Choosing the right color scheme for your brand isn’t always as clear-cut as it might first appear. Your business-the front face and brand of your business is what your clients first see. This includes your logo, colors, your offerings, and how you promote them. It includes your storefront and brick-and-mortar shop. The way you package your products allows your clients to ‘feel’ something about the business. It encompasses all that your business represents to your clients and the public. Your message and visuals should speak directly to them.
A solid visual product
A good visual brand extends and tells your story beyond words. Visuals are as significant as words—maybe more so. Wording used in branding provides only a fraction of the message perceived. A picture is worth a thousand words, and images offer abstract and emotional information that words can’t provide. To be most effective, images must be in sync with the wording and be consistent with or complementary to the color tones of your brand. I like them to blend into the overall message, supporting the written content and not standing out of place.
Values, culture and color
We may not be consciously aware of it, but the colors that surround us have a profound effect on our emotional well-being. The colors we choose to represent our business make an emotional statement to our customers. Choosing the right colors is a significant piece of building a solid brand that aligns with your values and culture.
What do colors mean to most people? Colors have both positive and negative connotations, so make sure you choose your colors well. Last blog I spoke about colors and how they impact human emotions. These associations can vary between individuals and can be seen as positive or negative, depending upon your use of that color and its association. Your colors should be interpreted positive by you and your target audience.
Doing Business With people
A visual brand humanizes all the aspects of your business. It reminds people they are doing business with other people. It’s important to include photography that reflects the people in your business, whether the front face of your business is you alone or a team of people working alongside you. Remember that your business is more than just a name. Your brand must build that human connection from the computer or smartphone to the hearts of your ideal clients. If you are your brand, then you need to be a big part of the visual product.