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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Consistency in Branding

Something I love? When someone gives me a business card, I take it home and go to view their website and they look the same. If I click to their blog it should somehow resemble the website. Even better is when I go from viewing their site or blog to visiting their showroom and it resembles their website and blog. The visual similarities begin imprinting and help me to recognize a company visually each time I see anything that looks like it is from, by or about them.

Hey Mr. DJ is a great example of branding. Rich's business card looks like this.

If you use his card to locate his website it looks like this.

His blog looks like this.

Whether your company is large or small the same principles apply. Colors, shapes, images and fonts can all help to create a branded look. It's repeating them in some way to help the viewer recognize that your company has a distinctive look.

So if your business card was designed 10 years ago and has one look, and your website was designed 4 years ago and looks different then your website and you just started a blog a month ago and it doesn't look like either? You're missing out on an opportunity to make an impression, an opportunity to make your company visually memorable. 

My business card looks like this.

The Flirty Guide website.

And the blog.

The ultimate would be to have a flirty car. Maybe someday :)

2 Click Here to Comment:

Kimberly said...

I agree! It is always so much fun when the business card matches with the website. It allows for easier organization along with allowing people to see the website and business card are connected!

-Kimberly

Kate said...

I fully agree with this post. I think consistency in branding and creating visual unity is really important in effectively inserting yourself into your potential clients' minds. I started a job at a real estate brokerage a few months ago and I am unofficially their marketing materials person and they need LOTS of help, because 30 years of "agents have freedom to brand as they see fit, regardless of the brokerage's unique branding" is tough to break. Also, the son is interested in making the branding of the brokerage more contemporary, when it's already very classic, and unifying that new direction across all media is tough. But fight the good (branding) fight, and you'll be rewarded!