Branding | Details, Details, Details

Not to start this post off all Negative Nelly, but allow me to shine a little spotlight on something that drives me insane. Bad. Branding. Brands that literally hurt your face, whether it be an ill-designed logo, colors that should have broken up years ago, cluttered layouts – in-store, on a website, within print materials, in the logo itself, etc. – typeface choices (for the love of God, please don’t use an all-caps script font), poor proofreading, inconsistencies, and a general lack of attention to detail. I’m a bit picky. (A lot picky. I think we established that in my first post.) On the flip side, if branding is done well – and a ton of it is spectacularly admirable – I can’t wait to immerse myself into everything a company has to offer. Even if it isn’t what I need. Branding will do that to you.

I say that and totally get that you’re now judging all the things on my site at this very moment. I would. In fact, in my previous post, I attached a logo for my theoretical business and I bet that brought some sort of feeling your way. I can tell you what it brought my way. Pride that I created it when I had zero experience prior, but mostly a strong desire to take it from elementary to awesome. Truth be told, that was an assignment for an Illustrator course a few months ago. I played Sugar & Nice off ‘sugar and spice’ (duh) and really wanted to incorporate a semi-subliminal “Can’t we all just be nice to each other?” twist. (Remember Road House? “Be. Nice.” Exactly, Dalton. You get me. Now go get that Double Deuce in line.) I’m excited that my next course is about the fundamentals of logo design, where I hope to learn how to create something next level in order to avoid being judged by people like me. We’re the worst.

Speaking of being judgy, did you know that branding isn’t just a visual identifier about a company? It’s also a feeling! “Wait. What? I can’t feel your business’s identity, so that makes zero sense. Explain, please and thank you.” You are correct(ish). You can’t technically caress someone’s brand. (Well, I suppose you could, depending on the medium.) I’m talking about how a business makes your insides feel. Emotions are 100% tied into a brand. Look at my issues with bad branding. Yes, inconsistencies and questionable design are the highlight, but look again at how it makes me feel. I get downright cranky. And I will full-on judge a company’s quality solely based on their brand identity – which, ironically, is defined as the way a company wishes to be portrayed. On the other hand, I’m happy snappy when the branding is spot on. My insides get all fluttery.

While I might be on the higher end of the picky spectrum, I’m not alone in the emotions tied to the visuals of branding . . . or the things you can’t see but can most definitely feel. Branding isn’t just a pretty face. It’s the stuff on the inside that truly counts. Anything and everything that has to do with your company is your brand. The employees, the atmosphere, the product, the logo, the colors, the smells, everything. How consumers associate with all of those things is the kicker. Your end goal should be bringing all the good feels, basing those feels on your business’s authentic self, and then following through on the promises those yummy feelings convey.

Tied into the above, branding isn’t just for a business. Branding is you. We all have our own personal brands (sometimes whether we want to or not). It's your reputation and how the world sees you. If you’re curious how your friends see you, put together a little brand recognition survey. I did and here’s the apparent consensus of the Nikki Bauknight brand.

Yeah, I’ll own that.

Your personal brand matters. And, just like a business’s brand identity, if you don’t like your brand image in the eyes of the beholders, then seek ways to change it. Your brand has significant value – in business and in life. Do the work to ensure that value is conveyed throughout every aspect of your brand. Happy consumer, happy bottom line.