Branding - kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like; A mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc;… Any mark of disgrace; stigma.
Creating an idea that formulates into a business can be a difficult process. An even more difficult process is visually translating this new business to its audience. This act is called, branding. Much like its definition above, taken from Webster's Dictionary, branding is the stamp or trademark that a company burns into the minds of its consumer. The act of branding if not done correctly, can also be a mark of disgrace.
How many times have you walked into an office and thought to yourself, "I am not going to spend my money here?" How many times have you visited an e-commerce website and hesitated to put in your credit card information? You took one look at the office decor and decided that this place is not worth your time or money. The website may have looked as if the business did not put any thought into the image they wanted to portray. If they did not put thought into this than could you trust them?
Branding is not about creating pretty logos and decor for an office, it is about creating trust with consumers. Though creating corporate identity is the beginning of branding a company it extends far beyond what you see on paper.
Recently, I was asked to do a client's initial company branding. They wanted something, "simple" which usually means, lets just do something quick and then we can rebrand later. Sometimes this is because they want to save money on the initial branding and then rebrand when they receive startup funding. However, branding should not be done under the premise of rebranding later. This can often hinder the process. The initial branding of your company as well as any branding efforts done later, should be well thought out with your target market in mind. Everything from the color of your logo to the paint in your office should be in harmony with the direction you want your business to take.
For more information about IsrylDesigns contact isryl@isryldesigns.com.
