely impactful.
17) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR CONSISTENCY
Consistency is the true secret to how you build a brand. And, when it comes to brands, people love the expected. If you fail to be consistent in what your brand stands for and how it connects with people, your clients won’t know what to think of you.
18) YOUR BRAND IS YOUR LOGO
In order to create a successful logo, it’s absolutely necessary to have a firm understanding of who you are, what you stand for and who you’re speaking to. Your logo should be able to exist on its own and still hold meaning. When people look at it, it should evoke specific emotions in them. It should also communicate something about who you are.
Launching into design before you have a clear brand strategy is like setting out on a road trip from Chicago to El Paso … without a map! – Ainsley Moir
Go Ahead! Get Your Copy of Branding Beyond Logos
Please note that some of the links included are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I only affiliate with persons or products that I personally use and believe in their value.
These are quite interesting tips about branding your logo design. It is very true that outstanding creative designs attracts attention and creates a positive impression about a brand so its better it is done by experts in the field. I was recently in the logo and brand development process myself, with a leading Logo design in Sunshine coast and this post gives me great understanding to get creative business logo. Great work! Keep it up.
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