Your New Business Branding Checklist for 2021
Guest Post by Rufus Brown
After the pandemic, many businesses were forced to change direction. Some new businesses also sprung up from the rubble, focused on catering to the new market. Any new business, or changed business, will be in need of a rebrand – but this doesn’t have to be complicated.
The suggestions here are very easy on the budget too, so a rebrand doesn’t have to be costly. It can be as simple as making the changes yourself, using a few online tools. Here is your new business branding checklist for 2021, to remind you of the basics at a glance.
Name and tagline
Name your business
The most obvious (and fun) place to start is with the name of your business. Picking a name can feel like an overwhelming task if you are not creatively minded, and if that’s the case then don’t worry. There are plenty of guides online, and so much inspiration to be found when you know where to look.
If however you are creatively minded, then choosing your name can be a fun project for you, and for any team members you have to contribute to as well.
Ask for feedback
Should you find yourself stuck on choosing between a few options, it can be a good idea to throw it open to any fans and followers you have on social media. They can help you choose by selecting their favourite name in a Facebook poll.
This is also a sneaky way to build excitement for your new launch, without only talking to your audience from a sales perspective. People like to feel involved with the brands they support.
Add a tagline
Also keep in mind that the name is not your only method of communicating what you do as a business, who you are and your company ethos. That’s a lot to ask from a name – so don’t overwhelm yourself trying to create a name that says it all.
You can also create a short tagline to help give your brand name more context. This option can really take the pressure off.
Aesthetic
Logo
As we move on to the look of your new branding, a great place to start is with your logo. The colour and shape of your logo can communicate a lot of meaning to your customers.
The big household names that you know and trust all use elements of colour and shape psychology to convey the vibe they want you to feel about them. For example, think about how the PayPal logo makes you feel.
According to colour psychology, the blue is meant to inspire trust, and we do trust them with our money. The circles give a feeling of inclusivity, as businesses of all sizes, all around the globe use PayPal every day.
In the finance industry, brands tend to prefer shades of green, which symbolises growth and prosperity. Logos across all industries are simpler these days, as white space also gives a clean and professional feel.
Take a look at the logos of the brands you like and trust, and see if you notice a theme. Now think about what you want your logo to say about your company. When you have a few ideas, try out a free tool like logocreator.io and see what you can come up with.
Colour theme
Working on your logo will have got you thinking about colour psychology – so now is a great time to think about applying your main colour choice to the rest of your brand.
You could keep it simple with one colour only on a white background, or you could choose a secondary accent colour to compliment the first. Referring back to the example of PayPal, you might also choose a few shades of the same colour to give a simple look and feel.
Colormind.io is another free tool to try out. It allows you to compare complimentary colours side by side and see what stands out to you. It also provides you the hex codes for the shades you chose, so you can take those away and use them in your branding.
Font
The final element of your brand look is to choose a font, or a couple that compliment each other. This is definitely a choice that you want to keep simple, avoiding fads or anything that will date badly.
The simple fonts not only look cleaner and more professional, but they are also easier to find for your website. When you are using a design tool to create graphics, you will see a lot of font options. But then when you go to build your website from a template, like you would on WordPress or Wix, you will find less font choices available. So keep it simple.
Messaging and emotion
Tone of voice
Finally, let’s consider the message you want your branding to convey. When you speak to your audience, through web copy or video content, your brand tone of voice is a big part of that.
You need to decide how your voice should sound. Are you:
You get the idea. So decide on your brand’s tone of voice, and how you want to communicate with your customers.
Emotion
Within this tone of voice, you have the ability to convey certain emotions. You can make people feel safe, accepted, or valued on the positive side. You can also invoke negative emotions to motivate people to take action.
For example, think about the recent TV advertising campaign from insurance company, Polly. They used famous women talking about supporting their children should the worst happen by having life insurance in place.
This would not be the right approach for many companies, but it works for them.
Think about how you want people to feel when they see your branding or hear your name, and how you might work with that in your future marketing.
So there you have it, the basics of branding covered. Whether you are rebranding an old business, or starting a new one from scratch, I hope this has prompted you to think creatively.
Branding or rebranding can be an exciting process. You get to design the personality of your business, and lay the tracks for your future success.
After the pandemic, we can all start looking to the future. The new businesses that spring from these tricky times are something positive to look forward to.
After the pandemic, many businesses were forced to change direction. Some new businesses also sprung up from the rubble, focused on catering to the new market. Any new business, or changed business, will be in need of a rebrand – but this doesn’t have to be complicated.
The suggestions here are very easy on the budget too, so a rebrand doesn’t have to be costly. It can be as simple as making the changes yourself, using a few online tools. Here is your new business branding checklist for 2021, to remind you of the basics at a glance.
Name and tagline
Name your business
The most obvious (and fun) place to start is with the name of your business. Picking a name can feel like an overwhelming task if you are not creatively minded, and if that’s the case then don’t worry. There are plenty of guides online, and so much inspiration to be found when you know where to look.
If however you are creatively minded, then choosing your name can be a fun project for you, and for any team members you have to contribute to as well.
Ask for feedback
Should you find yourself stuck on choosing between a few options, it can be a good idea to throw it open to any fans and followers you have on social media. They can help you choose by selecting their favourite name in a Facebook poll.
This is also a sneaky way to build excitement for your new launch, without only talking to your audience from a sales perspective. People like to feel involved with the brands they support.
Add a tagline
Also keep in mind that the name is not your only method of communicating what you do as a business, who you are and your company ethos. That’s a lot to ask from a name – so don’t overwhelm yourself trying to create a name that says it all.
You can also create a short tagline to help give your brand name more context. This option can really take the pressure off.
Aesthetic
Logo
As we move on to the look of your new branding, a great place to start is with your logo. The colour and shape of your logo can communicate a lot of meaning to your customers.
The big household names that you know and trust all use elements of colour and shape psychology to convey the vibe they want you to feel about them. For example, think about how the PayPal logo makes you feel.
According to colour psychology, the blue is meant to inspire trust, and we do trust them with our money. The circles give a feeling of inclusivity, as businesses of all sizes, all around the globe use PayPal every day.
In the finance industry, brands tend to prefer shades of green, which symbolises growth and prosperity. Logos across all industries are simpler these days, as white space also gives a clean and professional feel.
Take a look at the logos of the brands you like and trust, and see if you notice a theme. Now think about what you want your logo to say about your company. When you have a few ideas, try out a free tool like logocreator.io and see what you can come up with.
Colour theme
Working on your logo will have got you thinking about colour psychology – so now is a great time to think about applying your main colour choice to the rest of your brand.
You could keep it simple with one colour only on a white background, or you could choose a secondary accent colour to compliment the first. Referring back to the example of PayPal, you might also choose a few shades of the same colour to give a simple look and feel.
Colormind.io is another free tool to try out. It allows you to compare complimentary colours side by side and see what stands out to you. It also provides you the hex codes for the shades you chose, so you can take those away and use them in your branding.
Font
The final element of your brand look is to choose a font, or a couple that compliment each other. This is definitely a choice that you want to keep simple, avoiding fads or anything that will date badly.
The simple fonts not only look cleaner and more professional, but they are also easier to find for your website. When you are using a design tool to create graphics, you will see a lot of font options. But then when you go to build your website from a template, like you would on WordPress or Wix, you will find less font choices available. So keep it simple.
Messaging and emotion
Tone of voice
Finally, let’s consider the message you want your branding to convey. When you speak to your audience, through web copy or video content, your brand tone of voice is a big part of that.
You need to decide how your voice should sound. Are you:
- Approachable
- Inclusive
- Authoritative and expert
- Friendly, small and local
- Family oriented
- High end
- Budget-friendly
You get the idea. So decide on your brand’s tone of voice, and how you want to communicate with your customers.
Emotion
Within this tone of voice, you have the ability to convey certain emotions. You can make people feel safe, accepted, or valued on the positive side. You can also invoke negative emotions to motivate people to take action.
For example, think about the recent TV advertising campaign from insurance company, Polly. They used famous women talking about supporting their children should the worst happen by having life insurance in place.
This would not be the right approach for many companies, but it works for them.
Think about how you want people to feel when they see your branding or hear your name, and how you might work with that in your future marketing.
So there you have it, the basics of branding covered. Whether you are rebranding an old business, or starting a new one from scratch, I hope this has prompted you to think creatively.
Branding or rebranding can be an exciting process. You get to design the personality of your business, and lay the tracks for your future success.
After the pandemic, we can all start looking to the future. The new businesses that spring from these tricky times are something positive to look forward to.
