Posts Tagged ‘identity’

One of the things guaranteed to make my blood pressure soar is when I see logos that have been created using Arial, Verdana, Comic Sans or Brush Script. Why? Because the text your logo is created in is as important, if not more, than the icon that sits alongside it.

The way your logo is set is called your logotype – the font/ shape of the word that denotes your logo. A well constructed logotype won’t be an afterthought, plonked alongside a pretty shape; it will be a well planned, well executed and beautifully crafted piece of typography.

So what’s wrong with the Terrible Four (as we shall call them from now on)? Apart from Brush Script which is horribly dated, nothing, as fonts in their own right. You’ll find that you have to use them when sending emails, you’ll also need to use them on your website. They’re standard fonts, they’re reliable, and that is where the problem lies.

You shouldn’t be retyping your logotype every time you use it: you should be inserting a file (a tif, an EPS or a JPEG usually). So there is no need to use a font that everyone has.

Secondly, it’s because these fonts are so common that they lack the distinction and personality that your logotype needs. A well planned logo will use fonts that say the right things about your business. The font will communicate all those messages that you want to get across – whether that’s approachability, tradition or exclusivity. The terrible four simply don’t have the personality to do that.

Thirdly, and most importantly: open your mind! There are literally thousands of fonts out there. We have 2417 alone just in our studio. That’s before you take into account those you can download for free or a small (or large, depending on how desirable the font) on the internet. Why, when there is that much choice out there, would you limit yourself to a bog standard font that does nothing for you?

But what’s your view on this? Does your logo use a font that’s a part of the Terrible Four?

Tagged as , a, branding, corporate, create, design, fiona, fonts, guildford, how, humberstone, identity, logo, logotype, printing.com, to in Branding, Graphic Design

What’s the point of all this branding lark? Just why do I go on about it so much? To my mind, growing your business starts with getting your branding right. If you can plan, create and execute a successfull brand you’ll:

• engage your target audience which makes it easier for you to attract the customers you want, retain them and gain repeat business
• communicate confidence and professionalism. People like to buy from confident people. And let’s be honest, if you’re not confident in your business, how can you expect anyone else to be?
• differentiate yourself from your competitors – this is more important than ever in the current marketplace. People will spend money, but they will only do it if they can see the clear benefits – a slowing economy is no place for also-rans – you need to distinguish yourself and show your customers why they should be doing business with you and not your competitors.

Marketing your business without a well planned, well executed, consistent brand is like going to a job interview in jeans and a jumper. It doesn’t mean you can’t do the job, but boy do you have to work hard to overcome that first impression. Why make life difficult for yourself?

Tagged as , branding, corporate, design, graphic, identity, invest, is, it, logo, money, spend, why, worth in Branding

A logo should be a well planned, well executed and carefully thought through visual representation of your business brand. If that sounds like a whole lot of codswallop let me explain in a little more detail. When you commission a graphic design agency to create a corporate identity for you, they should start by understanding what your business is all about, who your target audience are and how you differentiate yourself from your competitors. In doing that, they can create a corporate identity that engages and entices your target audience; that differentiates you from your competitors and that sets the right tone and sends out the right signals about your business.

Grabbing a photograph from the internet and whacking your name in any old font from your PC just doesn’t cut it. It’s just not going to attract, entice and engage, let alone send out the right signals. What’s more, a photograph won’t be unique to your business because a stock photo can be downloaded by hundreds of other businesses. Photographs can be used successfully (and see my post on Julia Hart’s business to see how) but only if they’re incorporated as part of a strong brand with a carefully thought through image and well planned font. So come on, be bold! Ditch the stock photo and embrace a brand that really does your business justice!

Tagged as , agency, branding, corporate, design, guildford, identity, logo, photographs in Branding

Do you send out consistent messages, or is your marketing material, well, a bit all over the place? To take the brand identity test try this exercise. Take a massive sheet of brown paper or old wallpaper. Gather together all your bits of marketing literature and stationery and stick them to the paper. Next, take [...]

Tagged as , agency, brand, branding, design, guildford, identity, strong in Branding

Rachel and the team have been an absolute pleasure to work with. They suggested I needed a logo to give me a corporate identity and very kindly set to work on a logo, stationery etc all on a very short lead time!!
End result: FANTASTIC!! Logo looks superb on my window and everything else and signage works a treat.

Tagged as , agency, branding, corporate, design, guildford, identity, licence, license, logo, merchant, off, surrey, wine in Case Studies

What impression does your business card create when you hand it over to a new contact? Are people intrigued, impressed or just downright confused? Does your card create a positive, negative or neutral impression? I was talking on branding in Ascot last night at the CanDoCanBe Women’s Network and at the end, as always, I [...]

Tagged as , ascot, branding, business, card, cards, corporate, design, graphic, guildford, identity, impact in Branding, Workshops