When we talk about branding most people conjure up images of television ads done by large multi-national brands such as the Coca-Cola Christmas adverts, or Nike telling us to ‘Just Do It’.
But branding isn’t just for the largest businesses, and it’s much more than just television advertising. Every single business has a brand, regardless of whether you are consciously building one or not. Your brand is, in essence, the sum of your interactions with your customers. Every time you interact with a customer you are building your brand, which makes it all the more important that you act
purposefully.
So how should you build your brand?
- Consciously – Your brand is being built all the time. By embracing this fact you can shape your business based on your values and goals.
- Positively – Purposefully creating a brand image that helps clients think favorably about your business.
- Cohesively – A muddled brand image confuses customers and puts them off buying. Choose your message and stick to it consistently.
- Immediately – Branding isn’t just for large businesses. The quicker you get started building your corporate identity the better.
You Don’t Need Big Bucks to Build a Brand
You don’t need to have a large business or a huge marketing budget to start building a brand. One of the first things to do is develop a corporate identity through a logo and other associated images that your clients and other organizations will recognize as yours. These images should be well designed and reflect the business identity you want to build.
Consistently used logos and messaging create cohesive branding. Begin by using your images across a wide variety of stationary including:
- Letterheads (both physical and for use in email)
- Invoices, Receipts and Purchase Orders
- Pocket Folders
- Business Cards
- Display Stands
- Shipping Labels
- Inventory and Stock Forms
- Envelopes
Branding Means Benefits
A brand is an essential tool in creating and growing a successful business. Let’s take a look at the range of benefits you get when you begin building your brand with corporate stationary:
- Your logo defines and represents your brand, making it easy to identify for customers and potential customers alike. A good brand is a positive reminder of a healthy reputation.
- Business materials help build your brand identity. For example if you are a business who prides itself on its creativity then you need a images that showcases this creativity. The fonts, colors and design can all reinforce the qualities that you believe are valuable in your company.
- Corporate stationary helps convey authority. When a letter or email is written under the company letterhead it is not just from one individual but part of your company. This helps recipients know that your letters are credible, and helps employees remember that they are representing their company in every communication they make.
Choose Your Branding Carefully
Designing your logo and other materials associated with your corporate identity is a process that requires considerable thought and expertise. The images you choose will represent you to every client and potential client for the foreseeable future.
The sooner you start using branded letterheads and other stationary the quicker you can start building up your brand. Because poor branding can be worse than none at all it is recommended that you work with a team of small business branding experts. An expert can help you make sure you’ve chosen a design that portrays your business positively and cohesively. By working with experts you’ll also limit the possibility that you’ll need an expensive re-brand in the future. To learn more, call AlphaGraphics Kansas City at 816-842-4200.