From the course: Logo Development: Identity Design and Discovery

The breadth of brand impact

From the course: Logo Development: Identity Design and Discovery

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The breadth of brand impact

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- How many times have I heard someone suggest they wanted a logo or an updated one? To a business owner, the idea of a logo may just seem like another item to tick off their preparation list for opening their door or introducing a new product. Very seldom is the client able to fully articulate what the value of a logo or the creation of a robust visual brand really does. That's excellent for you because it allows you the opportunity to open the client's eyes to the real value of a strong identity. Even though your new client lives in a world packed to the gills with exceptional brands, if you're not a designer or in marketing, much of how the brand impacts you could be completely invisible. Opening their eyes to the layers of applications and considerations that impact their buying decisions each day will help them start to imagine how their own brand could become as equally deep and powerful. As fundamental as this conversation may sound, it's critical in establishing expectations for an outcome from this process. Help your client crack open their first minutes of their day to help them imagine just how inundative we are with branding and logos. I'll give you a peak at my own morning just to picture all of those touch points. It's 6:30 and I wake up to my iPhone, I look at the screen and its icon so I can turn off the alarm. 6:33 I pop on my Sony Radio, it's NPR. I hear the sonic logo from Morning Edition. The tone of the personality voices. Let's say we skip the toiletry phase of my morning and by doing so I ignore about a dozen other brand interactions but I'll leave some of these to your imagination. 6:45, here's my new hair creme. I like the graphics on the tube. A little squirt and it smells like iris. Feels good too. 6:50, head in to get dressed and a few of the labels that fill my closets and drawers. 6:55, the unlocking sound of my Audi and the sound of the doors. The feel of the seat and the steering. The smell of the car and the rev of the engine. 7:05, Starbucks ahead and there's the sign. Go in for the smells and the sound or drive through? Drive through. Sounds like Josh, he'll know my name and order. Nice. 40 minutes into my day and no need to push this exercise too far. You get the idea and there were honestly another hundred brand interactions with radio commercials, fleet graphics, retail signage, billboards, and every other sort of interactive touch point you could imagine. And keep in mind that most of these examples are from brands that are doing it right. Helping a client think through the possibilities of a well-crafted brand allows them to better understand that this is a highly thoughtful marketing process. Without the proper preparation, it would be easy for your client to undervalue your efforts and the long-term impact they'll have as the virtual face of their organization.

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