Getting new branding assets is like holding the keys to a new car and staring at it in the dealer’s lot.
One’s aimed at improving opportunities, and the other perks up your life. Both are chock full of potential — but are absolutely useless unless you take them out for a spin.
We don’t sell cars here. We create, launch, and power brands.
Let’s talk about putting that suite of new branding assets to work.
Sorry, hold on one second.
First off, we subscribe to the belief that A Brand is Much More than a Logo.
We love that folks can now jump onto the interwebs and find a logo for $99. Love is a strong word there. We can appreciate that some folks think that a $99 logo is good enough to launch a business that will support their dreams, their families, their futures. You get it.
When done properly, a brand project starts with a strategy that informs and evolves into creative. When the client (or agency) hasn’t done the work to determine the HOW and WHY the business stands out, it will be challenging to own a position that attracts business.
Second thing.
Your branding agency should have handed a bunch of stuff to you (after you paid them, of course). You should have the new logo in various formats, colors, and orientations (horizontal, vertical, mark by itself, etc.). Hopefully, a brand book or branding sheet is included. That’s where the creatives detail typography, color palettes, application direction, voice and tone, messaging matrixes, etc.
Good? Good. Here we go.
Use the Internet for good
Let’s assume that new customers will discover your business online, so that means we’re going to start with your digital strategy and execution.
The SEO folks on our team say that it all starts with creating content that tickles the fancy of Google, Bing, and Alta Vista (wait, what year is it?), including answering client pain points on solutions or capabilities pages.
The designers believe that hip, inspiring, and engaging artwork will get people to stick around.
Our content peeps believe that copy is key to convincing potential customers.
Who’s right? All of them, of course. As long as they match the strategy, look, voice, and tone outlined in the company’s brand book.
For instance, if our brand tone is conversational and the content is technical, it will fail. Likewise, the website design needs to match what’s detailed in the brand book.
Our position is that your website is your company’s new front door. Get it right and introduce customers to who you are, what you stand for, how you’ll solve their problems, and how to buy what you’re offering.
And just like the $99 logo, cheap website builders are readily available. Look. We get it. There’s a budget. But this is not a place to go cheap.
The Big Takeaway — match the look and voice of the new brand so that customers meet you with your best foot forward.
Use digital marketing
A new website is the most obvious place to start when looking to extend the company’s new brand work. Don’t forget to update your digital efforts, especially if you’re using Google Ads.
Double-check your copy, your landing pages and your strategy so that you have a united front to attract new digital eyeballs to your business.
More on this in a blog post to come!
Tell All Your Friends (Fans and Followers, too)
Say what you will about social media — and, trust us, we agree — it remains the most effective and efficient way to communicate to a vast audience.
When it comes to updating and optimizing your social media profiles, here are a handful of things to update:
- Profile photos with new logo
- Hero or Cover images
- Business Description incorporating new tone and voice
Hero or cover images are a great spot to reflect the new personality of your brand. Make a statement, so visitors see something new.
We’re a big believer in keeping descriptions short and sweet but think about the audience for your channel. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be a bit more conversational, while LinkedIn should be more professional and feature the business side of your company. As always, make sure you’re communicating the company’s new focus on any descriptions.
Now is the time to refocus and reshape your social media communications strategy. Tell the story of what inspired the rebranding effort, how it will change your business, and where your customers will feel the difference.
Update sales collateral
As good as our sales teams are, and we’ve met some great ones, there are times when they need something to send out to potential new clients before a meeting and leave behind to be memorable.
Collateral materials are essential to create after going through a branding process. Use sales sheets, project briefs, expertise articles, and capabilities sheets to communicate your company’s new focus and dedication.
While we used to be constrained to delivering physical collateral, the move to digital-first means that companies save money in both printing expenses and (when facts change) revisions.
Buy a Super Bowl ad
Okay, don’t do that (probably), but utilizing advertising to reach new audiences can be an effective and efficient marketing tactic.
Our team has strategized and created campaigns to introduce customers to a company’s new brand, expertise, and emphasis. One of the more efficient tactics is to use staff to communicate this information — it builds internal pride, reassures clients, and adds personality to a company (especially true if you’re a B2B provider).
There are so many great places to buy advertising space these days, from social to outdoor, print to digital. Unless you’re a well-known national brand (and if you are, give us a call!), the cost to create and buy time on television is not worth it for now.
Let’s go!
Now is the time to take all the momentum you’ve stirred up during the branding process — many take months upon months to complete — and capture attention, connect with new customers, and convince them that your company offers the best solution to answer their problem.
Oh, WAIT!
Jeepers, we almost forgot. Celebrate all this great work that you’ve done. Bring the company together. Bring the team together. Bring in your most important clients.
You might not be able to celebrate at the New York Stock Exchange or fly everyone to an island (hint, hint, to all of our clients), but take a second to acknowledge the work and fire up the team.
Drop a line with any questions.
