Good branding is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Your brand identity sets you apart from your competition, conveys key business attributes, and can help you establish your reputation. Great branding takes a lot of research and
professional designers. It can be a long process, but creating your brand's identity can make or break your business, because first impressions are everything.
Here are 5 reasons why you should spend the time and money on great branding:
1. Branding helps set you apart from your competitors. This is rewarding when trying to set yourself apart from generic products as well as other brands. Your brand should boast quality, over generic products. In the event of some bad PR on your competitor's end, your brand identity will separate you from the incident, whether it be a faulty product or lousy customer service.
2. Branding will promote customer loyalty. Good experiences with your brand will ensure repeat customers and referrals. People will remember your brand, and that builds trust.
3. Strong brands make it easier to introduce new products and services. Once you establish your brand, and it has credibility and trust, you can launch a new product or service and expect your customers not to hesitate to try them. Many well known brands have been able to enter new industries because of the trust customers have with the brand.
4. Branding is essential for recall. With a strong brand identity, people will remember your product and service. Without good branding, your advertising efforts may be wasted. Good branding will ensure that your customers will not only remember clever commercial, but also your product. Your brand should remain consistent through everything you do.
5. Use your brand to communicate with your customers. Good, consistent branding can communicate your business's core values, principles, message, and characteristics.
Be sure to work with professionals when branding your business.
Top Shelf Media can help you develop your brand identity. We will interview you to get a feel for your existing brand (if you have one) and what it is you want you brand to convey. Then we'll do research on your industry, your local area, target market and competitors. Then we'll design your logo, business cards, stationary, packaging, advertising, website, and promotional items around your brand identity.
Most importantly, make sure your brand is visual, distinguishable, and consistent.
Our Facebook profile picture. When you use your logo as your profile picture, be sure it fits the dimensions properly. Check the way your icon looks on your mobile device as well. You don't want half of your logo cut off in the thumbnail version of your icon. Top Shelf Media had this problem, until we designed this new image. 
I love this ad we have designed. Still trying to work out where to place it, though I'm thinking the back of a white T-Shirt. It is not a working QR code! So, don't scan me, when you see me around town in it. I just wanted a conversation starter, that promoted my social media services.
