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Branding means telling the world about you and your product. How you do that can make or break a launch. With the right preparation, you can set yourself up for a strong launch that captivates audiences and firmly plants your brand from the initial onset.
First Steps
First, search for the name you want to use, both on a browser and on a domain buying site. This will give you an idea of how many searches (competition for your marketing) you have just to get to your audience. Check the government trademark search in your country. If the trademark is already taken, you risk losing all of the money you made with that name. Be smart, unique and “friendly.”
Artist and photographer Jimmy Steindfeldt explained this topic to me when discussing publishing his first book. He decided that its publishing meant it was time for serious branding, what he refers to as a “branding adjustment.” He changed his name from “Jim” to “Jimmy” — a more friendly moniker and more memorable, especially since his clients are musicians and the various artists sporting the same name remain memorable.
Your Aesthetic
Your colors, images and placement say a lot about you without saying anything. It’s all visual the first time they see your packaging, your website and marketing/branding materials. Keep in mind:
They have to match
They have to be user-friendly (speak to all ages, and all cultures in an instant)
The first thing they see must be chosen very carefully — it will be a lasting impression.
Let’s use farm fresh apples as an example. You would choose a color or colors representing the kind of apples you will sell. Most likely a rotten apple and/or a worm would not be in these images. If you use green apples on your website and red apples on your packaging and yellow apples on your business card, you negate one of the unspoken metrics on marketing. It takes about five times for people to hear, read, listen and/or see you to know you. Perhaps that is why a lot of launches bombard people through all media avenues in a constant rotation.
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
Done well, a marketing campaign does not feel like you are being sold anything, but that it is the viewer/listeners choice to engage.
You can do a soft launch to colleagues and ask their opinion. They will most likely see things that a spell check did not get or where placement may be off. Anything that takes someone away from your actual messaging is what you are learning about here to correct. Find a colleague who actually says something versus responding with something like “Looks great!” — not everyone will give an honest assessment.
Keep in Mind
Some other basic info before you start branding is: no plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.
Lastly, remember that there are typically rights needed to use images. There is copyright, trademark and patent protection for a reason. It is astounding how many people fail to make sure they have the rights first. When they are “policed” (the act of maintaining oversight), these kinds of people tend to get defensive and belligerent, the telltale signs they did infringe.
Start smart and you have a much better chance at success. The above is just a short list of steps to take prior to a branding and marketing campaign.
