New Year, New Image: Polish Your Brand

New Year, New Image: Tips & Tricks to Polish Your Brand

Now that we’re settled into the new year, it’s a good time to take stock of where things stand with your business’ marketing efforts. Do you see room for improvement? Do you want to connect with more customers and keep them coming back? Maybe it’s time to put some work into your brand image.

First, it’s important to understand just what brand image is. Not to be confused with brand identity, which is a term describing how your business intends to present itself to the world, brand image is a term that describes how your customers, current and potential, actually perceive your brand. Put more succinctly: if brand identity is what you’re saying, then brand image is what they’re hearing. Ideally, there should be considerable overlap between the two – if there isn’t, then you’ve got a problem on your hands.

While some factors that affect brand image are simply out of our control, by making your brand identity as strong as it can be, you can go a long way towards strengthening your brand image as well. To that end, here are a few things you might want to consider:

First and foremost, make sure you’ve defined your target audience. After all, how can you craft the right message if you haven’t decided who you’re talking to?

If it’s been a while since you’ve changed your logo, say, ten years or more, you might be overdue. Your logo is inextricable from your brand identity. If it looks outdated, then so does your brand.

Colors can become outdated, too. Keep your color palette current, and use colors that are appropriate for your business.

Your slogan should reflect your current mission. If it doesn’t, you’re sending mixed messages.

Evaluate your brand collateral – things like business cards, flyers, stationery, and so on. Make sure it follows a consistent design strategy. And, as with everything else, make sure it’s not outdated.

If you haven’t already incorporated video into your marketing strategy, you should consider doing so. It’s an outstanding medium for telling your story; it’s perfectly suited for social media, too.

Finally – speaking of social media, yes, it can be a terrific asset to your business. But you need forethought, strategy, and effort to really get the most out of it.

If you think your brand image could use some work, and you’re ready to get started on planning and implementing your new brand identity strategy, contact Rosie’s Creative today. We’re here to help – and remember, your first consultation is always free.