THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT CREATING A BRAND WITH INTEGRITY…

Having a unique brand will differentiate your business from the competition. A brand is more than just a logo, it’s about every aspect of your business and every interaction with your customers, your team and everyone your business comes into contact with. Your brand is about how your company looks, feels, thinks and sounds, everything that impacts whether a customer wants to connect with you and how they perceive your business through its product or service, image and reputation. Building a brand is an essential part of starting and growing your business. Creating a brand with integrity will help you establish trust with your customers and help you grow your business. By choosing the right products, putting customers first, making promises your brand can actually keep, and sticking to your business values, you can build a long-lasting brand with regular customers.

CREATING A BRAND WITH INTEGRITY 

To create a brand with integrity you need to first know your business idea inside out. 

• What is your business position in the marketplace? 

• Who are your key competitors? 

• Who are your customers? 

• What marketing strategies are you going to use? 

• What is your business model? For example the designer that wants to be recognized for its unbeatable prices, will have to find a way to maximize the number of clients it serves. The margin per individual client will be less, but the number of clients will make up for it. Or the designer that wants to do very creative work for a small number of higher value clients, will have to find a way to position themselves in the top of their field

And most importantly 

• What makes your business idea unique and special? How can you differentiate yourself from your competitors? 

• How do you want to be perceived? When your customers have finished using your product or service how do you want them to describe their experience? For example if you are a graphic designer

• The service was quick and efficient, with excellent customer service, the designer is easy to communicate with and honest and reliable

• The design work was really different and unique and of the highest quality, it was more expensive than other design services but the design outcome was worth it

• The service is quick and the design work is OK, but the price is unbeatable, they are ok for quick easy jobs, but I wouldn’t trust them with an important project

Follow our Creating A Brand With Integrity Exercise below for more info and to help you develop your brand.

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING A BRAND WITH INTEGRITY

1. BE ACCOUNTABLE

Follow through on your promises, take responsibility and apologise for any mistakes and make sure you can back up your words with actions. E.g if you say a core value to your business is sustainability make sure you back that up through every element of your business and its activities

2. BE CONSISTENT

Make sure you don’t send mixed messages to your customers. Define what kind of image you want to create for your business and stick to those guidelines in everything you do. Consistency lays the foundation for brand trust.

3. BE AUTHENTIC

Consumers can see through brands that lack authenticity, make sure your brand is true to you and your business vision and values. 

4. BE CUSTOMER FOCUSSED

Always focus on your customers and offer the best service possible and make customers your top priority

BRAND GUIDELINES

Brand guidelines, sometimes referred to as brand identity guidelines or a brand style guide is one centralised document that you can use to help identify, build, and grow your brand. As well as being convenient it is also a document that will help you maintain brand consistency, which will help you build trust with your customers and help you grow your business. It should contain all the key information about your branding, your brand colour palette, your different logo designs and your brand voice. It can be as detailed as you like, but should at least contain the following elements

1. Your Brand Story

2. Logo(s) and logo variations (and when to use which one)

3. Colour palette

4. Brand fonts and how to use them

5. Imagery guidelines

6. Brand voice guidelines - brand messaging and tone of voice

Your brand guidelines will ensure that all elements of your brand are inline with your overarching business strategy. In addition to the above you should consider including from previous week’s exercises

• Audience personas

• Competitor research

• Brand positioning

• Brand values

• Brand mission

some useful branding resources

99U - guide to branding

99U - brand guidelines examples

Affinity - affordable creative software

Canva - free design software useful for getting started, templates etc

Unsplash - free stock images you can use

Pinterest - for creating moodboards and collating images and brand research

CREATING A BRAND WITH INTEGRITY EXERCISE

Having a unique brand will differentiate your business from the competition. In this exercise we will help you explore the steps you need to take to build a successful brand with integrity.

CREATING BRAND GUIDELINES EXERCISE

Brand guidelines, sometimes referred to as brand identity guidelines or a brand style guide is one centralised document that you can use to help identify, build, and grow your brand. This exercise will help you to create brand guidelines for your business idea, to help you maintain brand consistency and build trust with your customers and grow your business.

week 15 book

This week’s book is Rework which shows you how you can succeed in business with less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses.
This book shows you that what you really need to do is stop talking and start working. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.
With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of "downsizing," and artists who don’t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.

WEEK 15 PODCAST

This week’s Podcast recommendation is Debbie Millman’s Design Matters The world's first podcast about design and an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians, and other luminaries of contemporary thought