No matter what type of business you are in, you want people to know who you are and what you do. You want to stand out in the crowd of competition, and you want to be a name that will not soon be forgotten. Speaking of names, the right strategies can lead to ongoing thought association, i.e., whenever someone thinks of a product or service, they think of you. Let’s look at how that works and how visuals can be the key to unlocking the door to brand recognition.
It All Starts with a Logo
The first visual element that you should think about is your logo. If you don’t already have one, take a moment to imagine some of the logos you immediately associate with brands. Some of the most notable logos include:
• Interlocked mirrored Cs – Chanel
• The cam inside a circle – Mercedes
• Golden Arches – McDonald’s
• Red and white bullseye – Target
• Checkmark – Nike
• Green and white mermaid in a circle – Starbucks
From just those few logos you can see how they are associated with so much more than brand. Each is easily identifiable and each carries with it an association with product as well as brand. For example, when you see that check, you think sports apparel and gear. The green and white mermaid instantly conjures up an image of a nice, hot cup of coffee. This is something that will stay with your brand as long as you are in business, so it would be a wise investment to hire a graphic designer.
Effective Use of Images
While you may need to make an investment in a graphic designer to create a logo pertinent to your company products and culture, you can get by with a digital camera and an online photo editing platform. There is no need for a photographer who will spend hours, if not days, taking shots of anything you want the world to see. It is typically products, but some brands like to feature key people and others like to show images of products on their website. As long as you have a clear shot, you can use the online Picsart background changer to completely replace the background with a graphic background or simple color.
Consistent Color Scheme
In terms of the background color that you choose when changing background in your photos, it is effective to draw from the color scheme you want associated with your brand. Think Starbucks for a moment with that Kelly green and white logo. Green is always going to be part of their color scheme as is the red and white of Target or the red from the background of the golden arches of McDonald’s. One tip would be to choose colors that express an emotion. For example, what do the golden arches suggest to you? To many, that gold suggests a golden opportunity to get good food fast at prices that won’t eat away at your coffer of gold.
What Does That Say to You?
Further suggestions for visuals that help define your brand would be the fonts you use both in print and online marketing. Visual marketing professionals suggest that you choose from fonts that express the emotion of your brand and products. Even your logo should use a carefully selected font that will soon come to be associated with your brand such as the Avant Garde Gothic Demi fond used in the Adidas logo. This font is bold and strong which every athlete should be. The point is simply this. Visuals, if used well, can be a defining element within brand recognition. Tomorrow morning, just take a quick look at that double-tailed green and white mermaid to see if you don’t immediately start craving that morning cup of java.
