A Logo might be your Brand Identity, but it does NOT define your Company Brand

What is branding? ...

... The goal is to make your product or business the most recognized "face" amongst competitors, to be a face known, liked, and trusted by as many consumers as possible. This involves much more than creating a logo or brand name. It's actually a little like speed dating. First impressions mean a hell of a lot, as you have only a few seconds to appeal, & convince an audience that your business is worthy of their time. But, it is equally important to follow up this first impression with an equally convincing "brand experience".

Big company brands are worth lots of money. Wall Street firms calculate these values in the billions, rating their typical contribution to profits as upwards of 40%. However, if you're reading this article, you're probably not the CEO of a Wall Street business. And if my intuition holds strong, I'd like to add that most experts conclude that branding is an ROI Strategy (return of investment) better suited for small businesses. First, it's easier for them to project their vision and "brand personality" and to establish stable relationships with customers, because the brand really is a projection of the owner's intelligence, passion, & investment strategy. And since small businesses typically have a focused product, their brand message(s) can easily be aligned. Additionally, flexibility and size make it easier to project a brand message through every aspect of the consumer experience.

In her delightful book Brain Tattoos, brand consultant Karen Post describes the goal of branding as the creation of an "imprint" in the minds of customers (a "brain tattoo"). What should go in the tattoo is the "essence" of your small business and how it relates to its customers. To discover your essence, you will want to take out a notepad and answer these simple questions:

• What service do you provide? (define your service)
• What is your competitive advantage? (why is your company in the market - pricing advantage, location, value, technical strategy)
• Who/ what is your target audience? (Businesses, Consumer Market, Demographics, etc.)
• How will your target audience communicate with your company post-purchase? (customer service strategy)
• How will product or service growth affect your business strategy, corporate infrastructure, & target market? (Define your 1-2-5 year vision... and no, I don't mean your family vacation to Aruba.)

With the advent of the internet (larger audience), social media (focus groups), automated consumer trends analysis (statistics) & BPO/ business outsourcing (low investment), small business owners now have the option to create a cost efficient & effective branding strategy that is affordable & appreciated.

Finally, you are ready to create you company logo!