Branding Advice - Trumpet Branding Design

Do you have a Vision?

30/10/2019

The TEDxDunLaoghaire 2019 event was held in The Studio at dlr LexIcon last Friday. As part of the organising team I truly enjoyed it all coming together so nicely and the talks were just amazing. Mindblowing.

The speakers varied in age from 12 to “rater ancient”, as described by Fergus Finlay* himself. What they all had in common though was this one simple thing: They Care. About. Something.

The theme for this year was “Change. Beyond the Periphery.” A theme abstract enough to allow interpretation from people from all backgrounds. Hence, that ‘something’ the speakers care about and that they shared with us varied from the importance of reading or doing sport, to what it feels like to be transgender or being bullied.

And our Curator, Janie Lazar, well, she cares more than most. About inclusion. TED stands for Technology, Education and Design. However, Janie’s interpretation of the word TED is Together Everyone Develops.

One of the most inspiring talks on the night was by Joanne Chester. She is Deaf. But certainly not just Deaf. The wheels Janie set in motion in order to have members of the Deaf Community in our audience! All the talks were ISL interpreted thanks to the support she got from the Dun Laoghaire Local Enterprise Board.

Now over to you.

Do you have a vision? Do you care about something? Anything? Do you care so much that you would like your ten minutes of fame “on the red dot” next year? Or perhaps you’d like to get involved by way of offering services and/or sponsorship instead?

TEDx events are independently organized local, not for profit events, operated under the TED licence by hard-working volunteers for the benefit of their local community.

TED is a global community, which hosts global conferences, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world, believing passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. On TED.com you’ll find a clearing house of free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers - and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.

Get in touch!

*): Fergus Finlay was one of the speakers on the night. His talk was Honest. Beautiful. A true Gift to us all. I will update this blog post as soon as all the talks are uploaded to YouTube.

The visual I designed for this year’s event is hoping to communicate the theme: Change, beyond the periphery. An explosion of ideas, you never know where they are coming from, there’s no boundaries and it can take you anywhere. All the various posters, bottles, programmes etc. show different triangle shapes to visualise the Change Idea.

Do you have a business or do you have a brand?

25/10/2019

What is a brand? Wikipedia defines a brand as “a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organisation or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer.” Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, says “branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

What are you selling? If the answer to this question is something bigger than the category your business is in, you could be on your way to building a brand.

A brand is your business reputation.

It is through branding that you will create consumer trust and emotional attachments. A good example is Lego. They’re not just building blocks for kids. They represent childhood imagination and creativity.

As a graphic designer I have worked with several branding experts over the years. And although things change constantly there are a few fundamental principles when it comes to branding and these are pretty much unchanged since I started out in the industry some twenty odd years ago.

Here is a very simplified introduction to these principles.

Do your research
Finding out where a brand stands or where it doesn’t stand in a market, is a crucial first step. You need to research everything there is to know about your business (or product) and the market in which it will compete. Look at what other businesses are doing. Work out where you are and where you could be in the future by making a list of these three things: The facts. The obstacles. The opportunities.

Know your customer
You can’t be all things to all people. The most important task in building a brand is to get to know your audience. You need to know who your customers are and how to reach them. What do they like and what do they dislike. You need to know their needs and motivators, as well as their overall profile. Think of your brand as a person, and create a persona for your ideal customer.

Tell a story
Position your brand by defining what makes it truly unique and how it will slot into an available space in the market and in your customers’ minds. Make double sure there is a market in that gap. Define your brand by stating what it stands for and what value it promises to deliver. Done well and chosen carefully, these believes and values can become critical in defining your business.

Get your mission right
Create a voice for your company that reflects your brand. This voice should be applied to all written communication and incorporated in the visual imagery of all materials, online and off. Develop a tagline: Write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand.

Think design
Carefully tailor your design, sales and marketing activities to your target market and do so consistently across all channels so the brand becomes easily recognisable. Be clear. The foundation of your brand is your logo and your design guidelines. The guidelines allow a brand to be recognised for its attitude to imagery, choice of photography, tone of voice, personality and writing style. Great brands have a clear approach to their entire communication and not just the logo itself.

Blow your own trumpet
The greatest strategic idea or the worlds finest symbol will fail if it isn’t seen, heard or understood. Implementation is key. Branding extends to every aspect of your business and every encounter with your brand must consistently convey your brand promise, whether it is with your staff, product, website, social media (etc, etc). Successful branding takes on average 2 to 3 years to develop, so stay true to your brand and give it chance to grow.

So do you have a business or do you have a brand? What are you really selling? Is it something bigger than the category your business is in?

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