Branding Your Business
Part I

By Michael Millhollen

Branding is the process of creating a specific strong, memorable
image and identity for your business. Besides utilizing good
design and media that will help sell your product or service and
stick in consumers' minds, a good brand should inspire loyalty
and confidence in your company by emoting specific responses and
associations in your target audience.

In order for this to happen, make sure whomever you hire to help
you develop a brand carefully considers your target market.
Although any research you do in the process of developing a brand
can be done through various sources, it's a good idea to try and
find a company that you want to create all of your materials as
well as develop your brand. That way you know the designers and
editors working on your materials have a firm understanding of
your brand. You can often receive a discount from the sheer
volume of work, as well.


Once you've developed your brand, it's crucial to utilize it as
universally as possible so that it can succeed at being instantly
recognizable, memorable and so the associations it inspires will
truly become one with how the consumer views your company,
products and/or services. In fact, your company should literally
become your brand, and every aspect of your look, behavior and
business philosophy should exude it.

To ensure that your brand is as cohesively applied as possible,
it is again helpful to enlist the aid of a single design and
media house for producing all of your advertising and promotional
materials, as opposed to going to multiple sources. Different
studios can have very different styles, and if the way your brand
is presented fluctuates too greatly, it will be more difficult
for it to effectively serve its purpose. Be careful of
advertising firms that look like they might handle everything in-
house, but actually end up outsourcing much of their work. Also,
try to find a company that has been around at least a good
decade, as well, so that you know they'll be able to keep
creating your materials into the future and won't just disappear
as so many recently have.

Here are some materials you should apply your brand to:

Print Design and Development:
Corporate Identity

A Corporate Identity is representative of the core essence of
your business. It should therefore truly be the visual expression
of what your business does as well as the philosophy by which it
operates. It includes elements such as Logos, Stationary,
Letterhead, Envelopes, Business Cards, Labels, etc.

Advertising and Self Promotion

Product or service advertising and self-promotional pieces should
also work as elements of any brand marketing campaign for your
business. These pieces may do nothing more than increase
awareness of your brand identity (the recognizable look as well
as the concepts you wish associated with your company) or
communicate a distinct and specific message about a product or
service to your target market. No matter what your goals may be,
however, these elements are arguably the most crucial part of a
branding campaign because they will often be the first or only
impression that you leave with most of your future clients.

Advertising and Self Promotional Pieces could include Magazine,
Newspaper, Billboard, etc. Ads; Brochures; Flyers; Direct Mail;
Posters; Point-of-Purchase Displays; etc.

Packaging

Package Design is the final chance your company has to make a
lasting impression before a consumer purchases your product or
service. You can waste a fortune in advertising if the consumer
looks right over your product or isn't convinced it will do
what's promised because of inadequate presentation.

Packaging includes all Boxes, Cartons, Bags, Blister Packs, Clam
Shells, Wrappers and Labels, CD Cases, etc.

Publications

When I say publications, I'm not just talking about a company who
publishes magazines. This could be as simple as a paper or email
newsletter. Whether the publication is used Business to Business,
Business to Consumer or Internally, many companies forget that
every one of their publications can leave important impressions
on all who view them. Publications may include Newsletters,
Catalogs, Books, Magazines, etc.

Make sure to read Part II of our guide to branding your business
for more crucial ways to implement your new brand...

Copyright ® CVP Productions 2004

About the Author:

Michael Millhollen is the Head Graphic Designer at CVP
Productions, an award winning full service Design, Animation &
Video Production studio based out of The Kansas City Metro Area
but servicing the entire US. Visit http://www.cvpproductions.com
to see if they're the right company to assist you with all of
your promotional & advertising needs.