Have you ever asked yourself why a competitor’s business gets more attention than yours? The answer just may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is. And that has to do with branding. Specifically visual branding keys. But exactly what is branding, anyway? Think of branding as predefining what a company is all about in the minds of its clients. Good branding differentiates your products and services in a positive way that really sticks in the minds of potential customers. Let’s say you are getting ready to run errands on a busy Saturday morning,…
In Part 1 of my “First Impression Last” story, I told you about my quest to find a contractor to landscape my backyard . . . and the trouble I had figuring out who’s who with the generic batch of business cards I brought home from the local home show! I finally did get in touch with the right person for the job, but it was almost like finding a needle in a haystack. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out what your specialty or niche is with a good business card design. I was at a Chamber of Commerce…
Let me tell you about the last home show I went to. It was your typical home show with lots of booths, pretty displays, loads of freebies. But I wasn’t interested in all that. I was on a mission. I needed a landscaping contractor to take my dismal, ordinary backyard and turn it into Fantasy Island. Not too much to ask, right? I was prepared to spend all day, if necessary, talking with every last landscaping contractor there in order to find someone to make my dream come true. So I grabbed a tall mocha on the way in, took…
Think of any large company, and I’ll bet you can picture its logo. It seems like they must have been born with it, but they weren’t. Every logo had to start somewhere. And you can start building recognition right now that will continue for years when you create a strong visual brand. To do this, you’ll need to learn how to create a distinctive logo. A good logo will be visually captivating, and will tell people what your company does and what it stands for. And then you can carry that logo onto just about everything that leaves your office, from…
Everyone’s got ’em. You likely see the “Nike swoosh” logo everywhere you go. And you know the Texaco station at the corner by its distinctive “star.” So, you’re thinking, “My company needs a logo, too.” Maybe you want to design your own logo too. Why create a logo for your company? Because a logo: — visually represents your company in a graphic form (a picture is worth a thousand words, remember?) — instantly communicates your company’s essence: what it does and what it stands for — complements your company’s ongoing identity package so your customers can recognize it year after…
Have you ever asked yourself why a competitor’s business gets more attention than yours? The answer just may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is. And that has to do with branding. But exactly what is branding, anyway? Think of branding as predefining what a company is all about in the minds of its clients. Good branding differentiates your products and services in a positive way that really sticks in the minds of potential customers. Let’s say you have been traveling around town without your morning coffee and are getting just a little…
It’s the trade show of the year, and you’re poised to meet, greet and network up a storm because the precise buyers for your product or services are here. Business card? Check. Sales brochures? Check. Product samples, informational literature, or other appropriate peripherals? Check. But wait. Let’s go back to item #1 – both in the list above and the all-important first step in creating a strong, lasting and favorable impression. In other words, what you looked like or said may not be remembered when potential customers are back home, but your business card will be in the pile he’ll…