Avoid being predictable with your brand
Even though I have worked on so many brands, I find that I am still wowed by designs that challenge the status quo, that defy ordinary and are memorable. My tag line is defy ordinary and my alter ego is the “The Crusader Against Bland Brands” so you can see this is something I am very passionate about.
People would never say I have an ordinary business so why do they present themselves in such an ordinary and predictable way. So many businesses take the safe option which is to mimic others in the same line of business. Take time to identify your unique qualities.
Do not copy your competitors
I do think it is useful to see what your competitors are doing…BUT only to check you are doing something different. Colours I tend to also try and defy the colour beliefs … for example red denotes passion, desire, and love. Blah blah blah. I just believe create something that is not predictable and something that depicts what your brand is about. You are unique… there is just one of you. My focus is really understanding what is important to you and getting clear on your differences. Don’t pretend to be something other than what makes you different. If you believe you are great at what you do then ask your customers to describe you. Your logo and marketing should reflect your uniqueness. Brand is how you are perceived. If your business has fun with their customers or perhaps you have a more serious approach that could be more focused on building trust or having empathy. Ensure your brand reflects this.
Being different does not mean being outrageous. If you believe price and service is all you need to be different then you are just like hundreds of other businesses out there. Unless you are exceptionally cheaper or you have incredible service that people talk about, then you can use price or service as your differentiator.
Invest in your brand, if done well it will last for a long long time. Use professionals though. Done well it should last at least 20 years.
One last thing I need to get off my chest….
Stop the invasion of the Swoosh logo
One of my pet peeves is the over use of a swoosh graphic. A swoosh graphic like the one Nike use. A swoosh does not maketh a logo. It is boring predictable and forgettable. I am sure you do not see yourself in that light. I swear every section logo has some sort of swoosh in it. Now I have told you I am sure you will start noticing.
