When people think of a brand often the first image that comes to mind is the logo. Companies like Nike, Apple, and Starbucks can be identified if you only see the logo – the name is not even necessary. In today’s digital world, branding is way more than just a logo. A consistent identity must go very deep within company collateral. It needs to communicate not only the values of the company, but also the careful precision and attention to detail.
What Does Branding Include?
Exactly how involved can branding become? An entire company brand can extend into almost every space you can think of. The actual company website, of course, but also other online environments such as social media graphics, web videos, and photos, along with corresponding assets such as youtube views, photo likes, etc. Print collateral has been an integral part of a brand for a long time, but it still remains important today. Business cards, letterheads, document templates, and notecards are all top-of-mind for most companies today. Moreover, even decals such as coffee mugs, cups, koozies, and stickers are options for company identity. Even interior design of an office or the layout of a brick-and-mortar store can be part of a brand – think of how sleek and modern all of the Apple stores are, just like the company’s computers and products themselves.
Why Is It Important?
If you went into a store that sold high-end technology – tablets, smartphones, and laptops – but the store did not have a single computer in it, you would sense an inconsistency. In fact, you might even experience a lack of credibility: “How good can a company’s technology be if they don’t use it in their own stores?” This is exactly why maintaining a consistent brand is so important. If your company specializes in digital marketing but you can’t market your own company as a consistent brand, it is unlikely that you would gain a lot of clients. If your company provides incredibly artsy graphic design resources but the branding for the company hasn’t changed since 2001, a lack of legitimacy will manifest. However, if a company effectively uses the same color palate, typeface, and design aesthetics across all mediums – such as building layout, digital presence, photography, and print collateral – credibility, legitimacy, and trust in the quality of the company, product, or service will be established early on.
You Just Redesigned The Website, Now What?
Oftentimes a company will think that a web design overhaul and revamp will solve everything: “Great, our website is up to date. We are good to go.” However, this is not often the case. The next steps should sound more like: “Great, our website is up to date. Now let’s apply the same standards to the rest of our branding.” Once a website is up to date, this is the perfect chance to add in a few more touches and revamp your entire brand image. Applying the same color schemes, font packages, and themes to the rest of your identity will make sure your brand is your brand again – that it all matches and feels consistent. Otherwise, you have a great looking website with one additional result – an inconsistent brand as a result.
Should You Rebrand?
A lot of companies are fearful of a rebrand. This is totally understandable. Your clients and consumers have recognized your brand for years, why reverse the progress? Well, a rebrand can often bring a whole new level of business that previously wasn’t cornered by your company. Brands that have gone from almost failing to incredible success after rebranding include J. Crew, Burberry, Old Spice, and Target. A rebrand can have two entirely different benefits – internal and external. Internally, a rebrand could mean a new company mantra, a new business plan, or new employee structure. Externally, a rebrand could mean a new logo and entirely new identity, such as changing out the 2005 logo and website for a sleek 2015 one. An internal rebrand can be very risky, but an external brand is often expected over time – just take a look at the logo evolution of 38 famous brands. It is worth nothing that often to make a full rebrand successful, the marketing team must really help out to give it the push.
Branding is a very hot topic in the digital world, and it should be. It has never been more important to embed consistency into every level of your brand and identity – all the way from internal company structure to external brand collateral. If you are looking to have any branding work done, please take a glance at some of the work we’ve done to help revamp company branding and web design. We offer various branding services, including design, web design, branding, and email marketing.For further reading on LED light bulbs for the home visit ledhut.co.uk