Branding tips for beginners
We have a branding expert in our gang now! And the first thing you wanted Hadrien Chatelet to tell you about, were his branding tips for beginners. So without further ado, we put this little branding treat together for you.
Branding is like writing the preface of a novel, you are setting the tone, describing the main characters, the way they behave, where they come from, where and when the actions occurs.
1. Preparation
I know that Lucy always talks about doing your homework but having a process is key. Ask yourself all the right questions:
what are you trying to accomplish?
what are your values?
how would you define yourself?
where do you position yourself in the market?
who is your perfect client?
2. Comparison
Without getting comparisonitis, do some in-depth analysis of your competitors.
How does your competitive set position themselves?
What do you like/don’t like?
What points of differentiation can you highlight?
3. Get moody
I recommend creating several Pinterest boards. I have hundreds for all the different projects I work on, see a few of mine here.
This process not only helps you to organise your vision but it will help you to brief a designer as and when you may need to use them. The more you look, the more you will also get your own personal feel for what is good and bad. I recommend the following sites for inspo: behance.net, the-dots.com, identitydesigned.com, underconsideration.com.
4. Design nitty gritty
The Do’s
Be courageous and bold that will help you to stand out for the crowd - this does not mean you have to have a colour palette like The Wern, but it does mean you want to avoid the overshared millennial pink flat lay with a latte.
Start with a good font. It always goes the extra mile – if possible, go for one with more than one weight. Google font is really good and FREE, if not you can find some great fonts here: creativemarket.com, myfonts.com, graphicriver.net
Have some good pictures. They need to look real and honest, nothing posed or stock images - you can find some goodies on unsplash.com or shutterstock.com but be careful to not to pick something that has been overused.
Be consistent, be consistent, be consistent
The Don’ts
Don’t overcomplicate, stay simple
Don’t be too pragmatic, let your emotion influence your brand, people will relate more and your story will be stronger
Colors, it can make or break your brand so be careful, don’t over do it, no need for more than three colors, choose contrasting colors and think about the proportion of one color to another. These guys will help you pick the best color palette: instagram.com/colours.cafe/
5. You are your harshest critic
Using all you have learned about yourself and your audience, you should know precisely how you should look and feel. So, with that in mind, look at the work you have done and all the future collateral you will design and be your hardest judge. If it doesn’t tick all the boxes, that means it’s not right.
- Hell yes, or hell no - there is no middle ground.
6. A word of warning
A logo alone doesn’t make a brand, it’s the way you will use your font, the colours, your layout, the choice of pictures, your tone of voice and the way you behave - all of these things is what makes you a strong brand. So be thoughtful and precise when you act.
This is why PR & branding are so intertwined because your brand should be the foundation for how you hype yourself. Good branding needs to underpin who you are and what you represent, so just by looking at it your customer knows exactly what you are about (without you having to say a word).
This is our first branding tips blog post. If it’s useful, then you might want to sign up to our newsletter which is packed with all our new bits to help you build your brand.