The Ultimate Guide to Branding
You may hear a lot of buzzwords surrounding the concept of “branding” & you might be wondering what the heck even is a “brand”! Or, you may have a pretty decent grasp on the concept but want to know more. We’ve got you, boss! Here’s your ultimate guide to branding - what is it & why you need it.
The Ultimate Guide to Branding
If you’re asking for our definition of a “brand”, it would be: the various aspects of the physical and emotional identities representing a business (brand) or individual (personal brand). The logo and iconography is the physical (visual) identity, whereas the mission statement, value set and purpose is linked to the emotional identity. All of these things lumped together form your “brand”.
Most important is your WHY. Simon Sinek has a fabulous TEDTalk on this concept, so we’re just going to link him here so you can get a little burst of motivation to dive in to your brand identity! This video explains why some of the most memorable brands and leaders are such success stories.
After you’ve nailed down your why, it’s imperative that you write a mission statement, figure out the value system that you are going to operate your business with, and the purpose that will guide it. Look at the Donald Miller StoryBrand framework and take a few classes on business ethics.
Only then will you be able to fully pour your heart into the process of creating a visual identity that represents this emotional foundation. Discover resources such as Fiona Humberstone’s How to Style Your Brand & Brand Brilliance (the branding bibles, as we like to call them!) and start looking for graphic designers (or think about ways you may choose to DIY it). Once you pick the path you’re going to go down, stick with it!
What are the perks of hiring a brand designer vs. doing it yourself (DIY)?
Fiona Humberstone has a whole chapter on this tough decision and we bow to experts like her to help you weigh your options, but if we were to give you our personal opinion: don’t DIY it. Invest the funds and the time necessary to get it right the first time.
Back in the day upon launching, we DIYed our design and it turned out embarrassingly rough. Once we decided to jump at the chance to hire a friend who was a watercolor and calligraphy artist, everything was on the up and up from there on out! If only we had someone who could tell us what to do years ago.
A few years later, we hired our dear friend Kayla of Arcadia Creative Co. and further refined and updated our branding to the brand that you see here today.
Working with a graphic designer who specializes in brand identity is such an empowering, inspiring experience. But, you have to go into it with the right mindset, aware of how designers operate and some 101 knowledge that can help you avoid mishaps and stumbles along the way.
We like to think we’re pretty stylish people (heck, it’s even in our name!), but the design logistics just don’t come naturally to us, such as how to make intricate patterns and shapes, knowing the right export settings in Adobe Illustrator (let alone how to use this type of program!) and other misc. specifics go way over our heads. We’d prefer to outsource and trust the professional to hook us up with a beautiful brand!
What you should be looking for when hiring a brand designer:
Most brand designers offer a holistic “branding package” - we always suggest you opt for this as opposed to a solo logo design. A logo is great and all, but it doesn’t cohesively tell a story throughout all of your marketing touch points - this is one of the reasons why many seasoned brand designers don’t offer one-off logo work. Branding packages can range anywhere from $1,000-8,000 depending on the resume and abilities of the designer, as well as what all is included.
While you should be sure to find a designer within your price range, we strongly suggest saving up to get a high quality design and suggest that you shoot for the $2,000-5,000 range. Most branding packages include:
Color palette and typography suggestions
One logo design
One logo variation
One (or two, three) submark (submarks are like badges or stickers, usually shaped in a circle or square and can be used for the purpose of actual badges, an accent on social media graphics, etc.)
Icons and/or patterns (these are fun extras that can be used to spice up your print collateral, website and social media graphics).
Social media optimized graphics (cover/banner images, profile images, post graphics, etc.).
Business card design
Finalized brand style guide document with usage specifications and all the information you need to replicate your brand in print and online - colors, fonts, etc. data compiled in one handy place.
Branding packages may include unique patterns, stationery, letterhead, flyers, menus, and other signage. Specifying all the items you’ll need ahead of time will greatly help your designer adequately quote the project to avoid scope creep.
Developing your emotional and physical brand identity is a very intentional and vital process to setting up your business for long-term success. If you have any questions that arise after reading this post, pop them in the comments - we’d love to help out and direct you to one of our creative partners if needed! While you’re here, check out our articles on website design, graphic design, branding photography, and content marketing.
