Branding is an essential piece to the success of a business. It’s part of what defines a company and makes a memorable impression on existing and potential clients, customers, etc. As Steve Forbes once said, “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” From social media outlets and websites to promotional items and presentations, a brand reaches its audience in various ways.
We at Fort Lauderdale- and Aspen-based public relations and marketing agency Durée & Company take pride in developing a unique identity for each of our clients with branding needs. Below, we are sharing five steps to building a brand.
1. Define the personality.
For the first step to building a brand, it’s critical to find the tone of voice. Is it fun? Serious? Sarcastic? Figure out who the audience is and what appeals to them. Also, determine the key messages and goals for the brand. Defining the personality will help you have a clearer vision of the brand and what you want to share with your audience.
2. Choose a color scheme.
Different colors trigger different emotions. For example, blue gives off a calming, peaceful and loyal vibe, whereas red gives off a feeling of excitement, love and strength. Defining the personality of the brand can help you choose what emotions you want to provoke from your audience. To learn more about what feelings each color gives off, click here.
3. Determine a font style.
Choose a few different go-to fonts to use on the website, social media graphics, presentations, email signatures and more. There can be different fonts for headings, subtitles and body paragraphs. Using the same fonts throughout all marketing materials keeps the brand identity consistent and recognizable.
4. Design a logo.
At D&Co, we do it all! If you need help with this step, our team has designers and marketing experts to help create a one-of-a-kind logo that will set you apart. Our designers can produce multiple versions of a logo and work with you to nail down exactly what you’re looking for. Also, make sure to have the logo in various formats. Aside from the original colored logo, you may need an all-black logo to go on light backgrounds or an all-white version to go on dark backgrounds.
5. Create a brand guide.
This step ensures that everything stays uniform for the weeks, months and years after the brand is created. The brand guide is your holy grail that includes all your branding guidelines from the exact PMS color on the logo to the font used for headings. If you have a new employee or need a designer to create a flyer, send them this guide to work from so that all messaging remains on brand.
Remember, the goal of branding isn’t necessarily to attract everyone – it’s to attract the right people. Once a brand identity is created, it doesn’t have to stay that way forever. Many companies do a rebrand for a variety of different reasons. If you’re building a brand identity or are looking to do a rebrand, contact D&Co at 954-723-9250 to assist with all your branding needs.
About Durée & Company, Inc.
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm founded in 1999. The firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company serves the corporate, agency and nonprofit arenas for local, national and international clients. Services include public relations, social media, marketing, digital marketing, content development, advertising, special events, branding, radio promotions, affiliate marketing and more. Durée & Company clients include well-known names in yachting, business, real estate, hospitality, travel, cannabis and hemp, wellness and CBD, art and culture, fashion, nonprofit organizations, legal and professional services. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an international network of boutique PR firms. To learn more, call 954-723-9350; go to dureeandcompany.com; or visit its new, specialized cannabis- and CBD-specific site at cannabismarketingpr.com. Join the social conversation and follow Durée & Company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn at @DureeCoPR.
