Quick. You need to get in and out of the grocery store fast. Let’s say you need some Campbell’s tomato soup for a recipe. You’re on the soup aisle, and you instinctively, without even thinking about it, start scanning the rows of cans for– you guessed it, the color red.

Since you were a child, you’ve been taught to associate Campbell’s soup with the color Red. It might sound a little disconcerting, but brands can actually change your behavior. As the visual landscape, both in the physical and virtual world, gets more cluttered, how do you make your brand stand out?

A Simple, Memorable Logo

A logo is the backbone of your brand. It should be easily recognizable, memorable, and desirable. Hire a professional to tailor a logo that perfectly fits your company. Don’t have your nephew design it. Don’t use clipart in Microsoft Word. Don’t use an online service that advertises “Custom Logo’s for Only $5!”. If your logo is well designed, people will want to put a bumper sticker on their car or wear a shirt with it on it. Nothing beats free advertising!

Establish a Feeling

Once you have a logo, what kind of feeling to do want customers to associate with your brand? Maybe you’re a HVAC company that wants to convey that old fashioned sense of service and quality, or maybe you want to take a more tongue in cheek approach to your branding. What elements are going to support your logo? Maybe you only use black and white photos in your marketing. If your company sells outdoor recreational equipment, maybe all of your marketing features outdoorsy textures like dirt, sand, and rocks.

Your Team

Back in the day, I worked in retail. Different stores trained different ways to interact with customers. Some stores emphasized greeting the customer within 30 seconds of entering the store, other’s preferred to engage the customer at checkout and up sell items and services. All of your employee’s need to be on the same level. Do you have a phone script that everyone adheres to? How do you want customer’s to be approached by your staff? Do you have uniforms or a dress code? Customer service also extends into the digital realm. Do you have a social media policy? Does everyone have a unified email signature and been trained on proper email etiquette?

A Philosophy

What does your brand strive to achieve? Do you pride yourself on being eco-friendly? Do you give back to your community? Maybe you just want to make the most durable and reliable product in your industry. Once you determine your philosophy, put it in writing. Share it and adhere to it. This article on Chron sums it up nicely.

An effective corporate philosophy helps a company develop a certain corporate culture, ethical practices and strengthens the relationship between employers and employees. It also positions the values of the company in the minds of others both within and outside of the organization. Your corporate philosophy should give employees a starting point for the decision-making process, so they are all operating on the same page.

All of this makes up your brand, but means nothing if you don’t keep it unified. Printed advertisements, email newsletters, outdoor signage, and the cover photo on your Facebook page should all give the same feel, use the same color scheme, and incorporate the same imagery. Your brand is an identity. Think about yourself personally. How do you dress? What movies do you like? Now think about your company. Give it a personality like it’s a real person. Or just leave it to the professionals. Let us give you a brand audit. We understand brands.