Image: Creative Commons License

We in the wedding industry are on hyper-drive with branding these days.  It seems that it’s all anyone talks about.  And, it seems that every day someone is launching a new website, a new logo, a new image.  I find it especially curious when these things may have been updated less than a year ago.  Don’t get me wrong, these things are extremely important to the growth of your company.  This is especially true in our industry where so much has to do with beauty and design.  The problem is that we sometimes put the cart before the horse.

A brand is the gut feeling people get about your company

In the book “The Brand Gap” by Marty Neumeier he described branding as the feeling that others have about your company.  YES!  It’s not what you say about your company.  It’s what others say about your company.  It’s the feeling of refreshment that you get when you pick up a can of diet coke.  It’s the feeling of warmth you get when you spot the bright red labels on a can of soup.  It’s the feeling of familiarity and consistency you get when you walk into a Starbucks.  It’s all about feelings and emotions.  So how do you know what people feel about your company and your brand?  And, how do you use that to create branding that fits?

First things first…

Before you have your website redesigned or your logo redone, start at the beginning.  Who are you?  Sit down and answer these questions:

  • What are your personal values?
  • Which values do you want your business to be known for?
  • What philosophies drive you?  Your business?
  • What is it that you’d like people to say about you?  Your business?
  • What do you want to be known for?
  • How would others describe you?  Your company?
  • What is your niche?
  • What is special about your product or service?
  • How are you going to change your industry?

It’s not just about your favorite colors…

We start a company.  We talk to a designer.  We choose colors.  VOILA!  LOGO designed!  (I laugh because this is how I went about it.  Yes, my favorite color is red.  Yes, the mmm… paper logo is red too.)  But, it runs so much deeper than that.  Back up the truck… think about who you are, what your company is, and what you want it to be.  And, most important… what is the feeling you want people to get when they come into contact with your brand?