When it comes to starting a new business (or refreshing an existing one), it’s easy to think of it all in black and white. After all, if you follow what seems to make sense via the internet, you’ll think that all you need is a pretty logo, a new color scheme, and a font guide that reflects your brand. As branding experts over here at Dekree Studio, we’re constantly getting inquiries from business owners that are looking for updated branding — but we always ask this question first:
What does your business stand for, what does it do, and what do you want it to reflect?
Here’s the thing — without having a visceral understanding of the inner workings of your business and brand, a new logo and color palette mean nothing. The best branding is strategic, and having a strategy that matters is absolutely key to creating a brand that truly has impact. So, if you’re wondering what we always recommend our clients do before investing in branding, it’s this: you must understand every aspect of your business, long before you invest in a branding package. Here’s how.
Step One: Do your research.
The only way your branding will significantly impact your business is if you understand what exactly it needs to impact — which is where serious research comes in. From defining your target audience to doing market research on your competitors, it’s important to take the time to get very clear on the numbers, the geography, and the data that will continue to spur and define your business as it grows. Before reaching out to a branding team, consider doing the following:
Step Two: Define values and a mission for your brand.
Next up, it’s time for you to gain clarity around the business you’re so proud of — and make sure that anyone who touches your business understands it, too. The best way to get there? Define a set of values you’ll operate with, and come up with a mission statement that will help spur you forward. While it’s perfectly fine to continually adjust these as the years go by and as your business grows, taking the time to set parameters for the way your business operates is absolutely critical to your success as you go.
Step Three: Hone in on goals for your brand.
The best branding helps you reach goals in your business (from lead generation all the way to income growth), but the only way it can help you reach goals is if those goals are defined in the first place. From financial goals to impact goals to team goals, taking the time to set goals in your business is key. Over here, we’re huge fans of digging out pen and paper to deeply brainstorm into the details of our businesses. Our advice? Pour yourself a cup of coffee, enlist your team, and dream big. What are the impacts you want to make as a brand? What’s your quarterly income goal? What do you want people to think of when they see your business on a billboard? Focus on the details. They matter.
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At Dekree Studio, we’re here to help you create strategic wins through top-notch branding that illustrates your business well. Are you ready to embark on a branding journey that’ll help you improve your strategy, boost your leads, and put your best foot forward? We’re here for you. Contact us today.
