Tag Archives: logo
Why You Should Use a Design Agency Over a Freelancer
If you’re in the market for a design agency, you may be wondering how to choose the one that’s right for your business. In this article, we’ll help you by comparing what you can expect from an agency vs. a freelancer:
A freelance designer doesn’t offer you the variety of work and design expertise that a design agency can…
While a freelance designer may be able to deliver a high-quality final product, the expertise of an agency can offer you so much more. A team of designers working together on your project will not only give you great design work but also a variety of options and ideas that wouldn’t otherwise be possible with just one person doing all of the work.
A design agency can provide you with a team of designers specialised in different areas…
This may be more cost-effective and allow the project to be completed more quickly. For example, while one designer might be better at writing copy and another is great at producing graphics, having both frees up your time to focus on what you do best: developing your brand’s message through strategy!
When you work with a design agency, you’re working with a team that has years of experience and deep expertise in their area of specialisation…
This can be especially important when it comes to building custom websites or creating marketing campaigns.
Project managers are responsible for ensuring that every project runs smoothly throughout its lifecycle, keeping everyone informed at every stage. They also make sure everyone is working on tasks according to the overall plan—which means they’ll ensure everything from design mock ups to code deployment goes according to schedule.
Account managers manage clients’ expectations by providing clear communication about what’s happening with your project at any given time, as well as answering questions about why certain decisions were made during its development process. This helps you feel more confident about where things stand and what’s coming next so there are fewer surprises along the way!
Marketing specialists understand how best practices in marketing relate specifically to your industry; this means they can tailor campaigns specifically designed around your goals and target audience so they’re effective as possible!
A design agency is more likely to meet your timeline than a freelancer…
Why? Because a design agency has access to many designers and an entire team of people who can work on your project, whereas freelance designers rarely have as much time or resources at their disposal. It’s also easier for a design agency to deliver quality work because they have access to better software and resources than freelancers do.
Agencies understand the importance of being on time, on budget and meeting client expectations—a lesson that many freelancers haven’t learned yet.
Design agencies have more experience working with big brands, which means they understand how important it is to be on time, on budget, and deliver what the client wants.
They also tend to have a more in-depth understanding of their clients’ businesses than most freelancers do, so they’re able to provide valuable insight and feedback during the design process.
Plus, since design agencies work with many different types of clients—not just other designers—they often have access to useful resources like stock photography libraries or databases containing designs that can be easily customised for use in your project.
Working with a design agency can give you lots of advantages if you have a project that requires specific design expertise and quick turnaround time…
You might be interested in working with an agency because:
- You need help with your overall branding strategy, or perhaps you’ve already created some designs and now you’re looking to build on them by adding additional pages to your website.
- You want someone who can handle the entire process—from idea to execution—for several pieces of content (like an e-book or landing page) at once.
- You need marketing material that is visually stunning but also simple enough for non-designers to use (such as infographics).
A design agency can provide you with a team of designers specialised in different areas. They have years of experience, which means they will be able to answer any questions you might have about the design process and help you get results quickly. This is especially important if your project requires specific design expertise or quick turnaround time.
We might be a little bit biased, but we think an agency would win every time!
Common Branding Mistakes Businesses Make
Branding can make or break your business. That said, start-ups and smaller businesses are often so caught up in the technicalities of the business that branding is often put on the back burner. So, whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for decades, here are some crucial branding mistakes you should avoid:
1. Not grasping the meaning of branding
Branding is a blueprint for how you want the world to see your business. An easy mistake to make is not actually understanding what branding really is. So, take some time to really understand the concept and find an explanation that suits you. You need to really grasp it to apply it to your business – more on this in the next point!
2. Getting your marketing mixed up with your branding
Make sure you don’t confuse marketing with branding. Let’s separate this out quickly. Branding is defining who, or what, your brand is. Marketing is making other people aware of it. Whilst they are closely related and there’s a lot of crossover, being unclear on the differences means you can’t do either effectively. Here’s a tip: take care of branding first, then tackle marketing second.
3. Seeing branding as just a logo
Branding is much bigger than one or two brand assets, like business cards or a logo. Branding is in fact the conceptual act of defining your business, not just making some pretty designs in the company colours.
4. Trying too hard to stand out
Unfortunately, trying too hard looks desperate. Instead, aim to let your brand develop naturally and organically, avoiding try to shoehorn it into a trend. The public can smell inauthenticity a mile away, and it never turns out well.
5. Thinking you know best
Let’s be realistic, you’re no doubt excellent at what you do, but not every entrepreneur has a solid understanding of psychology, graphic design and copywriting. This is why we think you should always hire a professional.
6. Playing it too safe
By the same token, there are business that play it too safe when it comes to branding. If there’s nothing unusual or unique about your brand, it’s going to be tough to carve out market share. You can combat this with lots of research into you competitors – it will help you find a niche and root out gaps in your competitor’s offering that perhaps you can fill.
7. Being too edgy
Some businesses try very hard to differentiate themselves from the competition. This is a good thing, but more than one company has crossed a line in their quest for uniqueness and it’s ended badly. Interesting is good but keep it in the realms of respectable.
8. Forgetting brand guidelines
Don’t forget about brand guidelines. These are vital for success, because as well as helping ensure consistency and authenticity in-house, they’ll be a huge help to any 3rd party professionals you employ to help with marketing, content, graphic design, product design.
9. Lacking consistency across channels
Once you’ve got branding in place, you must ensure it’s represented similarly across all the channels your business is present on. Being inconsistent sends a mixed message to the public. Keeping your brand guidelines at the forefront will help with this.
10. Lacking consistency across collateral
It can be easy to ensure consistency in the obvious places and forget about areas that don’t spring to top of mind. Make sure anything that is issued by your business, from letters to compliment slips to invoices, is as on-brand as your Instagram account.
11. Refusing to admit mistakes
Even the most experienced brands make mistakes sometimes and everyone makes mistakes. If this happens, the only way to recover is by owning up to the error. Admit your mistake early and you’ll hopefully be in with a chance to remedy it.
12. Attaching your brand to the wrong things
By the same token, there are business that play it too safe when it comes to branding. If there’s nothing unusual or unique about your brand, it’s going to be tough to carve out market share. You can combat this with lots of research into you competitors – it will help you find a niche and root out gaps in your competitor’s offering that perhaps you can fill.
Be really careful about what you allow your brand name to be attached too. For every association that brings in new business and extra revenue, there are 10 more that just leave customers scratching their heads, which is never a good sign for business.
13. Neglecting the update
If you’ve already got your branding done and dusted, set a reminder to look at it on an annual or bi-annual basis. Whilst you don’t want your brand to be moulded by every passing trend, you want to avoid it looking tired and irrelevant. You just need to work on getting the balance right.
14. Attempting to appeal to everyone
You can’t be all things to all people. Instead, embrace your brand and walk the walk – this clarity will help your people find you.
15. Being too trend driven
Every year brings in new design trends and while it’s ok to use them for inspiration, copying them can look desperate. Jumping from trend to trend is also not advisable, as it’s a type of inconsistency.
16. Forgetting about written content
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about the text when you concentrate on graphic design. Copywriting may play a lesser role in your branding, but it’s hugely important and worth examining professionally. Great copywriting not only increases sales and conversions, but it also has a major impact on how people view your brand in terms of authenticity. Core messages, mission statement and tag lines are all essential brand elements and they all rest on the written word.
17. Thinking too small
Don’t think too small. Whilst some online businesses are very local, an increasing number have a global reach, even without trying. Make sure your branding doesn’t offend any of your international clients.
18. Stripping all personality
Consistency is key but never varying from the strictest confines of your brand guidelines can make for a very boring brand. Don’t be afraid to inject a little personality and character into your brand actions.
19. Overlooking the brand deadline
Solid branding takes effort and isn’t something you can finish in a couple of days. That said, always set yourself an end goal and a deadline to wrap everything up. Some companies are never happy and continue poking their brand to “get it just right”. A brand that’s always in motion can never grow roots, and it’s those roots that are key to your brand being the foundation your business is built on.
20. Alienating your origins
It can often be hard to get the balance between old and new right, but if your brand has been around for a while, it’s worth remembering that you may have fans and customers who love you for your traditional brand. Updates that stray too far from origins like this can sometimes fall flat, so tread carefully and do lots of research before you refresh your classic brand.
Conclusion
The above are 20 common, but avoidable, ways that businesses make mistakes with their branding. That said, the biggest branding mistake of all is doing nothing! So, if you’re trying hard, then hopefully these tips will help you to avoid the various branding pitfalls.
Luckily, when you employ a branding professional, the person or agency will be the ones looking out for these possible pitfalls. At Creative Fire, we’ll work together on your branding, taking the task off your hands whilst you focus on other areas of your business and helping you to avoid these common mistakes. For consistency, professional designs and high-level expertise, contact the Creative Fire team today.
What Is The Difference Between A Logo, Identity And Brand?
The logo, identity and brand of a company are often confused, misunderstood and used interchangeably. All are connected and associated with one another but it is important to realise that they are also all very different. If you imagine your business in the image of a person, we can help to explain the fundamental differences between each of them.
What is a logo?
A logo is the face of your company. It identifies your business in its simplest form. It will usually consist of textual and/or graphical content and should be created using a specific colour palette. A logo can also be referred to as a brand artefact. Determined by any sensorial cue used to project the relationship between you and your audience, brand artefacts come in all different forms. A logo is in its visual form. As it is the first connection you will make with a potential customer, it sets a first impression. It should also symbolise the values, quality and promise that you as a product or service offer. But beyond this, there are many other aspects that form your brand.
What is an identity?
An identity is the visual presentation for your company, communicated through a collection of tangible expressions. This could be through collateral such as stationery, brochures and signage. There may also be written content such as your key messages and mission statement.
For a logo to become more than just a graphic device, it must acquire meaning in the mind of the consumer. An identity is formed of the physical aspects of the business that the customer engages with. It is what the customer comes directly into contact with. The identity is an extension of your logo; multiple assets that can be presented in the same way. It is the expression of what your organisation stands for.
What is a brand?
A brand is far more than a name, logo or symbol, it is the personality of your company and it is ultimately what forms the relationship between your service or product and the consumer. It forms the foundations of your business and is the basis of a logo and an identity, a concept of your business that makes it different from the competition. It also provides your customers with an experience, encompassing expectations, personality and perception. If a logo is present without a brand, once the visual symbol is removed, the business is unrecognisable. A consumer’s relationship is rarely with your product but with your brand. It is there to evoke emotion to help them build an attachment with it.
Connecting All Three
If a brand is the relationship, then a logo is a projection of that relationship, but as we have covered already, a logo is just one form of brand artefact.
The challenge is to find artefacts that tell your story and engage people in a familiar and meaningful way. That means ensuring that when consumers engage with them, they are consistent in their appearance, use, size, scope, colour, feel, etc. Consistency allows your audience to build a memory structure around who you are and what value you have to offer.This memory structure becomes the identity of your organisation.
It is important to create shared value with your audience, not by trying to stand out with just a logo alone. It must be connected to something much bigger than itself – the relationship.
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