It all starts with your logo – a simple shape or form that captures the essence of who you want to be. It is the heart and soul of an organization in a small, powerful package. The best logo designs begin with the target market, including what this all-important group of people finds most compelling about you. How can you tell them about yourself – visually – in a way that will appeal?

A succinct understanding of your place in the market is key. What are the things that make you different? The more clarity you have about the needs of your audience and how you deliver, the better the brand and logo will be. The information gleaned from the branding process is a guide for the logo design process. A designer uses the information when forming the shape or image, which will become the first layer of the logo that the audience notices.

Next, your audience will take in the color scheme. The scheme of three or four colors should reflect the personality information clarified in the branding process. Colors communicate emotions and can be a powerful tool in tapping into the motivations of consumers. It creates a place in the mind. Strong and powerful. Soft and gentle. Fresh and vibrant. Or traditional and secure. All have a myriad of color schemes that will communicate these descriptors for you without using a single word.

Next, the human eye takes in the details of the logo including the name and/or tagline. This is where typography comes into play. Fonts, just like colors, can be communicators of personality. Serifs, proportion, weight and style of a letterform can cause your audience to feel a connection with your brand and assist in making you part of their decision-making set.

Visual branding doesn’t stop with a logo. Visual branding is about creating consistency in all communications. The same elements that came together to make a logo will also come into play as the visual design style takes shape. Imagery, color, type and graphic shapes build upon each other in every layout, in every medium. The key is to find that balance between creativity and consistency. The result is a look that is solidly consistent and continually intriguing – a visual brand that can shape opinions about your company in a single glance.

If your company needs help developing a branded personality as an essential part of your strategic communications, please contact us for a consultation at tvg@vandivergroup.com.

A strong brand is a priceless commodity for any organization, but it can be a difficult asset to fully understand and develop.

It is vital to first understand your company and its goals in order to build a successful brand which achieves authenticity and consistency in message—a look and tone for every interaction with your audience, every time. There is a complete process involved in revealing a brand’s strengths, along with its weaknesses, and then creating a marketing strategy to leverage those strengths.

It is more than just a company logo or tagline, a strong brand does many things:

• Increases corporate, product or service value.
• Differentiates you from competition.
• Elevates your organization into the consideration set.
• Simplifies purchasing decisions.
• Positions a company, item or idea for higher awareness.
• Creates a better opportunity to receive funding support.
• Reduces risk and anxiety for buyers, builds trust.
• Enhances the self-image of consumers who select this brand.
• Establishes an emotional connection between companies, products and people.
• Establishes a trajectory for corporate growth.

The brand statement—the promise that you make to your customers—is the foundation for the brand. This statement serves as the springboard for communication plans, visual and messaging standards that will keep communications consistent across all touch points to reach your audiences effectively. The brand profile also creates “umbrella” messaging that can be used across multiple platforms and organizations within your company.

Some of TVG’s brand development tactics include: branding sessions, building a positioning pyramid, developing a brand map and main messages, training employees on verbal communication of your brand, and creating graphic elements such as a logo or web site which consistently delivers your brand.

Contact us at tvg@vandivergroup.com or send comments to blog@vandivergroup.com.