Your Brand needs to look professional, just like you do.

You wouldn’t expect your staff to represent your company at an event with unironed shirts. The same principle applies to your website and marketing materials – they should represent the best possible version of you. From the first impression made by your customer-facing staff to your printed collateral and digital presence, how your brand presents itself should be a true representation of your Business, and consistent across all channels.

It takes seven seconds for your business to be judged on its appearance – that’s not a long time at all! So, it’s really important that the visual elements of your brand are nailed from the get-go.

Even if your industry isn’t creative, standing out is always a priority.

Think about your business and what you offer. I’d put money on you being able to reel off at least five other companies that sell products or services similar to your own.

Consider this – you work in finance, manufacturing or distribution. Your industry may not feel stereotypically Creative in the “artistic” sense of the word, but you still need to make a strong point of differentiation from your competitors. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to stand out visually and make that instant memory and connection. Plus, even if you don’t feel creative, your customers could be and they may be turned off by bad design.

Good design looks trustworthy, legitimate and speaks quality.

There is a reason why books are judged by their covers. It’s because a badly designed cover will cause a book to sit on the shelf overlooked while its all-style-no-substance neighbour gets picked up, no matter how worthy the story inside. Just like a physical shop front, how you dress your brands’ shop window is important to your customers, you’ll be rewarded for investing in good design.

Crafting a strong brand style that aligns with your proposition, who you are and what you stand for ensures that prospects and customers can instantly get a feel for who you are as a business.

Well-thought out design across all platforms pulls everything together.

You have an amazing brochure, laid out to perfection and packed with beautiful imagery. But, imagine how confused your prospect is when they land on your website that hasn’t been updated in five years to get in touch. The experience would be jarring (which is off-putting in itself), and possibly cast doubt in the prospect’s mind about your legitimacy.

Having a consistent design style across your website, social media, printed material and packaging pulls everything together and makes that essential, professional first impression. If one area slips, it could jeopardise an entire customer experience and have a negative impact on retention and reputation.

For example, a luxury make-up brand may have a stunning website and social feed. But, if products are shipped in scruffy plastic bags, totally at odds with customer expectation, you risk huge disappointment and reduce your chances of securing repeat orders or building brand advocacy. No matter what industry you operate in or market you serve, delivering on expectations and providing a consistent journey is key to continued success.

Good design works, but only if your business appreciates its value.

Splashing the cash on a slick new website isn’t suddenly going to bring in more traffic. Understanding your brand, your products, who you sell to and your opportunities, forms the basis of a rock-solid brief, which in turn gives the creative folk you choose to work with the best tools for representing you with effective, eye-catching design.

We thoroughly recommend booking a Workshop Marketing brand planning workshop to really get comfortable with who you are and what your brand stands for. This forms the building blocks of a great brand, which in time becomes your visual identity. Go to https://workshop.marketing/contact-us/ to find out more.

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