Logo design without branding is like Hot Beer

Don’t get me wrong, I love logo design! It is still a service we offer. Just not on its own. Yeah, ballsy hey! If you want us to design you a logo, branding will be part of that package. Logo design is super exciting. We love to present clients with their shiny new logo. We’re all excited.

Then it happens. I see this crafted logo used with no branding. There’s no consistency and it all gets very messy fast. Many don’t know or see the relevance of branding. That’s for the big boys like Nike or Maccas, right? Hell no!  I’m here to help you understand what branding is and why it is essential to your business.If you start a business and decide you want a logo, or you have a logo and you want a refresh or rebrand, this is for you.

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The logo design process:

1. You start the process of looking for a designer. We are everywhere. You can do a google search, ask on your socials or your local business networking group.

2. You will generally choose a designer for 2 reasons:

a) They fit within your budget

b) You like what they’ve already designed or like their style.

3. You’ll work with your designer on creating your shiny new logo.

4. Your designer will supply you with your logo files in print and web format

5. You go crazy uploading onto your socials, showing off your new logo.

6. Here’s where shit starts to go sideways. You need business cards, letterheads, Facebook ads, Google ads, signage, websites and more.

7. So you supply your logo to a printer for the business cards and letterheads. They show you some pretty paper and introduce some kinda flare to your designs. Sweet! Looks amazeballs.

8. You send your logo to your marketing guru to use on Facebook and google ads. They introduce some stock images to go with your logo. Great! Looks fantastic.

9. Off to the signwriter to get some car or building signage. They choose a font to advertise your business and add some rad graphics. Cool as ya nanna.

10. You find a web designer, send off that logo again and they create a web page. Throw in some wicked colours and fonts.

11. BOOM you’re online and in print….

……but nothing matches. The colours, fonts and images used are all different….

Its confusing AF!

Somewhere along the line the print and web colours got mixed up. That pretty teal green on your website has now turned into depressing poo green on your car signage.

So I’m going to stop you at step 1. Before shit goes sideways and you waste your time and money on ‘just a logo’. Spend that bit extra and get branding. Now branding will ensure your business looks and feels consistent and gets recognised. Colours, typography, images, copy, signage, marketing collateral, printing and digital design..all matching, all looking schmick.Schmick: [Informal Australian]: adjective: schmick. Meaning smart or stylish. That awesome feeling when a client stumbles upon your socials clicks to your website and knows that you are the same company.

The authenticity on your web flows through to your socials and visa versa. Branding is far more than just matching things. It can also incorporate smells, sounds, patterns, shapes, attitudes, feel and expectations. Think I sound a bit woo woo? Have you ever purchased an Apple product? How smooth is their packaging? It’s sleek, stylish and your senses light up when opening that box. Apple’s branding department is a well-oiled machine. Their product matches their packaging. It’s brilliant. You may not have Apples branding budget but that doesn’t mean you don’t bother with branding at all. Start with the basics and keep adding to your manual.