Branding 101: Branding in 24 Hours
by Everaldo Gallimore

Branding matters and branding takes time.

Branding is creating recognition for your products and services through audio, visual and other multimedia.

Branding requires that all of your images (photos, graphics, fonts) look consistent and reflect the way you want your business to be seen. The integrated and coordinated looks is important across all of your marketing materials (logo, business card, stationary, website, etc). You need to have a business plan

So, what happens if you don't have time? These six tips will help you quickly start your branding process.

1. Be highly organized.

Here is where you need to review your business plan. If you don't have a plan, check in with a business coach!

• Be clear on what are you selling
• Have clear and simple descriptions of your products and services. You can pull from your 30 second introduction.
  Identify the purpose of each marketing material item
• Have all of your content, images, links ready
• Know what to say. Refer to the book "Words That Sell", a thesaurus to help you promote your products and services, and ideas by Richard Bayan.
  

2. Know what your competition is doing

• Check them out. Look at their website and materials.
• What are they doing well? What's working?
• What aren't they doing well? What's not working?

3. Know the best practices for your business and industry

• Pick up a magazine, flyer, business card, brochure
• Check out a poster, ad, newsletter.
• What are others doing in terms of layout, color, images, fonts, sizes?
• What's popular, what's not, what are the trends
  

4. Less is best

• Keep it simple, (text, images, number of images)
• Use headlines, subheadlines, bullets
• Use emphasis sparingly (bold, underline, italics)
• White space is powerful
• You don't have to say everything in one document
• Refer to the book, "How to Say It", with choice words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs for every situation, by Rosalie Maggio

5. For the "do-it-yourself-ers"

• Templates save time. Look for templates because they streamline the design progress.
• Look for the industy style and amount of copy you'll need
• Choose templates that allow for some flexibility and customization
• Templates need to fit your business model (color, fonts, style, etc)
  

6. To save time (and make that 24hr deadline)

• Consult a design professional. It is worth is to pay some money to get your questions answered
• Take advantage of objective and professional opinions
  Expertise can save you time and money and help you focus on what matters most in your industry
• You can negotiate a 30 minute consultation, cost from $50 to $150. The cost of not consulting a professional is lost clients and revenues

Take a stock of your answers and think about how they can be applied in the branding process to support your image. Consider the edge you'll have over the local competition and what can be gained by having an even a slightly unique advantage of being remembered by having just the right image.

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Everaldo Gallimore is the Branding Coach and Graphic Designer for Gallimore Design, www.gallimoredesign.com, eg@gallimoredesign.com, 718-484-9495. Gallimore Design provides brand and corporate identity services through website design, website makeovers, print and online marketing collateral. Take a FREE Branding Success Results Questionnaire, www.gallimoredesign.com/gdx and start to Brand Your Business Success by Design.