Your brand is made up of your professional brand, your social brand, and your personal brand. So in essence, all the places where people interact with you and your business need to show a “united front.”
The best way to show that united front is by having a consistent visual brand.
As a business owner, “branding” is one of many concepts you get to hear about a lot. However, I think there might be some confusion between “rebranding” and “refreshing your brand.”
Many times over the years I’ve heard business owners say they’re “rebranding their business” when they were, in fact, in the process of updating their visual identity.
Here’s an example:
A family-owned business has grown to the point that they need to buy a building; they’ve just purchased a couple of new delivery vans and they’re hiring more staff.
Since they’re making all those major changes, the owners have decided to
Do you love those watercolour paintings all over Pinterest? Maybe you enjoy moody black and white photography. But what if clever, minimalist icons are your thing?
If you’ve been in business for a few years, you might be at the stage where building a consistent brand image is your next focus. If that’s the case, figuring out what style of images you prefer is the next step. It’s time to figure out and decide
=&0=&In general, there seems to be three main image styles: photography, illustrations and graphic icons.=&1=&
=&2=&Photography is by far the most common style used in marketing.
Every once in a while the time comes when all of us need a bit of a makeover: at some point we all try a new hairstyle; or a new cut of suit; our homes get some renovations (kitchen reno, anyone?) and yes, we also upgrade our cars (Ottawa drivers love those seat warmers!).
The challenge lies in knowing exactly when that time is. If only there was some magic timeline to follow! Or better yet, wouldn’t it be great to simply be overcome by a sudden, strong urge to get in touch with your graphic designer?
Unfortunately the warning signs are not that dramatic or easy. There is no actual calendar date to remind you to update your visual brand. There are no guidelines written someplace that tell you “it’s time for your brand refresh!” But don’t despair: I have a list of five items you may wish to keep in mind, as these are strong indicators that your brand image is due for a refresh.