The importance of branding in your marketing communications
This week, Bree Cleal of Imageffect shares with us some useful branding tips and demonstrates how important branding is in all aspects of your business, including marketing communications.
Some of you may not be sure what the word “branding” really means. It involves every component of your business and is tied in with a customers ‘perception’ of your business. It deals with the ‘feeling’ a customer has and their ‘direct’ emotional response when they think about you and business. This includes the tangible items of your business -the ones you can touch, as well as the intangible items, the ones you can only hear or see.
Tangible items of your brand include:-
- your logo
- business stationery
- promotional material
- signage
Intangible items are things like the manner your staff use when talking to your clients, and the presentation of your office – is it messy or organised?
The following five tips are useful reminders for how to make the most of your branding in all your marketing communications:-
- Be consistent. Stick to your logo in its original form and throughout all branded business items. It’s one of the most important aspects of your brand and a solid foundation to build your brand upon. Consider using signage, even if you share offices – make sure your brand is recognised and your clients know who they are visiting. You might even like to paint feature walls in your office using the corporate colours of your logo
- Get webbed! Make sure your online presence and e-marketing strategy is consistent with your brand. How is your website working? How do you think your clients ‘feel’ when they visit your homepage? Excited? Curious? Today, the web forms a large part of successful brand strategy, so it’s important to get it right!
- Look! See every aspect of your business including yourself as part of your brand. Make sure your phone is answered in a consistent manner by all your staff. Check out your wardrobe – are you reflecing the image you want your clients to have of you?
- Have a great business card. It’s your calling card and first point of contact. Make sure each card you hand out is clean and in mint condition.
- Work with a professional graphic designer. One that you get along well with and who understand you, your business brand and … your budget! This way you can keep any future projects or re-print work consistent with the first to further strengthen the future of your brand.
About Bree…
Bree Cleal, owner of Imageffect is passionate about logo and brand development. She has over 12 years experience working in advertising, design and marketing for clients including Matell, Royal Melbourne Zoo and Autism Victoria, to name just a few. Bree believes that the way you present your business says everything about you so it’s important to make sure you look good. To find out more about Bree’s services visit the Imageffect website.