Branding does not only happen to multinational corporations but mom-and-pops, educational institutions, non profit organizations and government agencies. For the client and creative professional, this can be a daunting process. As a business owner, you can often get stuck in the “but we’ve always done it this way” emotional attachment of your business history.
With all the money invested, sweat, and public persona of your business entity, you need to remember that some separation anxiety, floor pacing and a possible hissy fit or two are to be expected as you collaborate with your designer to give your company it’s graphic identity.
A great design professional needs to bring their best game to the table, along with a huge dose of listening skills, flexibility and humility. You as the business owner should share everything possible about your new venture and be open to the possibility of encountering totally new, unexpected ideas. This is not a time to hoard business secrets. The more information you provide to your creative professional, the better. Mutual respect for one another’s strengths will help guide your branding project to completion. But expect some surprises along the way.
During the initial brainstorming, think of keywords that best describe your company and its services. Words may include:
Quality
Value
Trusted
Dependable
Luxury
Green
Words like these will help position and clarify your company’s expectations of the brand identity.
If your design professional starts reviewing design solutions before discussing the goals and criteria of your business, get rid of them. Don’t let a designer or agency hand you something just because it looks cool. Make them justify their work with how it supports your business objectives. A great designer will always learn who their client is (and their competition) before they ever pick up a sketch pad or sit in front of a Mac.
Ultimately, the critical criteria should always be to address your branding with the relevance of today, without sacrificing core equities that your business represents.
