Creating a strong brand identity
… name, logo and strapline
Building meaning into your your brand and your brand identity is a complex – but highly worthwhile – process. Once you have a brand strategy, however, the path to achieving a brand identity which successfully catches the attention of your target market and communicates your brand values becomes much clearer.
The path to a powerful brand identity
Consultation / Brainstorming with you
Application of identity on- and offline
We can create each of the three key, inter-related elements of your brand identity:
- your business name
- your logo and visual identity
- your strapline.
What makes a great brand name?
If we had to describe all great brand and business names in just four words, those words would be:
- distinctive
- simple
- practical, and
- unforgettable.
Those are the key attributes you’re after. Think Google, innocent, Jaguar and Wonderbra!
There are lots of ways of approaching successful brand- and business-naming. And several things to consider at the outset (besides how to avoid the common pitfalls such as starting out by searching for available domain names).
There are also lots of ways in which we can help you with this element of your brand identity – from helping you to brainstorm ideas to devising a name for your brand or business for you.
If you’d like to discuss naming your business, send us an email at studio@pavonicreative.co.uk and we’ll be in touch.
What makes a great logo?
When it comes to logos, the list of words to describe the world’s best extends to seven:
- distinctive
- simple
- practical
- unforgettable, plus
- elegant
- functional, and
- flexible.
What you’re aiming for when you commission the design of your logo is a memorable graphic device which somehow embodies the desired ‘meaning’ of your brand. Remember that this device must be designed from the outset to work equally well when re-produced in different media and in different sizes. (Think business card to billboard, van or T-shirt, for example.)
We’ll design your logo as part of your brand identity. The words “your brand identity” are key here: we like to involve you in the process of designing your logo and make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for you. Key to our philosophy is the belief that business should be fun as well as commercial.
If you’d like to discuss your logo design with us, send us an email at studio@pavonicreative.co.uk and we’ll be in touch.
What makes a great strapline?
A powerful strapline (also known as a tagline or slogan) is:
- short
- simple
- meaningful, and
- memorable.
Too often, entrepreneurs are tempted to try and cram too much into this key message. The most successful straplines express a core brand value to their target audience. Think about the big ones that spring to mind – like BMW’s ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ for discerning drivers with deep pockets and Tesco’s ‘Every little helps’ for households with stretched weekly shopping budgets.
Ideally, your strapline is a set of words that will become synonymous with your brand. And that is, above all, honest. Beware over-stated claims and promises you won’t be able to keep when a competitor comes along offering, for example, a cheaper or a quicker service!
We’ll write your strapline for you as part of creating your brand identity. Send us an email at studio@pavonicreative.co.uk if you’d like to discuss this with us.
Does your business, product or service need a rebrand?
Do you wonder whether a refresh or rebrand could help you to attract and communicate more effectively with your customers?
People typically approach us having decided that they need to refresh or rebrand in order to:
- ‘re-position’ – and target a new consumer or more specific market
- reflect the current values of the business following a period of growth
- launch new products or services
- reflect new trends in the market, or
- make a visual identity which they’ve had for a while more powerful, more commercial, more professional-looking or more up-to-date.
And sometimes we recommend that we refresh the brand identity when people approach us to design a new website.
Whatever your particular reason for wanting a new or refreshed brand identity, we can help you. Successful rebranding always forms part of a new overall brand strategy, but does not necessarily involve radical changes to the brand’s logo, name or strapline. This depends on the business challenge that your brand is facing. Our focus is always on your commercial objectives: we’ll never recommend change for change sake!
