IS YOUR BRAND TURNING PEOPLE OFF?
Understand the meaning of BOLD visual branding and how to standout from the crowd.
Hi again, and welcome to PART 4 OF THE MINI-SERIES. We are still on track to create a brand that connects, inspires, stands out, and stops turning people off!
Prepare yourself, I‘m going to repeat it – first impressions are the most important! And your visual branding is what potential clients will see before anything else. Research states that you’ve got 1 – 20 secs max to capture your audience in today’s current digital market. It is a crucial part of how people engage and experience your business before digging into you and your offering. Your design needs to be professional, impactful, emotional and BOLD.
Bold simply means to be unashamed in singing the song of your brand loud and proud. As a designer, I love to create branding that stands out visually, BUT being BOLD is more than that. Think of all the brands that resonate with you. They’re the ones who’ve imprinted qualities that make them unique.
But isn’t bold garish, and dominating? I’m just not sure if bold is for me?” Besides, “My brand is professional and serious.” or “My brand is feminine and delicate.”
Well, here’s the good news, it is possible to take a strong brand position and consistently communicate it without being or feeling obnoxious. Believe in what you’re offering, embrace the ways that it is extraordinary, and tell the world about it consistently and boldly — emphasis on consistently and boldly.
Still, concerned? Pull up a stool, and let’s talk this out.
What is being bold in branding?
Being bold doesn’t mean bright colours and giant fonts (unless it makes sense for your biz). It doesn’t mean multiple exclamation marks. It simply means positioning your brand to help it stand out from competitors. It means taking your ‘specialness’ and owning the hell out of it.
Maybe in your industry, being bold means being visually soft in a world full of over-designed and bright coloured packaging or vice versa? Perhaps it is speaking with a little sass and playful tone in a corporate arena? Maybe it’s sticking to your price points because your brand is more environmentally friendly than your competitors, and giving back to our world is more important than a sale. It’s doing something a little different and unique to stand out.
There’s a multitude of ways to be bold. Perhaps bold is creating your own design trend instead of following the crowd? Remember the saying, just because it’s in fashion doesn’t mean it looks good.
I get it. Being bold can be scary. It can feel as though you’re going to alienate some of your audience. But that, my friends, is where the magic happens. It’s where you find loyal, engaged customers. Still nervous? A design professional can help you find balance. The balance lies in being bold with your visuals, your colours, typography, and your voice.
In our swamped digital world, playing it safe will soon become the most popular way to fail. Remember, no one is you, and that’s your superpower.
Think of all the initial touchpoints your potential customers engage with. How do you show up in them.. expand beyond websites and socials. Are you bold, playing it safe or worse, blending in?
In PART 1, we simplified your brand’s definition to be what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Does that statement still give you the goosey’s? If yes, it could be that you know something isn’t quite right with your branding.
Remember, brands that shine understand these 4 fundamentals
- → Consistency
- → Connection
- → Inspire
- → Boldness
Ps. Not sure where to start but know you need to create a meaningful brand? We all want stunning attractive aesthetic brands, but if there is no purpose or reason behind why you chose your brand elements, it is empty and meaningless. Your brand needs to be relevant and tell a story that connects with the audience you want to attract. So, if you’re going to create a meaningful brand, start with the BRAND CHEMISTRY WORKBOOK.
