Todd Sumamno
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about prolific brands like Walmart or McDonald’s? Most people identify Walmart with bold white letters, a navy blue backdrop, or the slogan, “Save Money. Live Better.” Similarly, spotting the “golden arches” on the highway indicates that McDonald’s is a short distance away. Why are these images and slogans engraved in our memories? It’s a business and marketing concept known as branding.
What is Branding?
To understand branding, let’s start with the definition of a brand. A brand is a company name, design, term, symbol, or feature used to describe products or services offered by an organization. Branding is the process of giving meaning to the brand through marketing, design, and service. It cultivates an organization’s image, enhances its reputation, and separates them from the competition, which increases sales and profits.
Types Of Branding Materials
While there are many components to developing a brand, marketing and design are at the core. Below is a list of branding materials to implement in your business and marketing practices.
Company Logo
The first step is to consider the best company logo design for your business, one that encapsulates the essence of your brand, resonating with your target audience and leaving a lasting impression of professionalism and reliability. It’s an image, symbol, shape, or unique font and design used to describe your product or service. Your logo will serve as your signature stamp and will be placed on everything from your website to your product packaging.
Whether you want to use your company name, an acronym, a photograph, a cartoon, or a shape as your logo, ensure that it stands out. Experiment with different fonts, sizes, colors, and graphics to determine which creative concepts work best for your business.
Websites
If you don’t have a company website these days, developing your brand is next to impossible. As millions of consumers conduct online research before doing business, you need a solid presence to get noticed. Your website also helps to define your brand. It’s a virtual business card and is often the first point of contact for potential customers.
Your website should be user-friendly, well-optimized, and include design elements to draw your audience’s attention. Using your logo as a guide, incorporate the colors, font choices, and design schemes throughout your website.
Internal Forms And Documents
Your branding shouldn’t stop with marketing materials. You should also incorporate your brand’s image on internal forms and documents. Add your company name, logo, and contact information to your letterhead and email signatures. Use design templates to keep internal forms, like meeting minutes, product development roadmaps, flow charts, and infographics, looking professional.
Branding is essential to your business. It’s how your target audience identifies your products and services. While part of your brand is what you do and how you treat your customers, the visuals will stand out the most. Investing in the branding materials above will help you enhance your reputation, separate yourself from the competition, expand your exposure, and increase your sales potential.
Business Cards
Although digital marketing has taken precedence over traditional methods, business cards are still an essential branding tool. When attending in-person meetings or events, having a tangible item to provide others with is a great way to set yourself apart from the rest.
More than your company name, website, and contact information, consider design elements like the paper type, card shape, colors, and fonts. If you really want to bring things to the 21st century, add a QR scan code to your business card that routes to your website or the about us section to learn more about your company.
Merch
Merch, short for merchandise, is a must-have for upcoming businesses. Consumers love to purchase memorabilia with their favorite brands on them. You can add your company logo to items like t-shirts, pens, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, hats, and more and sell them or give them to customers for qualifying purchases. The more people you get to wear your merch, the more exposure your brand receives.
Brittany
