“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.” – Orson Welles
Branding matters.
Always.
Whether you’re a blogger, running a non-profit website or a business of any size branding matters.
Colors Matter
Ryan actually overheard in a Kirkland’s store over the holiday season the following conversation:
“It’s not green enough.”
“Can it get greener? This is fir tree green.”
“I’m looking for something as close to Starbucks Green as I can get.”
Color schemes matter. Your choices may seem inconsequential but they can be iconic if you’re consistent, hence, Starbucks Green.
Think about it: if we all woke up tomorrow and Starbucks did makeovers on all their locations and their color scheme centered around a light tangerine color we’d probably get a little uncomfortable. Is the coffee changing, too? Can I still get a twenty-one-and-three-quarter-pump vanilla latte and have it taste the same?
Logos Matter
In addition to the color shift, what if, instead of the crowned mermaid, we saw a steaming coffee cup held by a praying mantis?
Would we not tilt our heads and say, at the very least, “This must be an independent franchisee,” or, even, “I wonder if they serve the genuine stuff. I might have to do 22 full pumps of vanilla just in case.”?
Fonts Matter
We’ve all seen the bold white letters on the side of our favorite caffeinated stop. We could probably not even read the Starbucks name and know it’s a Starbucks just by the look of the text.
That’s the way it should be. If we woke up tomorrow and had orange, a mantis holding a coffee cup and, say,
serifs?
That’s it…I’m going to brew my own!
Why It Matters for Business
Businesses rely on branding because it’s what makes them identifiable to the consumer. If the consumer doesn’t recognize something they know they don’t purchase, period. A consumer will always go to what they trust and if they find something they like they have issues when branding changes. That’s why when redesigns are done to packaging sometimes you see that new-look-same-great-product message on the package.
Why It Matters for Bloggers
You’re the diamond in the rough. There is a LOT of rough.
As in there are 349,999,999 around you in the rough. While you might not have an intricate plan like a corporation or even a small business would you might at least take on a color scheme and a catchphrase. As you grow a logo might become relevant. Whatever the case may be you’re going to need to do something to glisten in that rough.
Why It Matters for Non-profits
Word of mouth is often your marketing but your branding can make a huge difference in your web presence. Trust is important especially in relation to non-profits. What people see on a t-shirt that is missing from your website can cause a person to not bother to see what you do for your community on your website. If you have multiple logos in brochures and mailers along with multiple fonts in multiple communication formats how can you be recognized when you’re found?
Whether selling, blogging or serving identity is key!
Webbin’ It can help you bring it all together. Whether working with what you have or building you something new from the ground up, we’ll work with you on your branding and make sure it’s consistent on your website for you.
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