We all have brands that we stand by and stay true to. Let’s say you get your daily caffeine fix from Starbucks. Yes, they have a wide variety of drinks to choose from and it's only a 2 minute drive from your house, but there’s more to it than just those two obvious factors.

Allow Noah Henscheid, our Lead Designer, to walk you through what makes a brand memorable. Take it away, Noah!

Memorable brands work for you (not against)

We get it; no one tells your story better than YOU do. But you can't always be there to paint the best picture for your customers. What’s more, the age of information and technology is here to stay. The percentage of people researching before they make a purchase has never been higher. Whether it's buying a cup of coffee or hiring a landscaper, you can be sure your potential clients are looking at reviews, studying websites, and checking social media.
When you hire an employee, you spend valuable time and energy to ensure they are qualified to help you sell your business. You're paying them regularly to help be your mouthpiece. But even if they are the employee of the year, they are just human! We all are. We sleep, we take breaks, we live our lives. Know what doesn’t do any of those things? Your brand. It is working for you non-stop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And it’s either helping (or hurting) your business.
In short: if your brand isn’t doing a good job? It’s time to fire it.

Memorable brands reflect their business

Our brains like efficiency. They work as quickly as possible to receive, sort, and catalog information that comes in. And as people, we like to think we know everything (before we even know it). That’s why having a brand that reflects your business is so critical. It gives your customers a feeling of familiarity, even if they’ve just been introduced to your business. Just like our brains want to catalog new information, we like to feel we’ve figured it all out.

Have you ever heard people say things like these when talking about a business? “I had no idea that’s what they did!” “Wow, that’s a [blank] shop?!” “If I knew they sold [x] I would have gone here sooner.” People generally don’t like to be surprised or taken off guard about businesses. We prefer to be right all the time.

You are trying to earn people’s trust in you and your business. Make it easier for them. Give them a brand that they can figure out.

Memorable brands keep their story straight

Say it with us: consistency is everything. The most memorable brands are the ones where you can’t find the seams. The logo, the colors, the fonts, the vibe and tone, the website, everything. It must all move as one accord. Working together to tell the same story every time. It also goes back to our previous point about familiarity. When your brand is cohesive, it leads to repetition, recognition, and ultimately, trust.
Have you ever seen a website that looks nothing like their business card? Or a logo that shows up in four slightly different shades? You’d be amazed at how many businesses do things piecemeal. We hear things like this from clients all the time: “Our logo is about seven years old (😬), someone worked on our website three years ago (🤨), and I think we’re still working through boxes of our original business cards (💀).” This kind of disconnection is detrimental to a business and does nothing to help earn the trust of new customers.
Business grows and evolves. When that happens, make sure your brand comes along for the ride.

Memorable brands stand out and stick with you

First impressions are everything. And most of the time, your brand is the first thing people will see before anything else. Make it count! Show the world your business means business. Most companies fail to budget for their branding. They might as well be riding uphill. You want your business to thrive, and your customers to keep coming back for more. Help them stick with you by having a brand that sticks with them.

It’s also important to remember: YOU are NOT the only game in town. When you’re at the grocery store (and if you’re like us, in the ice cream aisle), is there just chocolate and vanilla? Just Blue Bunny? No! There are fifty different brands in a number of flavors that would make Baskin Robbin's blush. We have CHOICES. For just about everything! The same is true for businesses like yours. By having a brand that stands out and sticks with you, you’re giving yourself that edge the next time they need help from someone like you.

Now is your chance. You have their attention for about 3 seconds. Ready…GO!