EXPERT ADVICE
TAKE YOUR PLACE IN THE IDENTITY PARADE
EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY BRANDED, SETTING ITSELF APART FROM THE
OPPOSITION.AND AS TREVOR JAMES, FROM THE DRAWING ROOM, EXPLAINS, IT’S NOT A ONCE AND FOR ALL THING BUT RATHER A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES REGULAR ATTENTION.
One of the most exciting parts of setting up a new business is having a logo designed. This is the start of a brand identity that will signal who you are and what you do, hopefully attracting a large and loyal customer base. It’s important that great care is given to the design because people are becoming ever more sophisticated in their appreciation of design so you have to get it right.
Be clear about the audience. Use market research and get a good knowledge of the customer base. Find out what other things your potential customers are interested in, what goods and services they use and what images are attached to them. Your new design needs to be relevant to the customers you are seeking to attract.
The logo could appear on everything from a business card to a website and may need to work in a variety of sizes, so bear that in mind. Also consider what it looks like in black and white because that’s how it may appear in magazines or newspapers and when people print in monochrome. Choose colours and print fonts with care. It would look odd, for example, if you were selling organic food from a farm gate with a neon coloured, highly technical look to the brand. People have expectations and they must be met. If you are an accountant, for instance, you need to look the part. Being good at what you do will attract new
Business West Update JULY/AUGUST 2011
customers through word of mouth, but if you also have a well-designed company identity you won’t alienate the existing customers you have and it could help to attract new ones. In some ways, designing the initial logo is only the first step. It’s what happens next that can make or break a business. It’s essential to regularly review your visual identity and to tune it to the current market. The secret is evolution not revolution. You may have such a strong image that you feel it’s not necessary to make any changes. However, that would be rare. Take something as iconic as the Michelin Man, an image that is recognised around the world. You might think he hasn’t changed at all. But look
closely and you’ll find that there have been subtle changes to ensure that it stays fresh and contemporary, attracting new customers whilst not alienating the loyal supporters. People can be nervous about making changes to their brand image but there are various advantages to be enjoyed, some of them quite surprising. One of those is that it has been shown to create greater confidence and a higher level of morale among the staff. They see a freshening of a design as a visual sign that the business they are working for is making progress and moving forward. It makes them feel the company is more professional and they get a real boost. You may also need to think about adapting your brand if the business moves in a different direction. A company previously providing a product to a domestic market but then switching into commercial trading may need a higher quality of design to satisfy the demands of a blue chip company. All this does not need to cost a fortune. It’s hard to generalise, but a typical identity refresh for an SME would have a price of between £500 and £1,000, with perhaps up to £2,000 for a new logo and a new website or brochure. It’s not a lot of money and it could pay big dividends.
www.tdroom.com 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32