Starting tomorrow, and continuing over the next ten weeks, I’ll be posting a blog series on the importance of branding for small and medium-sized businesses.ir-leasing.ru
– What brands are and what they represent
– Money talks – brands and market value
– The importance of brand loyalty in customer retention
– How you can have a logo, but not have a brand
– How to plan the creation of your new brand
You’ll get straightforward, practical advice that you can use in your business, right now. It will also be in plain English with no unexplained jargon – in the real world, people need stuff they can use. The posts will often show examples of Good Practice (I don’t believe in showing how not to do things) and tips for getting brands as good as they can be.
A strong brand is important for the development of any business. For a small and growing business, it is of vital importance and can fundamentally affect its chances of survival, let alone its prospects for growth. A well-functioning brand is literally the beating heart of a solid business, influencing the attitudes of its people towards the work they do and relationships and between the company and its customers. Get these right, and your prospects for the growth of your business will be enhanced. Get them wrong, and the chances are that your business won’t be around in two years’ time, and I’ll be talking to myself (again).
My name is Sinclair Ashman and I run Reverse Design. I have spent over 25 years creating brands and designing brand communications in print and online, for large and small businesses. Recently, I have been involved in various business development initiatives, including the Robust Futures programme at the University of Lincoln. I also teach there (part-time) on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course and have conducted specialist sessions on branding for BA and MA students at Nottingham Trent University and New College Stamford.
All companies have something positive and interesting to say about the goods and services they provide. This is why they started businesses in the first place. But all too often I see them presenting an unimaginative or inconsistent face to the world, that undersells what they have worked so hard to build. Remember, creating a brand is not about how much you spend – it’s about giving it the same care and attention you give to your latest sales projections.
So rather than shaking my head and muttering about the poor brand communications I see, I decided to do something about it by writing this blog series.