Some people are really into the Campus Crusade for Christ, while others seem to never have heard of it. There are surprisingly few people who lie in the middle ground, who are aware of this organization yet have no opinion about it.

The old brand and logo design were effective and represented the organization well. When Campus Crusade for Christ first began at UCLA in 1951, it used a shield design with a cross intersecting the shape along with a book and a torch, both of which are relevant to Christianity. The new christian logo is in a calming, trustworthy blue and uses the same general shield, but modified to have a hand-drawn feeling that is youthful and unconventional. The name of the organization is written in rounded letters with serifs in the same blue along with a calming gray. The logo overall feels good, but it has one key flaw: it uses the word ‘crusade’.

Unfortunately, this word has very unpleasant connotations. Most people associate crusades with religious wars and intolerance for other viewpoints—hardly the impression that this organization wants to make. With a presence in more than 1000 US colleges and universities, a lot of individual ministries are dependent on public perception. Changing the name is an obvious step. Therefore, the Campus Crusade for Christ will soon be known simply as Cru.

This new, fresh, youthful name needs a fresh and youthful logo design to match. The new Cru logo design just might meet this demand. The name of the organization is written in lower case, rounded lettering that is friendly and informal—exactly what many college students want from their religion. A cross is formed by intersecting lines that are bright and appealing. The lettering may feel a little generic to people in the logo design industry, but it works well with the image and will be effective among its target market.

The name may be related to the unpleasant word ‘crusade’, but it is only loosely so. It is also a common nickname for the ministry, which will help the brand keep brand equity with college students who have already bought into the brand. However, it is a response to a recent study finding that twenty percent of college students are turned off completely by the name. Further, because the program is no longer limited to college campuses, this new name opens new horizons for Cru and allows them to continue expansion without becoming something of an oxymoron.

Another benefit to the new logo is that it is short and sweet. The old name was long and unwieldy and may have difficulty being placed on a christian website. Because the image from the logo was not self-explanatory enough to be used alone, the result was a rather clunky logo and identity. This identity is young, fresh, and thanks to the cross image, still relevant to Christianity. It maintains its core identity while presenting an image that will appeal to many people outside the fold. And, after all, isn’t that the point of a rebrand in the first place?

Women and children are treated as second class citizens throughout the world, a fact that is simply not recognized by many people in more tolerant nations. Half the Sky is an organization dedicated to bring attention to the situation. Based on the book with the same name, Half the Sky is a media project that will include a Facebook game, PBS television series and several short films. The project now has a logo design that is intended to represent the project and its efforts.

This logo features the words ‘Half the Sky’ in lower case in a simply but thick font. This wording is placed next to a view of a blue sky cut into halves, tying into the name. The two halves form an equal sign, referring to the equality being sought by the project.

This is, on the whole, a good identity for this media project. It is direct, to the point, and recognizable. The image portrays many of the organization’s goals and certainly represents its name. However, there are a few things that we don’t like as well.

First, the way the lettering aligns with the image seems a little off. If it were completely even, it would give the logo design a more unified feeling. The two lines of wording don’t seem to fit neatly together, although this may be due to the difference in height between the lettering and the two dashes on the equals. Last, we have to wonder how this logo will work in very small applications, such as embroidered on a polo shirt or printed on a business card. Is there a simpler version that will work for these applications? We sure hope so. As is, it would look horrible if printed in one color, so we hope the organization/media project has a huge materials budget.

A few things that we love about this brand: it is distinctive because, in general, most logos do not use photographs. A vector-less logo is certainly a novelty, and it suggests that this project is more than just a business venture, which is accurate. It is somewhat simple and even restrained, which makes the message all the more powerful. This logo design is going to be used internationally, and the images of an equal sign and a blue sky are recognized universally. It can be difficult to create a simple yet effective design that works well all over the globe, so this design deserves praise and props.

The name of the organization is that of a New York Times bestselling novel on the same subject, but also on a Chinese proverb that “women hold up half the sky.” While there are usability issues with this logo design, it is important to remember that this is not merely a logo. It will be used in a television show and on a Facebook page, in both animated and still formats. It is a graphic representation of a concept and a story.

The world of logo design is rapidly changing. We never considered that the future would hold photographs used in logo design. However, we are seeing this motif more and more, and in many cases it works beautifully.

We write a lot about logo evolution, and many people may wonder why. The answer is simple: even the best brands must change to be more relevant to an ever-changing market. If your brand and logo design are going strong, rebranding can be a scary process because you don’t want to lose the value of your current logo design—also known as your brand equity.

The change in the Cerner logo is a good example of this. Now, we have written before about more notable logo evolutions—such as the changes over time in the Apple logo or the Starbucks logo. Cerner is not as large or easily recognized of a company, but we are interested in their change in logo design and brand because it is a perfect example of good logo evolution.

Cerner is an IT services company specializing in healthcare organizations. We have never really thought about who maintains the computers at our local doctor’s office, but this is likely the company because they are the top of their field. The old logo features a C—or is that a circle?—with two bars flowing out of it. The new logo design features basically the same thing, but in a better way.

We still see the same basic shape in the new logo image, but with notable changes. The C is now obviously so; there is no more mistaking it for a circle. The bars are connected to the circle, giving it a feeling of movement and continuity. A friendlier font is being used as well as more modern, friendly colors. The old blue was business-like and serious, while the new blue is a bright, serene sky blue. The addition of lime green creates a more interesting and memorable logo while bringing attention to the bars in the image. Green also indicates health and growth, which is a positive connotation for a company in the health care field to be sure.

What makes this a logo evolution and not a flat out change? As you can see, the form of the logo design is the same, with the image on the left and the company name on the right. The old company logo was often seen with the tagline below, but the new one (so far) is left plain. The blue color is kept, but it is a more modern shade, and a little green is added. The image is largely the same as well, merely updated to be more appealing to a modern, professional audience.

If your logo design is an atrocity, or even just a little bland like this one, a logo evolution can be the right choice. You can keep the recognition of your brand and make necessary changes without compromising the integrity of your business. An out of date logo can do a lot of harm to a business, so it is better to make small changes as they are needed rather than waiting until your brand needs a complete overhaul.

Even a branding genius might falter a little with a llama sanctuary. After all, how do you represent such a unique niche in an original way? The Stillpointe Llama Sanctuary has a great website and also a brand that will be inspiring to viewers.

We expect for llamas to be the focus of this Unique Niche Website, as they are the focus of the nonprofit itself. Sure enough, a logo design featuring two llamas created from what appears to be natural paper makes up the main image. Calming blue colors combined with occasional earth tones give the website a homespun feeling. Moreover, this website has clearly thought hard about what categories will work best for their navigation bar. Obviously the website structure used for, say, a boutique, wouldn’t work here. Instead, the navigation bar includes links to photos of their herd and how to help out the sanctuary. You have to give the designers credit for thinking outside the box and instead building a Unique Niche Website that would help this unique organization.

Few people think of llama as being prone to abuse or neglect (and thus needing a sanctuary such as this one) but Stillpointe Llama Sanctuary eloquently makes their case. The site is utilitarian yet very attractive. It is not a commercial site, but it balances its cause with a good sense of brand and attention to detail. This is a great example of how smaller niche causes should approach the webs design process.

Creativity: 5 stars.  We especially enjoy the subtle use of texture and the layering of transparent shapes in building the images. These are popular motifs in [intlink id="18" type="post"]modern logo design[/intlink], but it is rare that they are used as effectively in web design as they are here.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is very easy to use, with an intuitive design and a navigation bar present on every page. Features are arranged so that they are easy to find under their headings. It also makes good use of thumbnails; every page features various snippets that can be clicked on for more complete information.

Functionality: 5 stars. With a variety of features that will appeal to both casual visitors and avid supporters alike, this website is made to be multifunctional and to build fans. Links to social networking sites, a blog, and other outside branding features ensure that people can interact with the brand on a variety of levels.

Content: 4 stars. The content is for the most part well-written and compelling. There are a few small errors here and there, but these are few and far between.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate both in aesthetics and in function for the cause it serves. Llamas are the main recipient of the sanctuary’s services and a main part of the website’s decorating scheme at the same time.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars. We really enjoy this website and hope that more people donate to this worthy cause.

Image via Wikipedia

Much has been written about blogs and online media as they affect modern journalism. However, there is another, quieter trend that has been sweeping through the news world: newspapers and other media sources joining forces under a single brand.

In the United States, for example, several local or regional newspapers will often be owned by a single group, and the news that comes out of these newspapers is very similar. This is bad if you want total editorial independence and a variety of different slants on any given story. However, the move makes sense for the many smaller newspapers that are struggling to find good stories and also to make a profit. Maintaining one brand and sharing resources with several similar publications makes good financial sense, enabling newspapers to continue operating in a time when subscriptions are being dropped in favor of free news on the internet.

This trend has also caught on in other parts of the world. Our neighbors to the north previously had two separate brands that were the major voices of [intlink id="2295" type="post"]Canadian[/intlink] newspapers: The Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspaper Association. These are not periodicals, but lobbyists representing them. They represented the same needs and shared expenses on some items, but they in effect were duplicating each other. However, as with many newspapers, the two organizations are moving beyond sharing management and are now consolidating under a single brand called [intlink id="3723" type="post"]Newspapers[/intlink] Canada.

The brand and logo design are relevant to the modern journalism industry, with a computer screen backed by several pages. This refers to the dual print and internet natures of modern periodicals. After all, news is no longer found merely on a black and white, double fold paper found on your doorstop every morning. Modern people turn to a variety of sources for their information, and this organization represents a variety of different news formats. The blue color is business-like and also gives an honest, trustworthy air to the image. The tagline is new as well: Trusted, Connected, Targeted.

A united front will give both groups more power, especially as they have been lobbying for common goals. This increased clout likely comes with lower overall expenses, although the two have been sharing resources for a while. If they are saving money at the same time, it will mean reduced expenses for their member newspapers—a savings that can be used to keep quality high and subscription rates low for people like us.

Many decry the fact that small businesses are routinely bought out by larger corporations, or that similar small businesses merge to create larger ones. While this may seem to reduce diversity in the marketplace, it may have just the opposite effect. In many cases, the new and larger brands continue to offer similar ranges, while more small businesses open to fill ignored niches. In addition, sharing expenses creates lower prices and a cost-driven marketplace. Better branding, more market diversity, and lower prices—now those are changes we all can embrace!

Image via Wikipedia

Marketing to college students and young adults of different age groups can be a challenge because it seems like each has their own sense of what they are looking for in a brand. Children and teens have such different preferences that there is almost no overlap in the brand aspects that please both groups. Marketing to college students and teens also has its own unique challenges.

The Mobile Generation

One thing that differentiates this generation of Marketing to College Students and Young Adults from the ones before it is the mobile nature of their lives. They didn’t just grow up with the internet; they grew up with it available on telephones and in their cars.  They are more likely to buy an app on their smart phone than a book and more likely to patronize the shops and businesses that their GPS leads them to. This means that businesses wanting to reach them must have not just an online presence, but one that can be accessed by cell phone and/or text.

Make It Quick

Marketing to College Students and Young Adults tend to perceive themselves as very busy—even if most adults remember this time as one of the more carefree in their lives! You must keep it simple and as fast as possible when it comes to sales pitches. Simple copy is often the best choice for this group, especially if you can work in a little humor without adding to the word count.

Catch Me if You Can

While many companies assume that they can reach Marketing to college students at a college or university, this is no longer the case. Over half of today’s College Students and Young Adults live at home and are commuting to school or attending classes through nontraditional means such as the internet. You’ll have to look in unusual places, such as book stores (online and off) and coffee shops. You’ll have to identify your demographic with a tag more specific than ‘college student’ and then market to them from that angle.

Keep It Real

Marketing to College Students and Young Adults can smell a fake, so don’t try to be cooler, hipper, and younger than you really are. But that’s okay, because they don’t mind dealing with another generation. If you are technologically savvy and sell products that meet their needs, you won’t need to fake trendiness; they’ll be happy to patronize you anyway. They define what is hip, and you will never be “it”. Be yourself; that’s cool enough.

Don’t Forget the Parents!

As with children and teens, you will need to make sure that your products and your brand are attractive to parents as well. After all, they are usually the ones who have the checkbook and the regular cash flow. While you don’t need to market directly to them, you have to make sure that you are professional enough not to scare them off completely.

Focus on the Product

This will help you to obey our other rules, like keeping things simple and avoiding a forced sense of sense of cool. If College Students and Young Adults are enticed by your brand and wowed by your product, you have just won over this demographic.

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Americans are visual people, easily distracted and driven by whatever catches their eye. While this is not news to anyone who has lived in the United States for any length of time, a new report underscores the importance of professional design, such as professional logo design, in branding a business.

The report, which was conducted and published by well-known search engine and website Yahoo, found that regardless of medium, good design is essential to business success. Consumers are more likely to look at interesting designs. Exactly what constitutes ‘interesting’ varies from group to group, but brighter colors and unique logos are universally more eye catching than their duller alternatives. Further, customers will look longer at an image if it is well designed and balanced according to basic aesthetic rules. The longer they look at an image, the more likely they are to recognize it later. This recognition can take a brand from obscurity to prominence in just a short time.

The effects of good design are most pronounced when it comes to websites. The study found that customers will stay longer at websites that they find visually pleasing and quickly leave those that are unprofessional or unattractive. Longer time spent at your website often leads to increased sales, and to less time spent surfing the websites of your competitors.  It is important that logo designers and web designers keep their target market in mind when creating any kind of design, because different groups have different aesthetic preferences.

However, this effect is not limited to websites. Brochures and advertisements also will be ignored by customers if they lack that professional edge. Customers are bombarded with professional advertisements every time they pick up a magazine, turn on the television, or even drive down the freeway. An amateur design job looks conspicuously shoddy in this context and will likely be ignored or even create a negative image for the company using it.

For these reasons, many small business owners are getting professional designs for their companies. While professional logos, professional annual report designs and websites were once used almost exclusively by large companies, they are essential even for the smallest, single proprietor operations. Our era is driven by professional design and brand recognition, and this will likely become even more important in years to come.

What does this mean for your brand and your business? If you want for customers to choose you over the alternatives, you need professional design services for your website, logo, and stationery, as well as any other media that your customers view.  You need for every part of your business to have that magic touch that only a professional designer can offer. This will not just lead to customers looking longer, but to more brand recognition and higher sales rates.

The moral of this story? If you are lacking the type of brand appeal that you need to make it in our competitive world, talk to a professional designer as soon as possible. There’s a reason corporate giants like Yahoo are doing research on branding and logo design: it’s the only way to get on top and stay there.

Some decisions are good for your customers, good for your business, and good for your brand all at the same time. Having fun is one such decision. Adding a healthy dose of levity to your business will attract customers, retain employees, and make your day a little easier to get through all at the same time—a true win-win situation. Here are a few ways to make fun a part of your day to day operations.

1. Make fun a part of your brand.

   Humorous advertisements and other company communications are a part of it, but they will only be effective if the rest of your brand is fun as well. Fun needs to be a part of the way you do business on a regular basis. If you aren’t sure how to make this work, talk to a branding consultant. This will invite customers to do business with your company and keep them coming back. Warning: talk to a branding consultant if you are unsure about how to accomplish this without interfering with other important aspects of your brand.

2. Keep a sense of humor.

   Snafus happen, often on a daily business. While it can be frustrating when nothing seems to go as you planned, it is all the more important to keep your temper and keep your sense of humor as well. Not only will this keep your blood pressure lower, it will make you a more pleasant person for employees and customers to deal with as well.

3. Lighten the mood on a regular basis.

   Regardless of what you are selling, there is probably a tendency for things to become serious and straightforward. While it is important to keep a sense of professionalism, you should have regular traditions that lighten the mood a little. Things like casual Fridays, holiday celebrations, and other traditions will make fun something that you can count on. It’s up to you to find the opportunity to start traditions that will keep your locations lighthearted and create a sense of fun that customers can feel and appreciate.

4. Self-effacing humor works.

   Humor is never as funny as when a person is making fun of themselves. Take the opportunity to be the business owner who doesn’t take him or herself too seriously. Whether this means dressing up in a costume when the situation demands or volunteering for community events, it is important to keep your self-effacing humor in a public arena, but one where it won’t make people take you less seriously.

5. Avoid competing with the big guys.

   This indeed is your chance to shine. Large corporations usually have lost their sense of fun in the growth process. They simply are not fun or funny. You, on the other hand, have a business that is small enough to still have a sense of humor and a lack of reverence. Let this be a part of your brand, and it will make people prefer you to the larger, more serious competition.

Every small business owner wants to have a strong brand, but there are certain elements that will kill your brand before it even gets off the ground. Some are mistakes that occur in the very inception stages, while others are issues that come up after your doors are opened. All have one key thing in common: they are deadly to your branding and marketing. Here are the first five of ten branding mistakes that are more than mistakes—they are flat out disasters.

Choosing a generic name. “North Street Auto Sales”—sounds good, right? Many business owners consider a name like this, and almost as many choose it. However, it is a drastic mistake. What if you decide to move your lot? What if you branch out into another, more lucrative area? Most important, how will customers tell you apart from the auto sales lot on South Street—outside of location, of course? Choose a name that portrays what sets you apart from the competition. It’ll take more time and brainpower come up with the perfect business name, but it will be worth it. Nothing about your brand should be generic.

Not understanding your customer. In branding, as in excellent customer service, the customer always comes first. Before you can design a brand that entices your customer, you must know who he or she is. Making decisions without knowing whom you are making them for will be leaving the success of your marketing to chance, a mistake that no company can afford to make.

Inconsistency. A brand is a promise, not just of a particular product or service, but of a certain presentation, service level, and type of emotional gratification. Breaking this promise will not only leave the customer unsatisfied, it just might make them angry enough to never return. That is hardly the impression that a small business wants to earn. Make sure every aspect of your brand, from your marketing to your service to your product itself, presents an accurate and coherent picture.

Having an overly complicated logo design. Customers should not have to struggle to understand you, but this can happen entirely accidentally if your logo design focuses on too many ideas at once. Make sure your brand can be summed up in a sentence, or better yet, a single phrase and try to instill that into your logo design. This will make it easier for customers to ‘get’ you and also be less restrictive on your marketing strategies.

Ignoring branding in non-marketing activities. Your brand should permeate your business, leaving no area untouched. From product development to customer service, it all needs to be a perfect fit. Think of successful businesses such as Nike and Macy’s. They don’t just market their brand; they are their brands. These are not exceptions, but rather two very good examples of one set-in-stone business rule.

Are you committing one of these branding sins? Call a marketing consultant today to find out how you can get back on track. Most of the time, a few small changes are all it takes to build a stronger brand or to restore a diminished one to its former glory. Check back tomorrow for the other five branding disasters.

There are branding mistakes, and then there are mistakes that will forever compromise your brand. Knowing them will keep you from falling into pitfalls that have ruined other businesses just like yours. Here are the final five of the top ten branding disasters.

Stagnating. As the old saying goes, never keep all of your eggs in one basket. The same goes for the business world—you should always be developing a variety of new ideas. Some won’t pan out, but that special one might be the breakthrough that takes you to the top of your field. Your customer needs to have a good reason to return, and constant, relevant change is one very good reason.

Following the pack. This is a variation of stagnating: only changing when your competitors do. While there is nothing wrong with adopting certain practices or products that have been successful for your competitors, this should not be the limit of your innovation. Always be thinking of new ways to make the customer experience more positive and more congruent with your brand. If you are just following the others, the customer has no reason to choose you.

Changing too often. Moving with the times is important, but doing so at a rate that makes customers dizzy will be counterproductive. While your brand and your business must be flexible, there have to be core values that remain relatively the same over time, something the customer can hold onto. These distinguish you from your competition, so tampering with them is done at your peril.

Diverting too far from your target customer’s price range. Price is an important part of brand. People go to Tiffany’s expecting a very different shopping experience and a very different bottom line than they would expect from Walmart. The same way Walmart would compromise itself by offering five figure baubles, Tiffany would have a hard time selling themselves as a premium retailer if they had a bargain line with equally low prices. It’s okay to push the limits of price, offering an occasional bargain or a slightly more upscale product, but know your target market’s price range and stay close to it.

Focusing on product rather than customer. Don’t focus on what makes your product special; instead, let the customer be the star. How will your brand make your customers life easier or more enriched? These are the values that should govern your branding and marketing. Always view products through the customer’s lens, understanding how they will impact the person’s daily life.

While these branding disasters can be devastating, they are absolutely reversible. Every day is a new chance to build a stronger brand, and a stronger small business at the same time. Whether you are a branding disaster or just have made a few minor missteps, a branding consultant can get you pack on the path to success.

Branding Traps that Small Business Owners Can Avoid

Many small business owners either consider branding an impossibly huge task that is too massive to undertake or, alternately, an insignificant one not worth the effort. The truth about branding lies somewhere in the middle. By following proven steps to branding and avoiding the pitfalls, it is possible to create a cohesive brand similar to that used with great success by large corporations. Here are the five most common myths about small business branding.

Branding costs a lot. Sure, you will have to make a financial investment in a professional logo and marketing, but beyond that, branding is as simple as playing up your business’s strengths and maintaining consistency. You can build customer recognition through social media ways and other free sources, making branding one business tool that is accessible to all.

You have to wait for word of mouth. Word of mouth marketing, when customers discuss your business or product with others, is the most powerful kind of marketing. However, don’t think that you need to sit on your hands and wait for customers to start talking. Build relationships with customers and offer incentives to talk about your company with others. You may feel a little uncomfortable asking (at first), but it is a practice that will pay off.

Marketing campaigns should reach as many people as possible. Many people think that their business needs constant and broad ad campaigns to build and maintain a customer base. This is a myth perpetuated by ad salespeople all over the nation, and it can be a scary misconception for new business owners with a small budget. In fact, targeted marketing is both cheaper and far more effective. Know your target audience and the type of marketing that appeals most to them. Anything that doesn’t reach this market or doesn’t pass their filters will be money wasted.

Your products speak for themselves. This is only a half-truth. Your products certainly will do a lot of marketing for you if they are high quality and worth the expense. However, if no one buys your product, this message will be silenced forever. Getting the word out about your products allows customers to try them for themselves and hear the message you are trying to send. Always let your products speak for themselves; first, give them an audience to hear what they have to say.

People like unattainable brands. Quite the opposite, actually. While there are a notable exceptions, the modern customers is drawn in by friendly employees, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing surroundings, and a product that is easy to use. Even the snobbiest upscale shops are turning more and more to offering great customer service because that is what the average customer wants. Whatever your brand, make sure you have a friendly outgoing staff willing to live it while they are on the clock.

By avoiding these five misconceptions, you can stay out of the traps that have ruined many small businesses. As you can see, branding can be very simple once you learn to avoid buying into mistruths and instead educating yourself about the power of your brand.

Many business owners understand why they should have a business website and why it should look professional, but not how to make it reflect well on their business. Your professional online image is a conglomeration of visual cues and other subconscious information that tells customers whether you are trustworthy and capable of delivering what you promise. Here are five tips for building an online image that will make your business boom.

Keep a Photograph of Yourself on Any Websites and Blogs. This makes people trust you more because they see you as a real person. Some studies have even found that customers are twice as likely to do business with a person whose picture they have seen. Clearly there is no underestimating the power of having a simple, professional portrait where customers can see it. It will give them a face to picture when they are ordering or otherwise communicating with you.

Create an ‘About Me’ page. This is a place where you can tell potential customers a little bit about yourself; for instance that you are married with children or that you enjoy spending weekends with your five cats. Make sure the information you include is just personal enough to make you seem like a real person, but not anything that could be held against you or that could turn customers off.

Make a Media Room. This will have basic information and figures about you and your business as well as relevant pictures, videos, and any recent press releases. Not only does this give your website the professional feeling of a larger one, it also opens up a world of opportunity when it comes to free advertising. The media loves to tout the latest thing; if you are the latest thing, make sure everyone knows about it. You just might be the next small business owner talking up their product page on Good Morning America.

Use Signature Fonts and Other Branding Visuals. If your brick-and-mortar business has a signature font, a color palette, or other visual images associated with it, your website absolutely must coordinate. Your logo should also be an integral part of your website, included on every page if possible. Visual branding will make your website feel like an extension of your store.

Get Feedback. Customers love more than anything to be listened to, so include a space on your website where they can communicate with your directly. This will allow you to get in the customer’s head in a way that would normally be impossible. If you respond immediately to comments and questions in a polite and informative way, you will be building your brand without even spending a dime.

As you can see, it doesn’t cost a ton of money to have an online presence that works for you and not against you. Because many business owners neglect this one very important aspect of branding, having an online presence that is professional will help you get ahead in almost any kind of market.

The Deadly Five: Branding Mistakes That Destroy Small Businesses

Branding is one of the keys to success in the world of small business. However, inappropriate or poor branding can be one of the most devastating hurdles for a business of any size to overcome. Here are the five branding mistakes that are most likely to take you down, regardless of the type or size of business that you run.

Not having a vision. Who are you? Why should people buy products or services from you in a world that is literally crammed with alternative choices? How will your business grow? If you cannot answer these questions, your customers won’t be able to either. This is why it is essential to have a vision of what your business stands for, what sets it apart, and where it will be in the future. Without this direction, you will merely be treading water, which is exhausting and gets you nowhere.

Not knowing your audience. Many small business owners get caught in the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. While it’s good and even necessary to carry a range of products and/or services, you are doing yourself a huge disservice when you wear yourself out trying to keep everyone happy. Know your target demographic and target everything at them. You can’t be everything to everyone, so focus on the people that can make all the difference in your bottom line.

Neglecting your brand. Everyone leaves the marketing consultant’s office fired up, but the fervor seems to wane after a few months. Before you know it, you and your employees have slipped back into old habits, the store looks just like it used to, and the only remnant of your once-strong brand is the logo. You need to be aware of the top 10 logo design mistakes to ensure your logo design is up to scratch. Don’t let this happen; get good use of your marketing dollars by maintaining your brand as long as it is appropriate for your business and customer base.

Not changing your brand when necessary. Even the best brand loses timeliness and looks passé after a decade or so. Because you cannot afford to let your business stay in last decade, this is the time to rebrand. It isn’t as scary as it sounds; large corporations do it all the time, and it may actually be the difference between success and fading away into bankruptcy. Of course you have to be also aware of the top 5 rebranding mistakes.

Doing it yourself. Branding sounds like an easy task when laid out on paper; so does brain surgery. Just as you wouldn’t expect a good outcome from a home surgery job, you shouldn’t expect a brand that you developed by yourself to equal that of one created by a professional marketing consultant. Leave marketing to the experts; it will leave more time for you to run your business. For example, if you try to put a website together by yourself, you will definitely see the loss of opportunity from that action. Be sure read about the top 10 website design mistakes.

By recognizing and avoiding these five most deadly mistakes, you will be giving your business a much higher chance of survival. Branding and marketing effectively always pays off in the end, so get the brand you need to be successful and let your business shine.

Photo Credit: http://www.theclayfox.com/blog/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-blue-bells-marketing-department/ – “…there’s something VERY unsettling about a visibly dirty old construction worker with a p****e mustache holding an ice cream bar on a stick and smiling. The last thing that makes ME want to do is purchase and eat a Krunch Bar.” – hilarious!

Being the Brand: Five Ways for Business Owners to Singlehandedly Build Their Company Image

Do you think branding is too expensive for a small business such as yours? Many companies mistakenly think this way and suffer as a result, but branding your company can be as easy and inexpensive as making a few personal choices. Here are five easy things you can do to be not just the owner of your small business, but the face of it as well just like the Five Ways to Brand Your Website.

Meet your customers. One reason that people shop at small businesses is that they enjoy interacting with the owners. If you are always stuck at a desk in the back, your company will lose this edge and thus lose part of your customer base. Not only will interacting with your customers allow you to be an integral part of the brand, it will allow you to personally get feedback on your products and services, allowing you the valuable advantage of seeing the world from your customer’s eyes.

Be visible in the community. In order to get to know you, people need to be able to see you occasionally. Getting out in the community, whether it is at church or at local festivals, will bring attention to both you and your brand. Go out regularly in your community and introduce yourself as “…owner of (your business)”. This will get your name out there and provide free advertising.

Look the part. Does your small business have a fun, friendly image with non-traditional marketing? Then it’s important that you and your car keep up appearances by being a little more colorful and fun than most people. Conversely, if your image is more that of an urban sophisticate, you cannot even step out to lunch without looking the part. Your car, your home, and your personal appearance in public must ‘go with’ your small business brand, or people will sense that your brand is fake.

Add a personal touch. One of the key differences between a large, impersonal business and a boutique brand is the little touches that a boutique gives every single order. Whether you personally sign every letter or close your envelopes with a sticker bearing your logo, make sure your small business is a boutique in every sense of the word and not just copying the impersonal experience that bog box stores offer.

Become an expert. Some business owners tape small news segments as experts on their business’s subject; others give time to local charities in exchange for a public thank you. Whether you talk about your business from a company blog or offer your consulting services to trade magazines, it’s important that you as the owner of your company be seen as an industry expert. This will get your name out in a very positive, very public way, and, if you follow the above four steps, build your brand in ways that nothing else can.

As you can see, there are ways of building a brand and building your reputation as owner without spending a lot of money if you understand the 5 Essential Components of a Small Business Brand. Because the owner of a small business is seen as synonymous with the business itself, it is crucial that you and your branding be congruent and complementary even during business emergencies. Being your brand takes only a little effort, but it pays off both in profit and in public goodwill.

Making Your Mark: Five Essential Components of a Small Business Brand

Why care about branding? Having a trustworthy brand will help your business achieve a solid customer base and the profit margins that go with it. Your community and your competition make judgments about your company based solely on the power of your brand. Because branding is essential to the modern business, it’s important that you pay attention to the details even if you have a non-traditional way of marketing your business. Here are the five essential components of a great small business brand just as 5 ways of branding your website.

Logo. What’s in a logo? This one little graphic may have more impact on your success than any other aspect of your business. Your logo is the face of your business. It will be prominently displayed on the signs on your door as well as just about every piece of paper that leaves your office. Don’t sell yourself short by saddling your new business with a logo that holds you back instead of giving you a much needed boost in branding.

Scheme. Along with a logo, your small business will need a visual scheme that is both attractive and unique to your business. This includes a color scheme, a set of complimentary fonts, and any other special images that you plan to use as part of your business. Make sure these complement and go well with your logo, as both elements will be used together on a daily basis.

History. People love to buy products that have a story, and from businesses with an interesting history. In fact, they love it so much that they are willing to pay more. Build a personal business mythology that customers can identify with. This will make them want to support you, because it makes them part of your interesting, compelling story.

Community Presence. How involved are you in your community? In the beginning, most small business owners are forced to stick to low cost and no cost ways of being visible in the community, but as your business grows it is essential to be a visible and benevolent force in your field and in your neighborhood. Whether you are partially sponsoring a fun local event or allowing night poetry readings in your lobby, you must make sure your potential customers see you and your business as someone who cares.

People. This includes not just you, as the owner of the business, but also your employees and any virtual assistants. It’s essential that you and everyone that your customers interact with as part of your business be corresponding parts of your brand, from appearance to attitude. Decide on an image that complements your overall branding strategy and allow no variation from it. In the end, your personal interaction with the public will have a larger effect on your small business branding than any other aspect.

As you can see, it is not difficult to build a small business brand, and this process is essential from the very beginning of your business. Modern consumers don’t just buy products and services; they buy images and stories. No one can afford to be without branding, so give your small business a great start by paying attention to these details.

If your company has a website, you probably want that website to be a part of your branding strategy. While this can be difficult, it is not undoable. In fact, if you follow these five steps, you will be well on your way to having a website that adds to the quality of your brand, rather, than detracting from it.

Be consistent. One key part of branding through a website is keeping that web presence consistent with the rest of your branding. If you have a logo, it should be prominently displayed on every single page of your website design. If you have a color scheme and signature fonts, these should be integrated into your website theme. Think of your website as a room of your actual business location; it should flow well with the rest of your business.

Be simple. If at all possible, use yourbusinessname.com as your website address so it is easy to tie in to your business’s name. Keep headers simple, navigation bars intuitive, and pages uncluttered. This will allow people visiting your site to access the information they need quickly and without frustration. It also will give you an image as being accommodating and easy to deal with, which will keep customers coming back.

Be professional. If you want to present yourself as a business professional, you will need a website that is designed by a design professional. While many people think that they can easily learn the design basics they need to put up a small, simple website, the results usually look like a kindergartener did them. This is not the image that most small businesses need to be successful. Don’t sell yourself short by allowing this highly visible part of your brand to be anything less than perfect.

Be interesting. Make your site interesting, easy to read, and even a little humorous if that is congruent with your brand image. Hire a professional writer to write the text if you are totally lacking in inspiration. Add fun illustrations and photos where they add to your message. People are likely leave a boring website, however informative, but they will keep coming back to an appealing and relevant one.

Be personal. Make sure people can see not just your brand, but the face of your brand: you. Put a personal photo of yourself and your family in the ‘About Us’ page, and link your site to a blog that is updated regularly. Let people feel that they know you.

An attractive website that follows these five tips will soon become an integral part of your brand, providing customers with 24-7 access to information about your business. Because more and more consumers are turning to the internet to find the businesses and information that they need, this one feature can make the difference between success and failure. Having a poorly designed and poorly branded website—or none at all—is selling your business short in a way that may be fatal.

In one of his famous speeches, John F. Kennedy, quoted a phrase from George Bernard Shaw:

“Some men see things as they are and say why – I dream things that never were and say why not.’

This idea holds true even in the world of branding. Some entrepreneurs follow traditions while others are keen on innovations. If you want your brand to be successful, you have to explore every possibility and never limit your curiosity.

Look for the gaps in your industry, check the weaknesses of your competition, and gather insights from your customers. Do not be afraid to walk the path alone and leave your footprints behind.

Most great brands and big businesses started out as an outcast. There was a point in our history when the idea of overnight delivery was absolutely ridiculous. FedEx revolutionized the industry with its fast and efficient service.

You can never be FedEx or iPod if you keep following and imitating the strategies and practices of the leading brands. If you want to stand out, you have to think outside the box. You have to create something unthinkable or perhaps, like the case of FedEx, absolutely absurd.

Innovation and creativity are your allies in making this dream a reality. Here’s the truth, the vast majority of new products and services won’t have a chance to become big brands. IPod changed the game in the music player industry by introducing a new platform. Enter MP3, exit the CDs. One of the best ways to increase your chances of building mega-brands is to shake the industry with your innovative thinking and creative strategies.

Every brand has a story to tell. Some are inspirational while others are tragic. In so many ways, building a brand is like telling a great story. At the heart of both crafts is the power to evoke emotions from the audience. Great storytellers can make you cry while branding experts can make you buy.

There are many media to tell your story from advertising, packaging to business cards. Thanks to the Internet a brand is just a click away. And just like stories, it’s not what you say but how you say it to your audience. You can use the strategies and selling points of your leading competitors but it won’t have the same effect unless told in a compelling way.

How do you develop a great story then? Start with the end. Or in the words of Stephen Covey, begin with the end in mind. Imagine you’ll be in the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine next year. How would you like your story to unfold? Do you like to tell them about your superb customer service or innovative thinking? It can be whatever you aspire your company to be. Then outline the things you need to do to make that dream a reality.

In some aspect, branding is different from storytelling for it is a two-way system. In stories, the author controls the ideas and plots. In branding, your story is a collaboration of your vision and opinions of your customers, suppliers and even competitors.

What about your logo design? It will play a pivotal role in uniting all aspects of your communication. You see ads, web design, and packaging may change from time to time but a great logo design stays the same for many years. Just like any story books, your logo is your cover.

Branding is more than just words and designs. It must be accompanied with great actions. Otherwise, it will all be a waste of time and money.

A good logo design is one of the important ingredients in enhancing your company’s image. But that’s just the beginning of building a strong brand. It is important to make your brand very visible to your target market. In simple terms: Out of sight, out of mind.

The good news is that there are practical ways to increase brand awareness.
The objective is to take advantage of all relevant branding opportunities available within your reach and budget. Leave no stones unturned as they say. Knowledge of your business and customers are vital in choosing the media to use.

If you have an e-commerce store, logically you have to do a lot online campaigns and viral marketing to establish your presence before going offline. On the other hand, an offline business might want to focus in building brand awareness through newspapers, billboards, vehicles, and other tangible objects.

Forming alliance is one of the ways to boost your awareness without spending too much. Find companies with the same target market as yours and complements your products or services. For example, our logo design firm targets small business owners so it’s reasonable to partner with business consultants or SEO companies. We can recommend their services to our customer database and vice versa. In some cases, you don’t have to shell out money if the other party agrees to pure barter.

Article marketing is another option you can take. Build your company as the authority in your industry by writing high quality articles and submitting it to article directories and offline publications related to your field. Share your expertise and experience to gain recognition and followers over the long haul.

These are just a few examples of increasing brand awareness and there are various tactics available at your disposal. Even if you already established your presence in your industry, don’t be satisfied. Explore other branding opportunities that add value to your business.

Are you still selling “products” in your small business? Perhaps it’s about time to take a new perspective. Why not push your brand as a way of life, an idea, or an attitude?

Basically, you should stop thinking of your brand as rubber shoes or jeans and visualize something bigger. Case in point: Nike. Instead of positioning itself as the most innovative manufacturer of athletic shoes, it took a bigger role – a sports company that aims to “enhance people’s lives through sports and fitness”.

Here’s the upside. This mindset will allow you to expand your business in different categories. Imagine if Nike concentrated in running shoes. There will be no apparels, sunglasses, watches, bags, or even tie up with iPod.

Virgin Group owned by Sir Richard Branson is another classic example of this grand strategy. If you check their official website, it brands itself as a company that “stands for value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challenge.” This mindset enables the company to compete in different markets from music (Virgin Records) to telecommunications (Virgin Mobile) without losing its identity.

Though we’re citing big corporations here, keep in mind that they started as small businesses like the one you have right now. The key is to think ahead and make your business flexible in the long run.

This is the opposite of the popular “niche” strategy wherein you will find a very specific segment and create a unique selling proposition (USP). Both business models have their own advantages and disadvantages. But if you’re an entrepreneur with diverse interests this brand-as-a-way-of-life strategy will be favorable to you.

What’s the first step? Pick a general attribute or set of values and build your reputation around it. You may want to be known for your innovativeness, high quality, or affordability. But don’t just pick any attribute randomly. See if it is fit with your resources and competencies. The final step is to commit to it and be consistent. You know that building reputation takes time, so don’t change from one attribute to another every year.

One of the questions, many start up business owners ask is weather they need a slogan and what it should be. As a logo designer, I am asked this question a lot of times.

A slogan or tag line is a phrase coupled with your logo design that enhances your brand image. It’s purpose is to inform the audience of either what the company does or what the company philosophy is. It is not mandatory to have a slogan. You should only have a slogan if you company name is not descriptive and does not give an indication of what your services are about.

Over the years, large companies have started to come up with slogans that are quite witty and some times puzzling. They use the slogan as part of the brand strategy. This is not always possible with small businesses. The primary focus of a small business starting out is to first of all is to get the message of the company out. They should create clarity about their brand and after promoting their brand successfully for a while can then start experimenting with slogans.

At the end of the day, the business owner is the best person to come up with the slogan. There is no point in spending a lot of money, initially, on slogan creation. Write the benefits of your service or product and then try and see if you can convert one of them into a slogan.

A slogan should be to be to the point and not too wordy. A wordy slogan will tend to crowd up the logo design and make it difficult to promote the brand. Use simple words. Do not go for abstraction. Do not use technical jargon.

Effective use of Slogans

Using a slogan is a very good way of adding to the message that a logo tries to give out. Slogans and taglines have always been around. But the current trend seems to that they are included or closely integrated into the logo design it self.
Take a look at some of the examples below:

To integrate a slogan or a tagline into a logo design, you will first have to understand the need for the slogan. Is it the kind that catches your attention? Is it a line that describes what your business does? Does it enhance your logo and make the message easier to grasp?

When clients have taglines or slogans and want them integrated into the logo design, our logo designer analyzes the pros and cons of such an integration and advice the client if is appropriate to do so. Simple attaching the tag line to a logo design with out thinking through would lead to a messy looking logo.

For more designs that incorporate a slogan please look at some of our logo design categories.

The other day Brandon called us interested in our logo design service. He said that the company name was Dj Platinum Entertainment and the domain was djplatinum.com and they have been in business for 7 or 8 months.

This sounded good and I said that since they have already been in business, perhaps it was a better idea to actually retain some thing from the old logo when creating the new logo design.

Brandon then proceeded to tell me about his dilemma. He said that his target market and clientele was quite upscale and that the actual service they actually provided did not have much “DJ” element to it. He also said that he did not want his customers to associate the traditional notion of “DJ” when thinking about his service.

But because the domain had been live for almost a year now and was indexed in Google, he did not want to lose it and start all over again. I have seen this happening quite a few times where a company is afraid to change thief name because of a domain name.

I think companies ought to be bold enough to separate their company name from their domain name and devise a brand strategy to tie them together. We do the same. Our company name is Spellbrand and our domain is logodesignworks.com.

It is getting increasingly difficult to get a decent domain name and even more difficult to get that domain into the search engines. So after spending time and energy in promoting a domain it would be quite a waste to lose it because you want to change the company name.

The role of logo design is expanding as more and more businesses compete for the attention of consumers. In essence, logo has grabbed the spotlight in the branding world. A very dramatic display of such phenomenon lies in the apparel industry.

If you don’t believe me, just look outside your window and see the different clothing logos. Do you see any pattern? Those who are old enough know that these symbols are more exposed than they were 20 or 30 years ago. In those days, most logo designs of different brands are usually hidden on the inside of the collar. It later evolved to small logos on the chest just like Ralph Lauren’s horseman logo and Lacoste’s crocodile logo.

The rise of supersized logo design

The early 90s mark the dramatic scaling-up of logos. Perhaps the Tommy Hilfiger brand is the most fitting example of this trend where logos are really bloated. Even RL’s horseman logo is generally bigger these days. Consumers have become walking billboards of brands from head to toe.

Branding and culture

More than the size adjustment of logos, there’s a deeper shift in branding strategy. A brand is no longer a product but an idea or a set of values. Kodak is not selling cameras but memories. Nike is not just an athletic shoes company but a symbol of greatness. iPod is no longer an MP3 player but a lifestyle.

Are you familiar with Twitter? It is a microblogging site where you can only write brief messages about less than 140 characters.

While many online businesses are quite hesitant to use this social networking site, it can be a very powerful branding tool if implemented properly. Twitter defines itself as a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

It’s simple, very casual, and capable of reaching your customers real-time. Here are some of the ways you can use Twitter in your online business:

1. Create a buzz and drive traffic to you e-commerce site by announcing your special deals, new items, or limited offers. Online retailing giants like Amazon, Dell, and Woot use Twitter this way.
2. Communicate with your customers easily, update about breaking news, and resolve problems even when you’re on the go. You can compose short messages on your cellphone by visiting this site. You can also try cellity tweeter to save on SMS charges.
3. Build relationships through conversation. By regularly updating your Twitter account about new developments or directions of your business, it complement your blogging (if any) or initiate conversations with your customers and other stakeholders.

Just like any marketing tool, Twitter is not for everyone. If your target customers are active users of social media like Facebook or YouTube, this is very useful.

Via MarketingProfs

Co-branding is basically combining the strengths of 2 brands to reap more profits or expand market potential. While this is a popular business practice in the offline market, it is not yet fully embraced as part of online marketing. It is very useful if both businesses serve the same target market with complementary needs.

A classic example of co-branding is the tandem Gillette M3 Power shaving equipment with battery brand Duracell. A recent example of co-branding is the combination of an express coffee shop Jo To Go and Mexican grill drive-through store Taco Flamingo. The outcome is a one-stop coffee and Mexican food drive through store aimed to serve orders in less than 2 minutes.

How Co-branding Can Help Your Startup Business?

1. Explore and capture untapped categories or niche
2. Expand reach to new customers
3. Higher sales revenues and royalty income
4. More efficient operations when sharing best practices
5. Better exposure or coverage because of joint advertising initiatives

Implementing Co-branding Online
Co-branding remains underutilized in the online business but it can be profitable when done properly. The idea is to deal with another product or service relevant to your target market. More importantly it must add value to your customers.

A online real estate logos firm, for instance, can team up with a mortgage firm. Why? Life’s experiences tell us that anyone who’s interested in buying a new house or property usually considers the paying options. Striking a deal with a mortgage site will help customers understand their options better and save their time from checking other different sites.

By the way, Likelihood of Confusion blog has a good example of a co-branding hell.

There are still some entrepreneurs who mistake their logo and web design as their branding strategy. That’s why some tend to spend so much money just in re-branding and creating a new logo. At the end of the day, they will realize it did not make any difference at all.

Keep in mind, your logo is just one of the important aspects of your branding. It means there are other things you need to worry about like positioning, building awareness and relationships. Knowing the connection and distinctions between logo design and branding will guide you in making the right decisions.

That’s why you need to have a branding strategy first before you go to your friendly logo design company and create your own logo. Consistency is very critical in this stage.

Your logo is like your body and branding is like your soul. No matter how creative or well-crafted your logo design is, it is empty if you do not put much meaning behind it. Your logo becomes more important after you establish your company/product and create strong awareness to your target market.

More importantly, your logo will not save your business if you fail to deliver your promise and create solid relationship with your key customers.

Going green or being eco-friendly is a rising business trend today. Thanks to the compassion and passion of the late BodyShop founder, Anita Roddick, many companies, big and small, are venturing to this direction.

But how important is green branding in your business? Lee Daley, chairman and chief executive of a famous advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi UK, painted a grim picture when he said:

Brands will not be able to opt out of [being green]. Companies which do not live by a green protocol will be financially damaged because consumers will punish them. In the longer term, I do not think they will survive.

Although it is a bit extreme, there are other reasons why it is important to add green branding in your business:

1. A survey among 15,000 online consumers in the U.S. and 16 other countries has revealed that Americans chose damaging the environments as the main reason they would think that a company is socially irresponsible.
2. That same survey above also shows future American consumers, between the ages of 18-29, are more likely to spend more on organic, environmentally-friendly or fair trade products than other age groups.
3. Another study conducted by eggusa.net also shows 1/3 of American consumers are exhibiting green behavior and another 1/3 have mixed attitudes and behaviors, but clearly aware of and open to green brands.

However, it is a common misconception of many small business owners that green branding is all about changing their eco-friendly logo design or packaging and doing some public relations campaign. That’s basically called greenwashing.

For established businesses, it can even be a major overhaul from your raw materials, production, packaging, and branding campaigns.

Via Marketing Green

Launching a new product is one of the toughest challenges faced by many entrepreneurs. It entails a lot of creativity, determination, and clever planning. You should keep your campaign focused, consistent, and simple all the time. It would greatly help if you have a catchy tag line and a creative logo to attract your customers. Here are some practical buzz marketing initiatives you may want to try:

Public Relations

One of the proven strategies to create a buzz is using press releases. There are several websites where you can submit your press releases and you can see them at Yahoo! Small Business Directory.

It is advisable that you partner with an experienced PR firm to effectively manage your campaign. Try working with a small agency so you earn more attention. In case your promotional budget is small right now, here is a simple guide on how to write a press release.

Industry Events

Actively participate in industry seminars and trade shows related to your target market. Spend some money decorating a really glitzy booth to create a good impression. You should try to make your logo the center of attention all the time. Equally important is the product presentation you will make once you convince your potential customers to visit your booth.

You might also want to visit Conversion Marketing and learn another type of buzz marketing known as petition marketing.