Unleashing the Power of Small Business Branding: Creating a Memorable Brand Experience
I’m going to get up on my soapbox, but I hope you’ll hear me out: how many of you out there have a brilliant logo and that’s about it in brand land? No shame in it–that was me too. Once upon a time, I built a logo and found some colors I liked to go with it and closed the book on branding.
Then as my business grew and as I had the resources to hire more women to help along the journey–I had a lighting bolt moment. I realized that a logo + color is not a BRAND and the more I heard about it, the more I really wanted one of those.
Moving Beyond a Simple Design: The Logo Dilemma
Focus on building your BRAND – a business that is full of personality, meaning and memory for your clients - not just a logo.
Sometimes we have business owners that come through that swear they don't need a new logo, even though the one they have was from 10 years ago. They’re scared to let it go. I understand nostalgia and not wanting to confuse your customers. But so many companies have successfully rebranded that at this point–it’s proven that you’ll come out the other side okay.
Unless you’re Coca-Cola and change the formula randomly on people in the 90’s–remember THAT refresh? WOOF. Epic fail.
Instead of clinging to an outdated brand, I think what's more important is where you're going, the story you’re telling, and who you want to be. Does your current brand really showcase who you are? If you threw it together and it works “well enough” remember that the best branding is two things and two things only:
A memorable brand is holistic and intentional.
Building a Unique and Distinctive Brand Identity
We use those two words a lot around here. And it is not lightly that we say them. A brand is a powerful combo of your voice, your tone, your personality. The thing that makes a brand that people want to cheer for, that they see themselves in, that they care about and support.
Seth says it best:
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationship that, taken together, account fo ra consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Raving brand supporters are with your business through thick and thin. They come to see you as part of their identity and what they stand for as a person. If you buy Patagonia–as a consumer you are putting a stake in the ground for what your consumer spending stands for. They rolled out a campaign called Earth is Our Only Shareholder. Incredible.
The same is true if you buy Louis Vuitton handbags. Status and luxury goods say very different things about you–and not all of those things are bad. They are simply different VALUES that align with those very different brands.
Brand is extremely powerful, and it evokes powerful emotions and our customers and clients. It's something that cannot be done in a weekend, but needs to be built over time and with focus.
Your initial logo suite and custom palette is one of those things where it's very clear (or should be!) that you are investing money in your future, not spending it on something expensive for the sake of being expensive. It's an investment that you make once but that pays for itself over and over again, in bringing your brand and your company top of mind for your clients.
Okay so you’re on board to level up your brand. Let's walk through a few things that all memorable brands have in common.
A memorable brand needs to be something that is unique to you, and only you.
Think about two clear competitors like Nike and Adidas. Adidas is nothing like Nike. It could even have the same font. It could have the same colors, but it is entirely its own thing and has people that ardent supporters of either for a variety of reasons.
A brand is everywhere and it’s distinct.
Whether your logo was playful or serious, text only or uses iconography. We want it to be crisp, clear, come in multiple formats and orientations. And we want it to be on everything.
In your email signature, on the letterhead that you send to your clients, in stickers and inserts into welcome kits. We want your logo to be used liberally in the digital spaces you inhabit and all of your brand materials for your company.
Your voice and your copy are part of your brand.
How you speak what you say (and what you don’t) create a brand that people understand and remember. For instance: you will never, ever, hear me say the world “Girl Boss”. I honestly cringe just writing it. I say this a lot but it bears repeating that talking in the way that you talk in real life is critical to establish something real that people connect with. It's all part of your branding.
Unfortunately, so many companies have this amazing, unique, engaging and interesting voice that never sees the light of day on their website or marketing materials. Don’t let this happen to you. Your voice is something that is so effortless and real people can't help but be captivated by it.
The good news is that if you have a logo and color palette, you're already well on your way to an iconic brand. You might just need a few helpers and a few more pieces thrown in the mix to build something cohesive and memorable. So let's see where you stand with a quick rapid-fire list of 11 questions to ask yourself:
Small Business Brand Building Checklist
Do you have a logo files that are in high resolution format in PNG, JPEG, black + white, reversed out (white) to use in your digital marketing materials?
Do you have a color palette with more than three colors (typically between five and seven)? Gray, black and white don't count.
Do you have a copy on your website that sounds like the way you really talk?
Do you have supplemental branding items like a pop or flourish that belongs to you that you use liberally and consistently? For instance, do you use a dots in a grid pattern or flourishes and sparkles?
Do you have a mascot or quirky little item that you sprinkle around that is unique to you and your business?
Do you have branded hashtags for your business?
Do you have a tagline for your business that is visible in any marketing materials that are forward facing to your clients that zeros in on what you do?
Do you have a website that clearly displays your branding in a cohesive way?
Do you have a mission your clients can get behind and support?
Do you offer something deeper by way of transformation that they want to be a part of?
Do you make the problem you solve really clear and compelling?
Starting with these 11 questions is a great jumping off point to determine what pieces you're missing and what you need to work on to round out your brand. Again, most people are not starting from zero. They have something to begin with. Use this as a checklist to get your thoughts and great momentum flowing.
Need some on deck support as you build out your brand story? We’ve got you covered with our free guide you can snag HERE.
