Finding Your Brand’s Visual Voice
I admit it. Early in my career, I thought branding meant a logo and not much else. I did not think of myself as having a brand, especially when I worked for others. However, a wise friend and colleague once told me that everyone has a personal brand - and I took this advice into strong consideration when I decided to start my own business.
Armed with this advice, I embarked on my branding journey as I began to create A. Resnick Communications. I thought it would be a fun exercise to design my logo, but this quickly proved to be a stressful exercise. While I took the reins initially, I knew I would eventually need to lean on others for assistance, as visual creativity is not necessarily one of my strengths. So, I had some conversations with friends in marketing, searched for a logo template, and created a color palette that I felt properly reflected my industry and approach. I ordered three sets of business cards and am still working on the "perfect" card, and launched my business. Now, almost 18 months later, I decided to revisit my logo and make some tweaks, and when I did so, I started to think about how I could strengthen the visual representation of A. Resnick Communications, LLC. I came to a rather quick conclusion - trust the experts.
I met with Roy DiMarco, founder of RGD Marketing, who has become a trusted colleague and confidant. From the very first time I met Roy, he impressed me with his approach to strategic marketing and his communication with his clients. We have had some great conversations exploring visuals, colors, and messaging, and this one was no different as we delved into a rubric of measurements regarding my company's logo:
What colors reflect your brand? Are they industry-appropriate?
Is your logo easy to read?
Will the consumer understand what it is that you do?
While we agreed that my logo was in a good place, there were certainly improvements to be made. I needed to make it a little crisper, clearer, and slightly more modern. I love a simple look, but simple does not have to mean muted.
It was important to me to not only think through the items Roy and I discussed, but also to work with a branding expert as they truly understand how to build an approach and identity that reflects one's business and industry and is appropriate across all visual mediums. While you may love pink, it is imperative to consider what shade of pink you use. I work in the end-of-life industry, and while I love hot pink, I do not think it necessarily fits with my work and the approach I take with my clients, so I went with a softer pink that reflects warmth and empathy, which is my approach.
Roy took my logo and transformed it to make it sleeker and easier to read, and his small tweaks made a HUGE difference. His expertise took away some of the anxiety I felt about representing my business. Now that I have a logo I am proud of, I can focus on written and verbal communication, which is my expertise. While I am a solopreneur, it does not mean that I have to do everything alone. I believe that collaborative work is the best work.
Remember - logos and brands can change over time. Think about the brands we use constantly - Amazon, Apple, Instagram, LinkedIn - they have all undergone rebrands and you can too!
