“Hey, let’s do a logo. Maybe a new logo will help people pay attention to us.” Whoa! Why do you think that will help? Might it just be throwing something out and hoping it sticks?
An effective logo is like putting a front door on a house. Would you put up the front door first and build the house around it? Well-built houses like successful organizations, aren’t made without a plan. With a plan, you will know what the house will look like before construction starts. Without planning, you may be wasting your time and money on a logo that doesn’t serve your company and doesn’t resonate with your audience.
The plan we refer to here, is a strategic branding plan. It will reveal your company’s position in the marketplace and give you a base for creating your identity and deciding your marketing goals. The questions below are a few that need to be answered to define the company path and to develop relationships with your customers. Even if you are an established organization, answering these questions can add focus to your future endeavors.
- What is the mission of your organization?
- Why does the organization exist?
- What does the organization stand for?
- What makes this organization different?
- What are the key beliefs?
- What is the core idea of your organization?
- What value does the organization offer the customer?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the organization’s competitive advantage?
The answers to these questions will tell you why people should love, trust and be loyal to your brand/organization. Successful companies plan strategically and do things intentionally. Companies with devoted followings such as Coca-Cola, Apple, Southwest Air, Whole Foods Market and Costco would not think of making a move without creating a brand and making decisions based on what they want the brand to say. On a local scale in Kansas City, we love Harvesters, Boulevard Beer, the Plaza, SPIN! Pizza, the Roasterie and Christopher Elbow Chocolates among others.
Few of us are lucky enough to have success fall in our laps. So why not increase the odds with strategic brand planning?
