Begin with the End In Mind
Remember that every part of your business that the customer sees has an impact – positive or negative – whether it is intentional or accidental. Everything WILL have an impact, and by being proactive and thoughtful, you can shape that impact. Think about the feelings you want people to have when they come to your store, view your packaging, or use your product. How do they feel? These are all good and viable feelings your product could invoke, but they are all very different.
- Happy?
- Confident?
- Giddy?
- Bad A$$?
Be sure that when you set out to create or update your brand, you begin with this end in mind. Start with you you want them to feel when they interact with you, then work backwards to create that feeling.
Labels are Only Part of the Package
We love labels! Labels are our life – but we know that they are only a small part of the brand. Labels only ‘work’ to the extent that they reinforce and build on your web design, your on-premise look and feel, your menu, your actual product in the bag, box, or bottle. The owners’ personality also plays into this – if you are an owner-operator, or otherwise serve as the ‘face’ of the business, then how you interact matters too. Again, we don’t want to minimize the value of labels (never!) but we realize they are part of a larger branding system. Read more about that in the great article below.
Start with your Authentic Brand
Begin with your message and your brand voice. A presentation by our friend Clare Carver was the inspiration for this Authentic Brand blog post. Check it out. This is covered in more detail in the tutorial below.
Check out this Cool Tutorial from Codo
This is one of the most comprehensive, well written guides to branding that we have seen. This is specifically targeted to Craft Beer (which is a big part of our business) but it could equally apply to any product company with a consumer product in a bag, box, or bottle. Anyone with any business could learn from this guide. Check it by clicking here
Need Label Help?
Once you have the complete branding package complete, and you need to bring that brand vision into the world, please call us! We can help reinforce your brand and bring it to life in the hands of your consumers. We have great printing technology and people ready to help. Call us today!