How To Paint A Picture Of Your Brand

Can you?

Can you make your brand clear, concise and desirable not to mention memorable and profitable?

Elements to Consider:

• Color
• Symbols
• Sounds
• Emotions
• Style
• Words

Yes, that is different from the usual list of suspects that add up to a logotype and tagline. Stick with me. You want to be unique and that is what this viewpoint delivers. All those elements have to come together in a way that allows you to stand out from the crowd without putting folks off.

Color is the first element I’ll deal with. A college lecture hall that seats 100 could be covered with postage stamp sized color samples on every surface without repeating any color. That is the amazing choice available to you. Your color selections can make you unique. But be careful, color meanings are not the same in all cultures.

Some cases in point in North America:

• PINK is usually associated with feminine products or services but the pink of Owens Corning Fiberglass insulation combined with the Pink Panther cartoon character is hard to forget.
• BLUE is the most likeable color and is used by Facebook, Twitter and Linked In because it is perceived as trustworthy. Problem is it is hard to stand out in the crowd of blue logos.
• GREEN From fresh and juicy lime-green, to deep forest moss, reflects the need to portray renewal, freshness and safety. From Sprite to Land Rover to Greenpeace green can be very distinctive
• ?YELLOW ?McDonald’s Golden Arches are one of the few times this color stands alone. It is most often teamed with red or blue or black. Most memorable are: Shell, Ikea and Nikon.
• ORANGE Dunkin’, Reeses, and The Home Depot all use Orange as their primary color. Why? The business perception is that Orange represents affordable quality.
• RED is often used due to its stopping power and ability to stand alone. You are probably familiar with Coca-Cola, Target and Levis. Note that Red is used extensively by Coke in dispensing machines and Target in their buildings and signage. ?
• PURPLE is one of the least frequently used colors for logotypes. Good Examples are Cadbury, Hallmark and YAHOO. Purple portrays honor, creativity, and luxury, with a sense of mystery.
• GREY Looking for dignified professionalism? You can’t go wrong with grey. Best known examples are: Lexus, Swarovski and Longines

Picking your colors

Start by describing your brand selecting the colors based on these descriptors:

1.??????Optomistic, clear & warm ???????????Yellow

2.??????Friendly, Cheerful & Confident???Orange

3.??????Exciting, Youthful & Bold??????????????Red

4.??????Caring, Sincerity & Sweet?????????????Pink

5.??????Imaginative, Creative & Wise??????Purple

6.??????Competent, Trusted & Strong?????Blue

7.??????Peaceful, Growth, Healthy???????????Green

8.??????Dependable Rugged &Simple?????Brown

9.??????Formal, Professional & Calm???????Grey (or Black & White)

Pick colors (two is best) that will stand for your brand. Here are examples that should be familiar:

Words???????????????????????????????????????????Company?????????????????Colors

Imaginative and Confident ??????????Federal Express????????Purple and Orange

Peaceful and calm???????????????????????Starbucks?????????????? ?Green and Black & White

Trusted, Caring and warm????????????Taco Bell???????????????????Blue, Pink and Yellow

Strong and Exciting??????????????????????National Football League????????Blue and Red

Bold and Professional???????????????????Z-axis Marketing, Inc.???Red and Black & White

Warm and Competent??????????????????Best Buy???????????????????? Yellow and Blue ??????????????

Dependable and Confident?????????UPS??????????????????????????????Brown and Yellow

This advice will not make you an expert but it will give you the confidence you need to direct the work of a graphic designer.

It will make you more credible. And Credibility leads to Cash.

The Takeaways:

1.???You don/'t have to be an expert to select color for meaning

2.???If you intend to do business outside North America check for color meanings in the other cultures.

3.???Don’t be afraid to try new combinations if the descriptors suggest it.

Jerry Fletcher is a strategic marketing consultant and professional international keynote speaker. He guides individuals and organizations to become more memorable and more profitable.

·????????Consulting website: https://JerryFletcher.com

·????????Speaking website: https://NetworkingNinja.com