When we think of developing our brand, we often think far too narrowly. We consider our business name, of course. We also contemplate what the logo should look like and, possibly, a tagline (a.k.a. slogan or motto). Besides these, there are many other aspects to branding your business: colors; fonts; business cards; signage; location; the emotion you want your business to express; and the cleanliness of your establishment.
One of the most identifiable of them all is, of course, your business name. Determining that name is more challenging than it used to be, because you must also consider the availability of domain names. Plus, you want the name to be memorable without being too cutesy. Once the name is chosen, the tagline is next.
Developing your tagline can be equally as challenging as the name, if not more so. Your tagline is the phrase that is used nearly everywhere your business name and logo are used. Its purpose is to help you market your business to a certain demographic. The only time your tagline will change is if you want to completely redefine your business image. McDonald’s redefined its image several years back, and now uses the highly recognizable tagline, “I’m lovin’ it.” When developing your tagline, it is important to think about the tone of your business. Is your brand friendly? Informative? Precise? Playful?
Now that you have your business name and tagline, you can decide on a logo. Since it is the symbol/image and color scheme that represents your business, it should be in line with the name and tagline you’ve chosen. It should also be consistent and memorable.
Finally, your business needs to be “packaged”. That is, the design of your business’ store front or office needs to be consistent with the image and color scheme in your logo. This is the image you will promote on your business cards, brochures, rack cards, letterhead – all of your written
communications.
The service(s) you provide need to reflect what you promise and/or promote in your tagline.
Everything you give to a potential client, and everything you do for them, should have your unique professional brand on it.
If you need help branding your business, fill out our marketing analysis and we will call you to set up your one-hour creative meeting.
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