Integrating your brand is not as difficult as you may think. You just need to break down or look at every element of your brand.
We know that multi-million corporations like Nike, Apple or Google are lucky enough to have in-house teams who take care of all their branding but for smaller companies having an in house team is considered a luxury.
That shouldn’t stop you though, below we’ve highlighted our top tips to integrate your brand into all aspects of your company, no matter how big or small.
YOUR BRAND IS NOT A LOGO
Contrary to popular belief a beautifully designed logo just isn’t enough. You need a strong set of brand guidelines in place so when a client looks at something produced by your company they can instantly tell it belongs to you. For example, if your logo is made up of white and pink (like the Mobo logo) then the rest of your colour palette should also follow a white and pink colour scheme with some variations. These colours should be consistent with everything produced by your business.
The same rule follows when it comes to typography! Why use a script font when your brand logo is made up of a sans serif font, such as Helvetica or Montserrat?
This is why having a set of brand guidelines is good to have in place. So if anyone needs to produce anything for your business they can easily know what colours, format and typography to use, rather than placing a logo and leaving it as is.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
At Mobo we always believe consistency is key, not only when it comes to design but the way you communicate with your audience. So if your brand is fun and chatty or formal on social media, the same rule goes for how you handle and present yourself and your company in person or at networking events etc.
COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIAL
Both written and spoken should reflect your brand’s message, online and offline. Of course, we are only human and mistakes do happen, but you don’t want to put anything out into the open which could be potentially damaging to your brand. Communicate a clear message and be consistent with what is said at all times.
INVEST IN YOUR PEOPLE
Integrating your brand into all aspects of your business means getting everyone on board. What’s the point of having a few people work in marketing and/or design if the brand isn’t carried throughout the entire business? Working in the industry for so many years we’ve learnt that one of the biggest mistakes business owners make is simply giving a brand style guide or a logo to their staff and expecting them to know what it means and what they have to do with it.
People have to be taught how brand guidelines relates to their role and understand why it’s important for a business as a whole. Investing in training and education for your staff is crucial if you want your brand identity to be consistent throughout your business.
To conclude, you don’t need to break the bank or hire a huge team dedicated to integrating your brand for you. Just a few simple steps and you’ll be on your way!
Remember, a solid brand identity can elevate your business from a small player to a successful competitor.
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