When is the Right Time to Invest in Branding?
When is the best time to plant a fruit tree? – Yesterday
The saying fits perfectly with branding as well. Branding is an investment that is often looked at in retrospect rather than investing in it from the beginning. So when is the best time to invest in branding? The short answer is now. Don’t wait and just keep using branding that is good enough. Your brand is important and should fit your brand message. Falling flat on your visual connection with your audience could cost you customers. Make the best impression the first time around.
How do I Invest in Branding?
No matter your budget, there is always a way to invest in your branding. Sometimes it has to do with starting small. Other situations call for grand openings. What they all have in common are well-executed plans. Timing is more important when compared to just getting your name out there. You also need to be present, be involved in the brand decisions and make it a priority from the get-go.
You probably know that when you set up a company or brand you will need a logo design. At first, it might not seem to be important to get it right from the beginning. Thinking to yourself “Oh I can change it at a later stage when I have the funds”. If you become successful, your logo design is already done and embedded in the minds of your customers. Changing a logo can be hugely damaging to a brand. People like what is familiar, what they have come to trust. Colours, font, language use, and logo design are all part of the brand package. It all comes together as one coherent brand message. It is absolutely worth investing in your brand identity.
The best place to start is knowing your 1-minute pitch. In one or maybe two sentences, define what your offering is all about. How do you resolve the solution for your target audience? This will give you the imagery and tone you want to use for your brand going forward. It is the foundation of where your brand identity begins. From this point, work on the logo design. Working with a professional will give you insight into the best practices in terms of application use and you will be able to develop a unique logo that will stand out from your competition. Another advantage of working with a professional is that you will have an opportunity to work with someone who can give you a fresh perspective and work with you to develop your brand guide. A guide that you will use to create concise and congruent messaging from visuals to text all throughout your brand awareness campaigns. This is the best way to invest in your branding from day one. Check out our previous article on Tips on Logo Designs that Last.
Can I Update My Branding?
Definitely. Once your logo design is in place you should not change the basic elements of the design. As mentioned, your audience likes what they are comfortable with and would prefer not to have to rebuild that trust. That said, you can update your branding. Taking the right approach at the right time will give you the best opportunity to update or evolve your branding.
In two previous articles, I talk about Minimalist Design and The Power of Adaptive Branding. Both of these look at how one can go about adaptive branding and evolving their logo design through a minimalist approach. There is always a way to adapt your branding and remain within the confines of the basic elements that make the branding and logo design unique. If you are in a situation where the logo design and other branding elements need to be brought together under one coherent message, you can absolutely weave it into one brand story again.
We simply give people the advice to invest in branding today so that they can avoid having to do a brand overhaul once they have already established themselves in the market. When done incorrectly, it can be damaging to the brand as a whole which could lead to a whole range of unforeseen reactions from the customer base. So yes, it is possible. Just do it correctly and at the right time.
How do I Know it is The Right Time?
If you are thinking about investing in your branding it is likely time to make the jump. As I stated at the beginning, it is best not to wait and to get stuck in now. It is not about making hasty decisions either. Take time to think about how and why you want to invest in your branding.
Perhaps you are pre-launch and need an epic logo design to stand out from the fierce competition. You could also be at a phase in your company where you are looking to expand your target audience or product offering. Knowing why will give you the right time to launch the brand. You will also have a better idea of how you want to approach the branding. Such as the style of the logo design or the typography you will want to use.
In the end, taking the time from the beginning is the best way to have an idea of the brand story and where you see it going. Plus you get to create the narrative that will attract your target audience from the start. Do not waste time wondering whether or not investing in your branding is a good idea. Start thinking about how you are going to invest in it.
