Marla Ink NewsNews and Views
from Marla Ink Productions
Getting Bold With Your Brand
Consistent...or just plain
dull? Don't let your brand identity become just another template.
Your brand
is your business. That's why we go to such great lengths to protect every aspect of
it - the promise you deliver, the way you do it, and also the words, the images, the colors, the style, the "look and
feel." They all work together to make up a brand that people can instantly recognize is YOU.
As a former in-house marketing manager, I know the pain of seeing the brand
identity we'd so carefully crafted get mangled and diluted by often well-meaning attempts to adapt the messages or - God forbid
- logo to a specific project or proposal.
"You're
violating our brand standards!" we'd shout from the Brand Police Department. "Why do you think we gave you that
Style Guide?!"
But have we become so beholden
to the strict barriers of our "Style Guides" that we're missing out on some great opportunities, even though they
may break a few rules?
Painting
Outside the Lines
Too often, companies view the brand identity
and style guidelines more like a Powerpoint template: Click here to insert your information. If something doesn't fit within
that template, it's not even considered. The problem, though, is that if we never consider anything outside those lines, we
could be missing out on an opportunity to make a big, bold splash.
It
may seem like a risk to create a piece that uses colors that aren't in the Style Guide, for example, but the real risk lies
in sending out the same ole-same ole so many times that people can't tell (or don't care) what's different or new.
But Some Rules WEREN'T Meant
To Be Broken
Am I advocating that you express a different
point of view every time? Change up the logo and tagline for every piece? Throw out the Style Guide? No way. But I am saying
you shouldn't limit yourself, your creativity or your potential by immediately disregarding ideas that don't fit precisely
within your brand guidelines. Consider them within the overarching context of your brand personality and business mission.
And if there is a compelling business reason to do it, do it.
But
remember, no brand should have an identity that's tied to messages filled with misspellings, poor grammar or typos. And even
though everyone seems to have access to graphics software these days, that doesn't mean they should be redesigning your logo
as they please. When these rules are broken, the Brand Police may have to call in for back-up.
In this issue:
Dare to Market
A Cure for Brand O.C.D.
The Marketer's Dilemma
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