Branding is not a Shiny New Logo & Very Special Colors

Ahem. I’m talking to you and you and you.

Obviously not many people know what the hell branding is because their idea of branding is choosing Very Special Colors and designing a Shiny New Logo. Sometimes it’s also buying Cutsie Bags and Ribbons.

Sometimes, ok, MOST of the time, it involves purchasing pre-made logos for $39 or having a logo designer “custom design” a logo for you for less than $100. Seriously? You just paid some hack $50 to churn out a logo for you without knowing anything at all about you, your business, your clients and your product line?

Sure, they asked you what you liked and of course, you really luuuuurrrve polka dots and your favorite colors are pink and brown.

Pardon me while I go retch.

Let’s just suffice it to say that branding is not brown and pink polka dots or cutesy little colorful butterflies flying around your name. Seriously? What are you telling me? That you manufacture neon green and hot pink butterflies?

Um. No. Just. No.

I’m going to give you all a break on this subject and not lecture you too badly, because I realize that not many of you have backgrounds in advertising or marketing and have been sucked into the (wrong) concept of what branding isn’t.

Since *I* am not a marketing or advertising guru, either, I’d like you to review A Practical Guide to Branding, published by the fine folks at Business Week. This should at least clear up any misconceptions about what branding is.

Now that you have a little bit of an idea  – sit down and rehash what your branding needs to say about your business. If you are entirely clueless, I recommend that you hire an expert to help you.

One of  the best things you can do to help a professional help you (or just help YOU help you) is to have a good, solid idea of what your business is all about and the goals you have for your business as well as your clients.

A very good resource can be found at the Brand Camp Blog. The author of that site has written a book called Circus Circus. Now, I have not purchased this book, so I’m not really making a recommendation that you do so, but on her site, you have the opportunity to download and read the first chapter for free (check the top of the right hand sidebar on the site). That chapter is about writing your manifesto and it is an excellent activity to help you get a handle on the types of things you need to know before tackling your branding activities. Take an hour or so of quiet time, read the chapter and then work on the activities. (FYI – I don’t get a thing from sending you to this blog – I just happen to really like it and it’s one of my regular blog reads).

If you’ve been salivating over a designers’ store of pre-made logos or have been tempted by someone advertising logo design on a photography forum, stop it now. These are photographers who have discovered that they can make more money from other photographers by selling them stuff than they can from their own photography (another rant for another day). Unless said photographer has a degree in marketing with a  minor in graphic design, I highly recommend you pass by these “opportunities”.

I’ve had my eye on a design firm for awhile that I would like to hire for my own branding job. The cost is $1200 for their basic service, which I think is WELL worth the price considering the look of their portfolio. This is the kind of price you can expect to pay. If you see this service for cheaper…remember…let’s all say it together, now…. You get what you pay for!