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Battle of the Brands: Redesigning Your Image

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Battle of the Brands (2)

The year is 2018 - and it’s time for a makeover.

With new platforms, applications, and products emerging at an exponential pace, keeping up can feel exhausting. Fresh competitors come out of thin air - while established companies are constantly revising and revamping to survive. We’re here to help you prepare and conquer the ebbs and tides of 21st century design trends.

Redesign Your Logo

The perfect beginning in branding (or rebranding) your company is your logo. It’s a small feature in the grand scheme of operations but its effectiveness is highly measurable. Your logo is your first - and potential last - impression with consumers, so making a great one is imperative. This symbol of your company is capable of creating a sense of culture and intent with a mere image.

By this, we don’t mean including your entire mission statement in a condensed image, but rather creating a bold and effective statement that people will remember. Image and phrase recollection is all part of the mental process. When your name and logo become mentally adhesive, consumers are more likely to engage with and trust your overall brand.

starbucks-logo-history

Consider Color Choices

Perception and reaction to color is entirely psychological, making your color choices all the more important. We as humans affiliate distinct hues and tones with different emotions and physical responses.

So what is the best color for my brand? Trick question, there isn’t one.

This is where buyer personas and demographics come into play. Who are you selling to? What product or service are you providing? Starting with the basics - warmer colors are typically tied to femininity (i.e., pink, red, and yellow) while cooler colors (i.e., blue, green) are targeted more towards a masculine audience. 

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It’s not all gender exclusive, though. Consider this; blue is more relaxing and cool, while green can imply wealth and growth. Yellow, frequently affiliated with sunshine, inflicts a positive or bright response.

Regard your product. Decide the desired response. Pair it with a color scheme. Design.

SEE ALSO: The Blogging Checklist You Need To Follow

Update Your Website

A makeover is most effective head-to-toe. So after you’ve settled on a strong logo and color scheme, continue on your journey of aesthetic appeal with an equally satisfying website design. Even with a brick and mortar location, your website is the portal to who you are as a brand. If your website is dull, outdated, cluttered, or chaotic, potential customers may be more apt to assume your products and services are as well. Perception is reality. But, have no fear! Now is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. New year, new me, right?

Most Effective Design Trends in 2018

Similar to fashion, graphic design also experiences trends and modifications over time. Ditch your old 2010 logo and website - but not completely. Always keep in mind the color scheme and general shaping to maintain customer loyalty and brand awareness. Completely redesigning your website and brand is a risky game. If that is something you move forward with, it must be backed up with research and data to prove that the current style is ineffective.  

Overwhelmed? Unsure of where to start? Review this list of 4 methods that can shorten the process for your team.

  1. Minimalism continues to be an ongoing trend in the realm of advertising. Let your design say more with less. On an average day, consumers are surrounded, nearly ambushed, with advertisements. Plastered on the sides of buildings, commercials on their favorite music streaming outlets, on every website they visit. This overstimulation makes it easy for firms to become lost in the noise of their competitors. At the same time, this creates window of opportunity. Such a simple technique is easily observed through the evolution of our most noted brands. Drown out your competitors, and capture their attention. Take the Twitter logo - what was once a blue bold faced ‘t’ - has evolved into a sleek bird with a sharp, aerodynamic design.
     Untitled design
    old-twitter-logo
  2. Use Negative Space as a positive strategy. Get straight to the point with your navigation menu, content offers, and overall design. This approach goes hand-in-hand with minimalism strategy, but it deserves it’s own shout-out for the ultimate emphasis.
  3. Channel your inner Andy Warhol with the Color Blocking technique with both your logo and website design. The vibrant and chunked design influenced heavily by the 1950’s Pop Art culture is making its way back into modern trends. The isolation of color and general 2D design allow you to chunk content and promotions in a fun template.
  4. Engage with your consumers through Interactive interface. Your competitors are leaving static images in 2017, and so should you.

SEE ALSO: 4 Best Practices for Well-Executed Social Copy

It Starts With GIFs  

While the entire page is still, pictures and clips that are moving are both captivating and entertaining for viewers. Want to take it to the next step? Include videos. Personalize your content with creative videos of your office and employees. Educate your customers with product tutorials, testimonies, and FAQ segments. Content that both amuses and employs a consumer is more likely to  entice them to share it on their personal social platforms. More exposure means more leads generated. It’s that simple. 

Once you’ve perfected the foundation of a successful brand, you’re ready for the next steps. What are those you might ask? Check out our Beginner's Guide to Inbound Marketing to learn more about inbound marketing. 

Download the free Beginner's Guide to Inbound Marketing ebook

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