Branding: What’s Your Logo?

Branding is an area where companies often fall short, even though it’s a critical part of marketing. Branding gives your company an identity, a look and feel, and a design that people will recognize and associate with you. Why, then, do so many small businesses put so little thought into their branding?

Granted, small-business owners don’t have the grand marketing budgets that large corporations have, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do some effective branding with a small budget.

Consider, for example, your company’s logo. Is it a pictogram that has something to do with your company’s business or specialty? Is it representative of your profession, like the medical doctor or veterinarian symbols? Is it simply your company name in your favorite color?

Logo development is the first part of branding (after choosing your business’s name) that you encounter, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. With logos, it’s often best to consult a professional for assistance, unless you’re particularly creative. A stylized font can certainly work for your logo — look at Envoy’s logo — but it should reflect your business. For example, if you are a used bookseller, you probably don’t want to use an overly modern font and loud colors. Conversely, if you’re a technology company, your logo should be modern and innovative — two things you want everyone to think about your company. In fact, think of two or three words that you want people to use when describing your company. Your logo should convey all of those words, both independently and collectively.

After you’ve developed a logo, you need to look at other opportunities for branding. You might think of these areas as “places where I can put my logo”  — the sign on your building, stationary and envelopes, business cards, invoices, customer reminder cards, and brochures and pamphlets are all opportunities for branding. You can even extend your brand to pens and pencils, notepads and coffee cups, which is all the more reason to have your logo professionally developed.

So get to work on your logo and finding places to put it. Next week, I’ll offer some information about creating your brand’s look and feel. If you already have a logo you love for your business, did you develop it yourself, or did you have a professional help you create it?

Envoy, Inc., has a marketing team with experts who can help your business get started with marketing and branding or improve on your established brand. If you need help designing or redesigning your company’s logo and branding, call Envoy today.