Georgia Stylianou of Marshmallow Design provides some straight talking words of wisdom.
I see it time and time again.
You’re a trade.
You’re starting a new business. Or you’re rebranding your existing one.
You’ve worked really hard with your brand designer creating the perfect logo that’s going to go a long way in helping attract your ideal client. You know the one – the client that’s going to see the value in what you do, not run you down on price and give you the kind of projects you love doing.
You’ve invested time and money with your brand designer discovering who your ideal client is, what they expect to see, think and feel when they come across your business marketing (that’s going to help them choose you over Barry Manilow down the road) and perfecting your all important new logo design.
You’re sent the final logo files by your designer to keep on record and you can’t wait to start using it for your business marketing and reap all the rewards to come with your new brand.
Then you go and do this.
You pay a signage company to put it on your van.
They say they’ll do the design complimentary for you.
Great! You say. Off you go.
You send it across to a print company and ask them to press ahead with all your stationery.
’As you’re getting the print done with us, do you want us to design it for you too?’
Great! You say. Off you go.
You start talking to a developer about building you a website.
‘We have our own design team in house that manage everything, so we don’t need you to give us any designs.’
Great! You think. Off you go.
You hire a social media company to start posting for you.
They have a junior intern that uses online graphic generators to create visuals – keeps costs low.
Great! You think. Off you go.
You find an online clothing company to get some workwear branded up.
It’s an online system that lets you mockup a design on screen yourself.
Great! You think. I’ll get Sharon from accounts to give it a go!
All the above… Big mistake.
Sally might be a whizz on Xero but that doesn’t make her an expert on left chest embroidery.
That’s 5 different designers you have allowed to get their hands on your brand.
5 different companies with contrasting styles and opinions.
5 different people with varying levels of skillsets to entrust with your company.
5 different individuals that have not taken the time – or maybe do not have the know how – to truly understand your ideal client, how they need to be communicated to and what they need to think when they look at your company.
Risk:
Your company ends up looking a hot mess.
Clients get confused as to if it’s actually you or not.
Potentially LOSE out on business.
Attract the kinds of work and clients that you DO NOT want.
Put your ideal client OFF.
Point made?
Solution:
Hire a Brand Guardian (designer).
Not someone that just creates a logo for you.
A design company that is invested and involved in every single element of your business marketing.
That you build a relationship with, becomes part of the nuts and bolts of your business.
Who can save you time and money, so you STOP making marketing mistakes.
It is the ONLY way to ensure you build a brand that works.
Get your Brand Guardian involved in EVERY element of your business marketing and let those same pair of eyes protect your company across the board.
And by the same pair of eyes, we mean the branding expert ones. No offence Sharon.
So what’s next?
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