Business Branding Logo Design and Branding - Points to Remember

A good logo design is highly instrumental in establishing a business brand and creating a long lasting impression among its customers. It should be able to create a powerful impact on the viewers and successfully exude the nature and attitude of a business. Ideally, a company logo design should be able to communicate your company ethos, principles, mission and the nature of product/service offered, to the viewers.

A professional logo design would establish a professional image of your company and strengthen your brand. Actually, in most cases the consumer gets the first impression about the company through your logo. Your business logo should build a brand that is strong enough to give your consumer a visual imagery of your company. People should be able to identify your company on sight of your logo.

Trend shows, most of the good logos are simple and often text based. Think of the IBM, SONY or Microsoft logo, even if you view a part of it you will be able to recognize the company. It is extremely essential for a logo to be easy for people to remember.

This principle of simplicity applies n most cases, however, we often see exceptions in Government Organizations, Hotels and Luxury resorts etc because they want to put up a classical exclusive image. This again brings us to a very important point that should be considered for a good logo design - the nature of business.

While simplicity can be the basic principle for any logo design, the designs might vary widely depending on the nature of business. For example, a financial institution might like to use a bold face font to express solidarity and stableness where as a courier service or transport company might prefer italicized fonts to express the speed and movement involved in their business.

In addition, while specifying the design requirements for your logo you should consider the fact that you will probably have to use your logo on your fax cover and other places where it will be in black and white. You should ensure that your logo looks equally good and attractive in black and white.

I would also suggest avoiding a very trendy look for your logo if you are planning for a long-term business because what we concern "modern" today might be backdated tomorrow. It is very important that your logo designer knows how to maintain this balance.

While any professional logo designer should be able to create a custom logo design once you have provided them with your specifications, you should be careful to select an experienced designing company and not land up with some single designer start up venture.

Last but not the least important factor is price. You are paying for your logo - something that is going to be used to establish your brand and represent your business for years, so you should be ready to pay a decent amount while it is also not necessary to pay some big amount like $350 for a logo. With the online logo design firms coming into business, now you have a wide choice of price for your logos and it should not be difficult to find a logo designer that fits your budget. Some logo design sites would even allow you to quote your own price for your logo.

If you have still not got a logo for your business or are not happy with your existing logo, it's time you get your new logo. Wish you lucked with your logo hunt.

8:18 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Corporate Branding - Will they remember you?

In today's market selling quantity seems to be the rule of the day. Slap together something quick and don't worry about what flies out the door, it doesn't even matter who the purchasers are.

Companies who focus on branding will stand out amongst the crowd. Why? They have recognized that most buyers' especially online buyers need confidence in doing business with an established entity. Nothing shows your commitment to your business like a well developed branding strategy. Having a great logo is the first major step towards cultivating this development. Sure there are plenty of "out-of-the-box" logo solutions and the prices are more than appealing to a business that doesn't recognize the value of their corporate image.

The Difference

Why should you spend more than $300 on a logo? Would you buy a car for $1000? Chances are if you do you'll be paying a lot more for maintenance and the headaches it will bring. You always get what you pay for. This can't be stressed enough. If you are willing to sabotage your business from the very beginning by neglecting the image you portray to your potential clients, that logo will be costing you a lot more than you're willing to invest. A professional Graphic Designer will invest a lot of time, researching to produce a logo that is truly unique (vital to branding and making your mark) and introduce you to a solid first step in Branding your company as a powerful entity. A logo is further enhanced by the elements built around it. With everything related to design, everything should be custom made, now more so than ever because the competition for capital is increasing. You have to be better than your competitors in as many ways possible.

For the young start-up company, budgets may disallow you the option of working with a professional designer. There are plenty of great designers out there that won't gouge your pocket book but be certain that they are capable of creating exactly what you want and that they have the experience to expand upon the logo design provided. You want someone who is business savvy and has demonstrated their applied knowledge. They must be able to foresee the bigger picture. The success of your business rests on this.

Putting it Together

Generally speaking the more experienced the designer the higher the rates charged. With the experience you will usually get a product that has been developed and refined over time. A veteran Graphic Designer will be designing with the big picture in mind taking your investment dollars further. The numbers quoted are relative to what they generate, a client will be happy to invest money when they see return. If the image developed for them attracts customers price becomes secondary. Recognize the value of your image and take your logo very seriously. As human beings we are visual.

For the long haul

Generally a business that has quality services to offer and takes their image seriously will understand the value of investing in professional design. Most successful businesses know how much they must devote to marketing in order to generate the sales they desire. Those marketing dollars will be more effective if your Branding approach was cultivated properly. If you take your business seriously chances are you'll attract the same. How do you want to be viewed?

A Bit about the Logo

For the most part focus was placed on the business mentality rather than the logo itself. There are different types of logos. Many large corporations utilize strictly text or abbreviations. Companies like DELL, IBM, RCA, ABB, etc. Text logos are very popular and are easily integrated across the Branding board. Iconic treatments are also utilized by many businesses. An icon can be very powerful in identifying a company. Take Apple or Nike for example. Using imagery is a very powerful strategy in branding. Symbols guide us in our lives and daily activities. Icons can be very simple and clean to more complex utilizing gradients and simulated 3D. Illustrative (beyond iconic) is less frequently used but can work effectively for companies that usually want to portray a timelessness or "natural" homey feeling typically found on a bottle of tomato sauce or organic potato chips.

Everything outlined above can dictate the price of your logo. The logo is a powerful aspect of your company. It should take time to create and will require much attention if it is to create a powerful Branding strategy. Be sure that the logo designer of choice is willing to provide you with mock ups and multiple revisions and is willing to help take your company to the next level.

8:16 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Branding, Branding, Branding - MSN fails to keep it Straight

Sometimes you see promotions come along and you wonder: did they just do that? The current MSN promotion called msnsearchandwin is a prime example of this. 

Not only do they use "black hat" or at least "questionable" tactics on the site, but the messaging is inconsistent. 

In this article I look at the new MSN promotion and ask the question: Why bother? 

By now you've probably heard about the new MSN promotion where you can win prizes simply by using MSN search. 

They did do something right by registering a domain name that implies that message. If you go to msnsearchandwin.com you will see the familiar MSN search box. 

Wait a minute...Why is this search box blue? Didn't MSN just rebrand with a nicer, cleaner silver grey look? 

That, my friends, is mistake number one. It's as if the technical team and the marketing team didn't get together to discuss this program. 

I mean, when you go through something as complex and massive as a rebranding, you should make sure the messaging is consistent across the various media. Especially when the promotion and the rebranding launch within days of each other. 

This is eerily similar to the article I wrote about Superbowl Ads. In that article I talked about how advertisers spend millions on a 30 second or 1 minute TV commercial yet they fail to carry that messaging over onto their website effectively if at all. 

And here we have MSN - probably one of the most recognized brands on the web and subsidiary to the company with one of the most effective and ruthless marketing arms in the world - and it can't seem to communicate it's message that MSN is rebranding. 

I mean, how hard would it have been for someone in Tech to phone up someone in Marketing and say, "By the way, you know that search and win promotion you are doing? Be sure that the colors match the new look of MSN that's launching in a few days." 

But wait, it gets better. 

First spotted by Kerry Dean, if you view source of the msnsearchandwin home page what do you see? 

That's right, about a million keywords stuffed into the keywords tag. (OK maybe not a million but there are 256 keywords in the meta keywords tag). 

It gets worse. Immediately below the overstuffed keywords tag you will see a bunch of keywords stuffed into a comments tag. Again the same 256 words used in the meta keywords tag. 

So tell me, is it OK for a search engine to spam itself? 

8:15 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Coca-Cola: The Power of a Brand

There are few images as recognizable throughout the world as the Coca-Cola brand. Travel to the furthest reaches of the globe and you will probably encounter it on a clock or a sign, if not on the drink itself. Marketers today look to the Coca-Cola brand as a model of marketing power. Its image has transcended national borders and cultural barriers to reach almost everyone on earth. How did the Coca-Cola symbol become such an omnipresent image?

Beginning in 1886, Coca-Cola president John Pemberton began traveling the country introducing pharmacists to the drink. At that time it was considered a medicinal substance that could relieve headaches and other minor woes. Candler distributed clocks, calendars and other items laden with the Coca-Cola logo as he toured the country, spreading the brand and selling his product. 

From there the brand continued to penetrate further around the world. The bottling rights to Coca-Cola were sold in 1899 and in 1915 the Root family submitted a standard size bottle for distribution, but it was too fat in the middle. The Coca-Cola Company liked the bottle so much they thinned it down and has been used ever since and is called a Hobbleskirt Bottle. By 1920, with new bottlers springing up all the time, the brand had expanded into Cuba, France, Puerto Rico and other territories. Its world dominance would increase further with World War II, when Coca-Cola promised that "every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for 5 cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company." Suddenly Coca-Cola could be found throughout Europe as American GIs carried it with them, and by 1960 the number of countries with Coke bottling plants had doubled.

Today Coke remains a powerful brand with over a century of history behind it. As a result, items featuring previous incarnations of the Coke image have become classic pieces of Americana. The success of the Coca-Cola brand has made it an icon not just in the world of brand marketing but of American history. It symbolizes the popularity of a soft drink as well as the dominance of American entrepreneurialism in the twentieth century and beyond.

8:12 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Bringing Branding Benefits to Beer

Ever since 1875, when the Bass red triangle became the first registered trademark, brewers have recognised the importance of on beer bottle branding, and now the latest printing technologies are being harnessed to achieve the best packaging impact for today's brewers. 

Beer bottle labels play a major role in ensuring that beer packaging has strong impact at the point of sale. Packaging technology is advancing dramatically, with innovations in the printing, production and application of beer labels, and a move away from the traditional wet glue labels to high impact self adhesive labels. 

Recent developments in print technology have helped improve the aesthetic quality of self adhesive labels. High-end print techniques such as foils, special links and MetalFX provide a visually attractive label, able to fulfil brewer's stringent brand values. 

The economics of self adhesives have also been transformed with specialist label and packaging printers now available to produce high quality labels in economic short runs. 

Traditional wet glue labels are applied by using adhesive on the bottling line. As they need to sit on the bottling line in a box or magazine each made specifically for a single label size and format, this process tends to limit the range of labels available. 

By contrast, self adhesive label are pre-coated with adhesive and applied to bottles from a carrierweb. The process is cleaner, involves less complex machinery and can quickly be adapted to all label sizes and formats. 

Traditional wet glue labels may suffer from the problems of drying out, tearing or fall off before they reach the customer. The technical specification of self adhesive materials can be tailored to ensure that each label type is fir for its purpose. By using appropriate adhesives, self adhesive labels can even be applied to web bottles on the line. 

Such innovations ensure that labels remain in prime condition up to the point of sale.

8:11 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Self Adhesive Satisfies Micro Breweries

The move to self adhesive labels for UK brewers follows recent developments in the USA. Anheuser-Busch has played a leading role in the States and Coors are now adopting the same approach in the UK.

However, it is not only multi-national breweries that have an interest in the quality of their labelling - so do micro brewers.

These smaller regional breweries have a strong reputation for distinctive packaging and have been quick to harness the benefits of self adhesive labels. Many brewers outsource their bottling to contract breweries, which tell us that self adhesives are more reliable at application and give their bottlers less downtime on the production line. The result is good for both the brewer and the bottler.

There are also economies when producing self adhesive labels. Unit costs are reduced because they can be printed, finished and die cut in a single process, minimising costs and wastage.

The development of dual web printing processes also means that the body, back and neck labels can be applied in one pass on the bottling line and labels perfectly index onto the bottles. We also apply film coating that gives labels durability and ensure they reach the shelf in prime condition.

Beer bottles with self adhesive labels are able to be recycled in the same way as those with traditional labels, so innovative labelling does not get in the way of good recycling practice.

The OPM Group has designed, printed and produced self adhesive labels for several regional breweries including Swindon based Arkells.

Arkells head brewer Don Bracher says that self adhesives increase the brand impact of their bottles. "The visual impact of self adhesive labels is significantly better than we glue labels. Yes, they are more expensive, but we think they are worth the additional investment. We now have labels with better colours, better branding and more customer appeal.

"We're producing beer in non returnable bottles, so you have a situation where the bottle is pristine. It's important for the label to look the very best it can".

8:09 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding Protecting Your Corporate Name

Imagine this: you want to sell widgets, and you've chosen the perfect name for your brand new widget business. You've made the name original and yet homey, easy to say, hard to forget, and you've checked databases everywhere to make sure that nobody else thought of it first. You've invested vast sums of money in marketing materials and storefront signs that include your wonderful new name. Best of all, you've already impressed some new widget customers with your amazing services and they are spreading the word that your business-yes, the one with your fabulously unique name-is the place to go for all their widget needs, bar none. You love your new name.

Then picture this: shortly after your widget shop opens for business, you learn that a guy two blocks over is using the same name, for a strikingly similar widget business. That's your name hanging in his window, by God! Customers are getting confused. Your business begins to drop off and you suspect the other widget guy is getting the customers who were looking for you.

Is this nightmare scenario possible?

Sadly, yes-but only if you don't know how to protect your corporate name properly.

The first thing a new business owner must do is register the name of the new corporation. The procedure for registration varies by state, but generally involves some very simple paperwork to be submitted to the state's Secretary of State's office, along with a small fee. The Secretary of State's office will not register two businesses with the same name, so this procedure will prevent later businesses from incorporating in the same state under your corporate name. Registration with the Secretary of State's office will also legitimize the corporate identity of your business as a legal entity separate from its founders, and will provide evidence to demonstrate that the name is being used in commerce when you next register the name as a trademark. Be aware, however, that a business can incorporate in any of the fifty states, so registering your business in your own state provides only partial protection of your corporate name. To provide greater protection, it is necessary to register the name as a trademark or service mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Registering your new business name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will provide nationwide notice of your claim to the name as a trademark, and invokes the jurisdiction of the federal courts in protecting the name. To register a new business name as a trademark, an application may be obtained online at the U.S. Patent and Trademark website, www.uspto.gov. This application may either be filed online or mailed into the Patent and Trademark Office. Be aware that the processing of your application may take more than a year, so this application should be filed as soon as possible to begin the process. Status of your application may be checked online.

You do not need to wait until your trademark is nationally registered to begin protecting your right to it, however. When using your business name on marketing materials or other written matter, you can demonstrate your claim to the name as a trademark by adding a small "TM" at the end of the word. This provides notice to those who see the written materials that you consider the name to be proprietary and should not be "borrowed" by others. After you receive national registration of the business name as a trademark, however, it will receive the greatest possible protection and you may demonstrate this by including an R in a circle, "®," at the end of your business name.

Once you have received trademark registration, you must file periodic Affidavits of Use with the Patent and Trademark Office to prove that the name remains in use. If you cease use of the mark for a period of years, you will lose ownership of the name as a trademark and others may be able to use it.

Next comes the business of "policing" your trademark. This involves online research and investigation within your own industry to determine whether your trademarked business name is being used by others in the same or similar business that might cause customer confusion as to your business identity. In that event, a judicious letter often dissuades the newcomer from using the business name. If a letter is ineffective, the matter may be resolved through litigation.

The founding of a new business is a busy time, but it is necessary to begin as quickly as possible to protect the new business name against infringement. In this way, it is possible to prevent customer confusion and retain all of the customer good will that they have come to associate with your company's name.

8:07 AM   by Unknown ·   0

Business Branding What's In A Name? The Six Essential Elements You Need To Know

Selecting a name for your new business is not easy. A name does more than identify your company. It tells customers who you are, what you do, and more than a little about how you do it. Your name differentiates you from your peers, peaks customer interest, and invites further investigation -- if you do it right.

I didn't do it right. At least, not at first.

All entrepreneurs make mistakes, and I made one of my first ones right off the bat. Thrilled with the fledgling business I was starting, this precious enterprise so near and dear to my heart, I christened my company Diadem Communications. Diadem means crown-- a fitting name for what I felt was a
crowning achievement.

What does Diadem say to you? Does it evoke thoughts of me coming into your company, training your sales team to be the best booth staff ever, ensuring that every single trade show you attend turns out to be amazingly successful? Does it make me sound so good that you just can't wait to hire me?

No. It doesn't say that to me either. And even worse, it didn't say that to any of my potential customers. Going by name alone, no one would be able to determine the least bit of information about me, my company, or the services we offer. The name said nothing, and it did nothing for me.

The name had to go. More importantly, it had to be replaced by something effective. How do you come up with an effective name? Consider these six elements:

An Effective Name:

1. Tells Who You Are: Your name should reflect your identity. This is an essential aspect of branding. You'll be promoting this name, getting it in front of as many eyes as possible as often as possible. How do you want the public to think of you?

For some, that means integrating your personal name into the name of your business. This is very common in some professions: legal, medical, and accounting leap to mind.

Others prefer a more descriptive name. One successful small baker runs her business under the name "The Cookie Lady" because that's how her first customers identified her. It's doubtful that most of the customers even know her first name (It's Pat) but everybody in her market knows "The Cookie Lady".

2. Tells What You Do: It's incredible how many company names give little, if any indication of what type of work the organization actually does. Take the following examples:

• Smith and Sons
• Hulbert Brothers
• Only One

Can you tell me what any of these companies does? Of course you can't. They're relying on customers already knowing who they are (a tricky proposition for new businesses!) or by having their name found in 'context', such as a yellow pages or on-line business directory. 

3. Tells How You Do It: Words are very powerful. By carefully selecting what words you use in your name, you can convey a great deal about your company's image. Consider the names of three different massage and bodywork centers:

• Champlain Valley Therapeutic Massage
• Clouds Above Massage
• Speedy Spa

All three companies are providing the same service: massage therapy. Yet the first appears to favor a more medical approach, the second, a dreamy, luxury approach, and the third focuses on fast service.

4. Differentiates You From Your Peers: Your company name is the first opportunity to tell customers how you differ from the competition. This can be done by emphasizing what makes you unique, pinpointing what aspect of your products and services can't be found anywhere else -- or that you do better than anyone else. 

Consider the massage therapy example we looked at in number three. Each organization clearly has a different focus and approach to their customer base. They're attracting different types of clients, who are seeking fundamentally different approaches. All of which is conveyed in less than five words.

5. Peaks Customer Interest: Creating customer interest is an art and a science. Think carefully about your target audience. What qualities of your services are of the greatest import to your customers? What kind of words are likely to appeal to them? 

Emphasize the important qualities in your name. For example, busy homeowners are drawn to the inherent promise of speed offered by "Bob's Instant Plumbing" while a reader in search of a good mystery will gravitate toward "Crime Pays Books".

Word choice is also important. Two yarn shops can both specialize in specialty fibers, but the one who labels themselves "All Hemp All the Time" will draw in a decidedly different crowd than the one named "Natural Beauty: Organic Yarns".

6. Invites Further Investigation: Customers are funny creatures. What one group finds to be funny and engaging turns another group off. You want your name to be inviting and approachable -- as those qualities are perceived by your target audience. 
The best example of this may be seen in the individual investor segment of the financial services industry. Charles Schwab has spent years cultivating a classic, formal image -- but now that the consumer base is changing from 'old people with money' to 'everyone with a 401K', Charles Schwab has launched the "Talk to Chuck" campaign in an effort to be more approachable.

Make sure your name doesn't intimidate customers away! Some industries are more formal than others, but adopt pretension at your peril.

After following a series of simple step-by-step instructions to match my corporate identity with my service offering, I came up with the quintessential name: The Trade Show Coach. This name instantly tells customers what I do - assist companies with trade shows - and a little of the manner in which I do it - coach, rather than dictate, direct, guide, or organize. 

See the difference? So did the buying public, some of who quickly became my best customers. The same thing can happen for you -- if you pick the right name.

8:05 AM   by Unknown ·   0