From Mascots to Merchandising – The Importance of Brand Image

Crafting your unique brand image is crucial. And to be frank, there’s no correct way to go about this either.

All you entrepreneurs out there will know all too well how crucial crafting your unique brand image can be. There’s no correct way to go about this either. Every brand is different and needs to be treated as such. Chances are you’ll know what kind of vision you want to create for yourself. You just don’t know how to realise this vision. If this is where you are, here’s what you’ll need to do to kickstart your brand image.

Make your atmosphere

Like a well-curated Instagram feed pleases the eye, the powers of visual merchandising cannot be understated. For brick-and-mortar businesses should create an atmosphere that matches the values of your target audience. This can mean the difference between treading water and making trends. If you’re an online retailer, your situation isn’t actually that different here. You should invest in making your products look visually appealing to your intended market audience. Ensureing that your online presence will gather more attention than anticipated.

Not sure how to make your products look ther very best? Just remember that less is most definitely more. Scale your production down to a single-tone backdrop. Maybe one or two different sources of lighting and a few colourful accents for contrast. Window displays for brick-and-mortar businesses are definitely a must-have. They should be updated regularly, to ensure they stay fresh and inviting.

Nail your aesthetic

With any good atmosphere, comes a well-defined colour palette, and graphic styles that are complementary to these colours. It’s a good rule of thumb to outline your brand’s colors. This should be done before circling in on any potential logos, mascots, and other identifiers. Once you’ve got all your brand colors collected and named, you’ll be able to send them along to graphic designers. They will use your color palette to deliver exactly the work you’re after. This eliminates any confusion on tones or accenting.

As for graphic styles, you’re definitely better off using a consistent style for all of your brand’s design work. As John Medina says in his book ‘Brain Rules’, vision trumps all other senses. We only remember 10% of any written information we absorbed three days ago. Opposed to 65% of information with visual aids, speaks volumes on the importance of creating a well-defined brand image. Graphics and design work that are both eye-catching and aesthetically-pleasing. They will ensure that your brand’s image will be not only refined, but also very memorable!

Shape your brand identity

There is a difference between brand image and brand identity. Brand image is something you establish, brand identity is something that needs to be maintained. Brand image aids in the shaping of your brand identity. The nurturing of your brand identity does not stop there. Think about your brand identity every time you advertise, or make a post on social media. Everything you say, everything you share, all of your company’s personal values; this is your brand identity.

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Employees who hold customer service roles, will also be the responsibility to uphold your brand’s identity. They will do this through their communication with your consumers. Usually what this entails is ensuring they have a strong understanding of your company’s values. It’s in your best interests to write up a handbook detailing how customer inquiries and complaints need to be handled. If there are any issues down the line, everyone will know how to handle it in accordance with your brand identity.

Remember that if you put in the hard yards before your doors open, you’ll have a lot less on your plate once your business gets going. Your business will get going sooner than you think! Building a brand can be a lot of work. But, there honestly isn’t anything as rewarding as running your own business.

From Mascots to Merchandising – The Importance of Brand Image appeared first on Mompreneur Media