Branding
Branding
With the Internet being the big equalizer, the differences in Branding between large corporate companies and normal individuals like you and me vanish when it comes to achieving visibility and recognizability on Google. . . in other words, building one’s Brand on the Internet is something everybody can achieve provided the basic principles when planning a Web Design are being observed.
"Dali seen through my Eyes with Rose" by Bianca Gubalke
Brand Recognition
What is Brand Recognition?
Well, coming back to my favourite example – Salvador Dali – just look at him and his massively exaggerated yet devine moustache! It’s been written about, talked about, laughed about… it was in the news at the time and even today it is extremely distinguishable as you immediately recognize Dali even without Dali! That was perfect Brand Recognition Dali style. . . actually, it still is!
As a less mundane example: you immediately recognize Coca Cola by the unique shape of that bottle… or think of McDonald’s “M” logo in yellow and red that runs consistently throughout the entire product line, the outlets, the packaging, the advertisements to the uniforms and outfits of the restaurant crews… almost to the colour of the nailpolish one could say… which is taking it a bit far but that would be very daliesque…:)
So imagine being a Web Designer for a client as extravagant as Dali!
While I cannot guarantee for your continued sanity, I am sure he’d define and prescribe each step in a clearly defined way. Dali always knew what Dali wanted! I admire customers who know who they are and what they want… and who already have a well established, trusted Authority, Name, Image – in other words Brand Recognition.
In this case there is no searching, no guesswork; you get very clear guidelines and the challenge for you as a Web Designer is to translate what the customer defines and to excel in the execution. This is what is expected, this is where you build your reputation, your name. In Web Design. . . where you establish YOUR Brand. . . that is.
Corporate Identity
This is however rarely the case with people who haven’t thought too much about who they are and what they really want, never mind their Brand, Name or Corporate Identity. In fact, they may not even be aware of its importance. . . so why bother?
Here’s where you should show your Professionalism! Here it’s about your Name!
Why?
You want to do a good ‘job’, don’t you? A good result will help build your name as a professional in Web Design; if you deliver a lousy ‘job’ your reputation goes down the drain with it… so here’s where you have to be realistic, strong and clear!
As the Web Design of the Website to be created should reflect the customer and his values and communicate with the right target audience, it is worth doing some serious brainstorming together before anything else, to dig out the essence of what the customer wants to communicate, or what his product should express or to which target market it should appeal, meaning who it should attract… bearing in mind what the competition does and what a market analysis reveals – in order to find the basic design platform from where the website can be developed as regards to colour, fonts, style, layout… possibly based on and integrating existing titles, slogans, logos etc.
If Advert Design, Banners or Web Graphics are to ge added these will be aligned to the same basic ’scheme’ following the clear goal to build a positive and reputable Brand Recognition that distinguishes itself from what else there is – fullstop.
Branding
To close off this article… it is well documented and proven that the Branding or Brand Name of a company represents up to a whopping 80% of its value. It is based amongst others on Communication Behaviour and how customers perceive it, trust it, buy from it and stick to it, year after year, generation after generation – also called Brand Loyalty.
Ergo, a customer’s existing Branding is the most important input source for a Web Designer in the Planning phase for a new Website… and if it doesn’t exist, it’s well worth encouraging the Customer to seriously invest into its creation.
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Co-Founder of YORGOO, YCADEMY and Semiomantics. If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, Email delivery, or Kindle subscription.
Author: Bianca Gubalke, Art, Media, Publishing.
