Become a Refreshing Spring: Revamp Your Brand
By: Michelle L. Cramer
City life and country life both bring a slew of great experiences. You’ll find concise arguments in favor of both. However, there is one area that most agree on regardless of their preferred demographic: fresh, country water is way better than city water.
I mean, it’s a no-brainer. Well water in the country is supplied directly from natural springs. The water is fresh and tastes wonderful. It embodies the natural environment of outskirts living. City water, however, has a number of additives and variables that affect the taste and you’d be hard-pressed to find many city dwellers who drink water directly from the tap without some sort of filtration system.
Where in the world am I going with this? Well, a stale, outdated brand (logo) is like city water. It’s bearable, when it has to be, and functional (like city water is for cooking and bathing), but isn’t as refreshing as cool country water straight from the springs of Mother Nature.
If your brand puts a unpleasant taste in the mouth, or simply doesn’t get anyone excited for what you have to offer, then it’s time to refresh it. It’s time to give your brand the vigor of spring water (or, at the very least, Britta water filtered from the faucet).
Here’s a little guidance for discovering that new brand approach:
1. Identity
How would you identify your company? Wait now – we’re not talking about what your company does. We’re talking about who you are. One word ideas are a start, but the more specific you are, the better you’ll understand the message you want your brand to convey. For example, honest is great, but “ we do everything possible to give our customers the best products/services at the best prices with little need for replacement or redos” is more specific, and oozes sincerity and intent. Better, right?
2. Emotional Response
What feelings do you want your company name and logo to inspire in potential customers? Trust is a common response, but dig that well a little deeper to get to the good stuff. Color is a strong element in visual branding and can produce several different emotions based upon the colors used.
3. Target Market
Identify your potential customers by writing down a thorough description of who you’re trying to reach. Elements and demographics to address include:
- Age
- Location
- Career and Income
- Gender
- Level of Education Completed
- Ethnicity
- Lifestyle
- Needs
- Hobbies
It’s like knowing you’ll use tap water for cooking and bathing, but you certainly won’t use it for drinking. Your brand may reach any given number of people, but you need to refine it to be palatable to your target market.
4. Style
Based upon the previous identifiers, what do you believe to be your business style? Are you modern? Conservative? Fun? Serious? Traditional? Your brand should reflect your company’s style both in visual aspects (logo, website design, etc.) and the voice of your content.
Once you have a grasp of the message you want your brand to convey, you need to start looking for someone to dig that well and tap into a refreshing spring of creativity. In other words, you need to hire a professional graphic designer. Just as you’re not a plumber and wouldn’t dig your own well no matter how great you believe yourself to be at digging holes, likewise you wouldn’t put your own logo together regardless of how concrete you are in its design. It’s an investment worth making.
Now, is anyone thirsty for success? Start refreshing your brand now and see the customers pour in.
(That’s enough of the water puns for today, thank you.)
Faithfully yours,
The Get Smart Group
#getsmarter @getsmartgroup
