Sometimes I use the term “business branding” like everyone knows what I’m talking about…that’s not always the case.  Some people picture cattle getting seared when they hear the term “branding”.  I throw that term around like it’s a household name—clearly it’s not.  Not everyone knows that Madison Avenue lingo.

To explain, branding is the image that comes into our mind when I say “McDonalds”, or “Nike” or “Wendy’s”.  When I bring up those names, your mind immediately thinks of some kind of imagery, or feeling. That’s company branding.

Not Just The Logo

The company’s logo, color scheme, icons and imagery. I like to think of the golden arches or the Nike swish, which represent their branding. What most people don’t know is that it goes much deeper than that. The brand encompasses many more things that just the visual – a company can have a beautiful logo but lousy customer service. What do you, the customer, remember the most? Of course, your crummy experience as you went to return something… No matter how pretty their logo was.

Perception

The perception you have of a company, business or product is it’s business branding.  Companies strive to portray a quality, trustworthy impression in the consumer’s mind.  They do this by using proprietary graphics and imagery.

Feeling

How you feel about the company, that’s branding.  Here is where branding extends far beyond the companies logo.  The way the receptionist answers the phone is also branding.  For example: I recently switched servers, now using Hostgator.  Their customer service is excellent.  Every time I call, I always get to speak to a polite, helpful and cheery customer service representative.  I would say their branding is excellent—based on my recent experience and perception of them.

A storefront sign was recently installed in our community bearing the name Laur-Lee Sports.  We designed the new business branding for this established sporting goods store in Ossining, New York.  Their business branding hold true to my thoughts. Owner, Lee Katz treats every customer like family.  Our design underscores the that mom & pop atmosphere you feel when you walk through the doors.

What have been your branding experiences? We’d love to hear from you!