How to Brand Your Name and Your Game

In my second Guest Post of the Season, I am thrilled to welcome, Paolo Feroleto to the Premier Personal Branding Blog of India. I have known Paolo for a brief period, but I have been hugely inspired by the creative brilliance that he exudes, and the Brandtastic Insights he brings to the world of Branding. I now present Paolo to you, who is here to enrich you with his 5 Tips on How to Brand Your Name & Your Game, whether you are a seasoned Brand or the Flavour of the Season! All you Entrepreneurs, sit up and take notice, these are the 5 KEY Elements of your Brand-Your Dream Company.

Paolo Feroleto

Paolo Feroleto is the Chief Creative Officer of Creative Discovery in the United Kingdom, where he pioneers in offering experiential creative workshops for both Corporates as well as Educational Sectors; which empower individuals to discover their hidden creative potential and channel it to create a compelling personal & professional identity that breaks the clutter. Paolo is a top-notch designer with over 14 years of experience, of working across mixed disciplines including Graphic, Retail & Interior Design in the U.K. as well as across the Globe. His portfolio of work in Branding, Literature, Exhibits, Visual Merchandizing & Interior Design can be enjoyed at www.four-design.co.uk

The Power of Branding

Creating a strong brand is one of the many challenges facing entrepreneurs and start up businesses, and it is also a key element within the business plan. So it is important to implement a brand strategy that is focused on the long-term success of your company.

Many business owners spend little time focusing on a brand strategy as they may feel other areas of their company are more important. Making time to understand how branding can work for your company and developing a strong presence in your prospective market is one of the most important decisions business owners will make.

Branding is THE most powerful tool of communication and should be treated as such. Getting the design of your brand right is crucial in delivering a strong message to your target audience.

1. Defining Your Brand: There are many elements to consider when creating your brand, for example:

•   What’s your USP (Unique Selling Point)
•   How do you stand out from your competitors?
•   What is the personality of your brand?
•   What is your vision for your business?
•   What are your values?

How do you incorporate these answers to produce a visual representation of your brand through a logo? The main points to consider are:

2. The Name: Choosing a strong name is fundamental to a brand’s success. Keep it short and punchy where possible, make it memorable and contemporary yet with an eye on the future. Your brand name and identity should be just as strong over a long period which gives you ample time to generate brand awareness and a solid foundation for your business.

3. The Design: It is essential that you employ an experienced designer with proven expertise in company branding and understands visual impact on consumer perceptions to work with you on developing your brand. The designer will help with choosing typefaces, colours and graphic elements that can be put together to generate a strong balanced brand.

4. The Strapline: Your slogan that accompanies your logo design is a statement that describes what your brand is all about. For a slogan to be effective, it’s important that it doesn’t carry a confusing message and is clear and concise. Some good examples of this are, Nokia: “Connecting People” and Guinness: “Pure Genius”.

5.  Brand Awareness: Your prospective clients and customers should be able to recognise your brand through many areas of media, from printed advertisements and online through your website and social media marketing campaigns. Look to create a brand that has distinctive design elements which are instantly recognisable. For example, Nike and Apple have created strong brand awareness through using just the shape of the ‘Tick’ and the ‘Apple’ without the need to have the word placed underneath. Companies such as Nike and Apple have generated brand awareness over many years through successful advertising campaigns and it is only recently that they used the graphic elements of their logo without the main name.

If you would like to know more about Branding and how your company could benefit from a branding exercise, contact: paolo@four-design.co.uk