When it comes to your business, your most valuable asset may be your brand. It probably seems counterintuitive since it’s an intangible asset and other assets, like your equipment and inventory, cost money and might be financed. However, these items matter little if you don’t properly promote your brand.
There are many proven methods for creating awareness and understanding for your brand by selecting the right printing services, but first it’s important to dissect the concept. The best way to understand brand is to think of it as a promise, suggests Forbes contributor Lois Geller, who wrote Why A Brand Matters. She says if you think of top brands, like Volvo and Apple, you immediately know what they promise. In this sense, brand is much more than a logo. It’s the attributes that come to mind when you think of a brand. For an automotive brand, you might think luxurious, reliable and sophisticated. This “bundle of attributes,” says Geller, attracts buyers and says something about them.
Your brand helps tell your story and convey your voice. A person’s perception of your brand is shaped by their overall impression of their experience with it. Brand elements include your logo, color palette, font and supporting imagery. Many businesses have brand standards that specify how much “clear space” must remain around their logo for impact. These are all things to consider as you design your campaign.
Here are three ways printing services can help make your brand memorable.
Create Your Brand Image
If you don’t have a logo or brand image, or feel it’s time to boost its professionalism, consider enlisting printing services to assist. A professionally designed logo and visual system can go the distance in helping your brand stand out among the competition. A fresh visual system will help you gain credibility and motivate others to talk about your business, which after all, is your goal.
We talked with Clash Graphics about creating a brand image, and they said, “When you work with a graphic designer, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the look and feel you’re trying to convey. Take your time and carefully consider the input your artist offers, as it’s critical to design a look that works well in a variety of formats, colors and sizes. Ask yourself what value you offer customers, and what feelings you want them to derive from your brand.”
Decide Where It Will Appear
Depending on your budget, marketing goals and the size of your reach, you have almost infinite opportunities to promote your brand with printing services. First, cover the basics. Create brand awareness by ensuring that your brand is represented on your business cards, company letterhead and envelopes, brochures, point-of-sale signs, window decals, banners, website and social media sites.
It’s also important to share your brand with any vendors and media outlets that occasionally reinforce your image. Do you advertise in the local newspaper or community circular? If so, be sure to send them your new logo and printing specifications. It’s courteous to them and beneficial to your business to make sure everything aligns.
Be Consistent
You can have a stunning, award-winning brand image, but if you use it inconsistently you will send a diluted and fractured message to your audiences. Achieve consistency by doing a communications audit of your print and online materials. Gather every single piece of collateral associated with your business and ensure you’re sending a consistent message. Don’t forget the little things, like invoices, employment applications and even interior directional signage.
In The Huffington Post article, 5 Things You Must Know About Branding Your Small Business, writer Ian Mills discusses the importance of consistency. He writes, “Without consistency businesses never have the opportunity to evolve into sustainable brands.” Consistency establishes a relationship with your audience and customers, and can evolve into future profits.
A strong, consistent brand can drive your business. Take the time to improve upon your image with quality printing services to set the stage for long-term success.
