THE IMPORTANCEOF ESTABLISHINGA STRONGBRAND IDENTITY

Steve KozakAugust 1st 2014

TODAY’S AGENDA

1. Vision Exercise2. Goal3. The Importance of Brand Identity4. Brand Identification Canvas5. Color Psychology6. Industry Symbolism7. Key Takeaways

VISION EXERCISE

Who is your company today? [in one sentence]

Who is your company in five years? [in one sentence]

DRAW PICTURE DRAW PICTURE

GOAL

Your company is tasked with creating and establishing a pristine brand that is perceived in a positive and esteemed light across a very competitive

landscape, and a prestigious group of prospects.

We want to assure that the brand that we create and define accurately reflects the hard-working, dedicated and competitive team that it reflects.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG & CONSISTENT BRAND

• A brand is a promise. A brand is an asset.

• It defines who you are as an organization, and how you are perceived within your market.

• A brand affects what your audience, clients and prospects believe about you from a visual perspective – “a visual first impression.”

• It is a vital component to your organization, and its strength, clarity and consistency directly impact your success in fulfilling your company’s mission.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG & CONSISTENT BRAND

• Building a strong brand requires repetition and consistency.

• It requires discipline, and unified behavior.

• It is the simplest way to communicate to your customers and audience that they are investing in a trusted group of experts focused on enhancing their business.

Differentiators, Core Values and Mission

Values and Mission…

1. Aids in the decision making process

2. Educates other companies, potential

customers and employees about who they

are doing business with

The Importance of Core Values

1. Establish company direction/focus

2. The mission helps define the persona of a

company

The Importance of a Mission

Differentiators, Core Values and Mission

YOUR BRAND

Differentiators…

• What separates YOUR BRAND from others in your industry space?

• Why would a customer choose you over your competitor?

• What core competencies make YOUR BRAND stand out?

• Flexibility? • Responsiveness?• Culture? • Experience/People?

BRAND IDENTIFICATION CANVASWorksheet Exercise

Please take a moment to review the Brand Identification Canvas.

The Brand Identification Canvas worksheet will help you deep-dive into:

• Discovery & Research:• Target Customer• Buying Process• Competitive Landscape

• Identification• Value Prop• Core Values• Personification of ECS• Critical Facts• BHAG

DEFINING YOUR BRANDStanding Out in Your Space

COLOR PSYCHOLOGYIn Brand Design

Our minds are inherently programmed to respond to color. They shape our thoughts and emotions. According to studies, color affects more than mood – it has the ability to change our buying habits. Color can invoke as much as 80% change in motivation when it comes to shopping, advertising, and marketing campaigns.

Bright and highly visible, it’s often used in logo design to get attention, create happiness and warmth.

Intense color that can summon strong emotions from blood and passion. Used to grip the viewer’s attention and has been known to make one’s blood pressure rise, or to make people hungry.

Implies royalty, mystery, spirituality and sophistication. As a combination of red and blue, it has both warm and cool properties. Implies luxury.

Represents life and renewal. It is a restful and soothing color but can also represent jealousy and inexperience. Often find it used in companies that want to portray themselves as eco-friendly.

Yellow

Red

Purple

Green

Orange is often used to draw attention. Find it used in logos to create playfulness, stimulate emotions, or creative thinking.

A color that conjures feelings of innocence and delicateness. Often used in logos to add a feminine flair. Often used to reflect sexiness or romance.

A calming color that represents authority, success and security. The most popular color in logo design, it can be seen extensively in government, healthcare, and Fortune 500 companies.

Brown indicates nature, woodiness and utility. Brown is used in logos related to construction and legal logos due to its simplicity, warmth and neutrality.

Orange

Pink

Blue

Brown

The universal color for peace and purity. Find it in logos as reversed text or negative space. Reflects cleanliness, peace, purity, surrender, truthfulness.

Symbolizes menace or evil, popular as an indicator of power. Found in many logos for its boldness, simplicity and sophistication.

White

Black

INDUSTRY SYMBOLISMSuccessful Industry Brands

KEY TAKEAWAYS!Let’s Focus What We’ve Learned from this presentation and the Brand Canvas to Assure that our Brand Evangelists are Consistent in their Messaging!

• A brand affects what your audience, clients and prospects believe about you from a visual perspective – “a visual first impression.” It is a vital component to your organization, and its strength, clarity and consistency directly impact your success in fulfilling your company’s mission.

• Building a strong brand requires repetition and consistency. It requires discipline, and unified behavior. • It is the simplest way to communicate to your customers and audience that they are investing in a trusted

group of experts focused on enhancing their business

The Brand Identification Canvas worksheet will help you deep-dive into:

Discovery & Research:• Target Customer• Buying Process• Competitive Landscape

Identification• Value Prop• Core Values• Personification of ECS

• Critical Facts• BHAG

THANK YOU QUESTIONS?