Brand for Success
Branding is more important than most people think. We all take part in brand choices everyday.
What sways you to choose a brand is both conscious and unconscious.
First we answer the little question “what is a brand?”.
The tangible part of a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them used to identify a company or organization and their goods and services. To some a brand is referred to as a logo.
The intangible part of a brand is more important and consists of the feeling and vibe you give to the consumer. It’s a subliminal connection, a sense of trust instilled in the minds of the consumer, and how the brand will be recognized and remembered. A big must with branding is not only having a great logo design but matching all your marketing collateral, packaging, web design etc. to be consistent with your brand image.
There needs to be the right mix of design and strategy. Simply looking at a logo there are so many things you can pick up on that sends a message to the consumer. For example the colour you choose will give a certain impression.
Diving into the colour arena is a whole design topic in itself.
Colours have the ability to convey the right tone, message, and evoke the desired response. Colors are non-verbal communication. They create a physical and emotional reaction.
As an example we can analyse TMS Graphics’ logo colours.
Both orange and gray have very opposite meanings:
Orange – energy, warmth, change, health
Gray – formal, conservative, sophisticated
But when you pair the two colours together you get a great blend of the qualities we want to portray.
To touch on colour and give an idea what colours give what vibes we’ve listed a selection below.
The Meaning of Cool Color:
Cool colors tend to have a calming effect. At one end of the spectrum they are cold, impersonal, antispectic colors. At the other end the cool colors are comforting and nurturing. Blue, green, and the neutrals white, gray, and silver are examples of cool colors.
Postive Attributes of Cool Colors:
Blue – strong, important, peaceful, intelligent
Green – growth, health, environment, harmony
The Meaning of Warm Color:
Warm colors convey emotions from simple optimism to strong violence. The warmth of red, yellow, pink, or orange can create excitement or even anger. The neutrals of black and brown also carry attributes of warm colors.
Positive Attributes of Warm Colors:
Red – love, passion, heat, joy, power
Pink – sweet, nice, romance, playful, delicate
Yellow – happy, joy, cheeful, remembrance
Gold – riches, extravagance, bright, traditional
Orange – energy, warmth, change, health
The Meaning of Mixed Warm and Cool Color:
Colors with attributes from both the warm and cool colors can calm and excite. These are colors derived from a mix of a cool and warm color such as blue and red or blue and yellow. Typically considered cool, green is really more of a mixed warm and cool color.
Positive Attributes of Mixed Warm and Cool Colors:
Purple – royal, precious, romantic, sacred
Lavender – grace, elegance, delicate, feminine
Green – growth, health, environment, harmony
Turquoise – feminine, sophisticated, retro
Beige – conservative, relaxing
The Meaning of Neutral Color:
Neutral colors help to put the focus on other colors or serve to tone down colors that might otherwise be overpowering on their own. To some extent blacks, browns, tans, golds, and beige colors are considered warm. While white, ivory, silver, and gray are somewhat cooler colors. Yet these warm and cool attributes are flexible and more subtle than that of reds or blues.
Positive Attributes of Neutral Colors:
Black – conservative, mysterious, sophisticated
Gray – formal, conservative, sophisticated
Silver – sleek, glamorous, rich
White – purity, innocence, softness
Ivory – quiet, pleasant, understated elegance
Brown – earthiness, wholesomeness, simplicity, friendliness
Beige – conservative, relaxing
Benefits to choosing the right colour and design:
COMMAND THE MARKET
A strong, reputable brand helps you command a better price in the market place. Brands are being accepted as assets which have a tangible financial value.
GAIN REPEAT BUSINESS
A brand helps to build long term relationships with your customers. If they feel you’re talking their language they’ll keep coming back for more!
A STRONG PLATFORM TO GROW
Establishing your brand (a.k.a logo) will give you a much stronger platform for growth through new products/markets.
