To understand the impact of a brand, we first must understand what a brand is, how it is created, and how it ultimately affects us as individuals.  After all, it is a person or company’s image that makes the first impression.

Let’s start with a quick introduction to what branding means.  In a nutshell, a “brand” is defined as a combination of a name, graphic, style and color which is intended to differentiate a company, product or service from its competitors.

Brands are created to distinguish a business or individual from the millions of other entities in the business world, giving a company’s otherwise lifeless name a personality and a face that will be recognizable the world over.  Whether it’s applying a unique typeface to the actual name as in the case of Yahoo!, or creating a product symbol such as the Nike swoosh, each company looks for that extra edge to get themselves noticed and remembered.  This is precisely what a successful brand or logo should be—an effective and unique visual that represents your company.

We’ve all been guilty of purchasing an item for the mere fact that a name brand company produces it.  From wearing a Rolex watch, driving a BMW, or even carrying a Louis Vuitton hand bag covered with their distinctive “LV” logo, we automatically associate these brands with quality and success. Had Rolex branding targeted their product to teenagers, or Louis Vuitton been advertised as “the most versatile beach bag,” no one would consider these items as luxurious. And certainly, we wouldn’t be paying exorbitant sums to attain them.

The success of these brands is owed to one thing they have in common: they all establish a unique image and ty it to representations of lavish and luxurious lifestyles.  Each company started by creating quality products then advertising it to a segment of society with a high level of disposable income.  Over time, that association has become such common knowledge that very little new advertisement needs to be done to promote their already well-reputed products.

This is not to say that branding is only associated with big-ticket items.  Branding works for all types of industries and every type of product.  Take the golden arches of McDonald’s.  While we don’t think of this hamburger purveyor as a place for fine-dining, we do associate it with quick meals at a very reasonable price.  The power of the McDonald’s logo is so strong, that a hungry truck driver traveling through the night will immediately spot the logo a mile down the highway and make immediate plans to stop over for a quick meal.  Even three year-old kids will point out a McDonald’s to Mom while driving along after recognizing the logo and associating it with a delicious meal—perhaps accompanied by a toy.

All of us have to realize that we are emotional about our tastes, and as much as we don’t want to admit it, we have a need to associate ourselves to a particular brand.  From players on the basketball court that wear Nike shoes, shirts, and even display a large Nike logo on their cars, to those who put a hold on their thirst in order to only drink Evian water, we all belong to an ad hoc cult—a group of people who realize the importance and quality of a brand, and are willing to stand by it no matter what the price tag or inconveniences may be.

As the co-owners and partners in Graphicwise, Inc., a successful graphic design firm in Southern California, it’s our job to create hundreds of brands each year for companies throughout the world—a process that often takes weeks or months to develop and finalize.  From the creative side of things, branding is a form of art that combines image and marketing into a small and often simple graphical mark which is then used on a wide range of collateral items, including advertising pieces, websites, and products. It’s a very time- and labor-intensive process that puts our team in both the designer’s chair and the consumer’s chair— making sure we not only create a mark that looks good, but one that makes a meaningful impression on the target market.  We recognize there’s an emotional side to the equation and therefore strive to create an emotional piece that touches the consumer on many levels.

To achieve this balance, each branding process begins with understanding not only the company or individual who has requested the brand, but to look further at who they are trying to reach—the “target market.”  Understand, while a piece of artwork may be impressive to the artist who created it, it may not sit as well with the gallery goers—making the artwork a complete bust when displayed for public viewing.  That’s exactly why we take the target market very seriously when starting a branding project—to make sure that the message is correctly and effectively portrayed.

Many little details can make a big difference. Picking the right colors, for example, can mean the difference between causing a positive emotional response and creating a negative vibe towards a perfectly designed piece.  Some clients believe in keeping their logos simple and to the point, while others try to tell a story all within a one-inch circle.  Because there really is no right or wrong, as artwork is ultimately subjective, it’s worth noting that branding should not be about art alone, but about impact.

If you are beginning a new venture or business, it’s wise to pay close attention to all the dimensions of your business, from the quality of your products and services, to treating your clientele with the utmost level of respect and care, as well as to the image of your business. In such a competitive world, it’s easy to forget quality in favor of a competitive price, so make your image strong and synonymous with what your clients expect, and they will never forget you.

Someone once said “image is everything,” and they were right.  The same way you want your tuxedo to be perfectly pressed for your big night on the town, you should want your business’ image to make a lasting first impression on your future clients.  Since no one really knows you at first, it is only natural to size you up by your company’s image and reputation. 

Remember, it always takes something more than the ordinary to defy the odds and become a success.