The question of how to present your brand is one that you answer in several different areas. While it would be ideal to be able to exercise as much control over this presentation as possible, a lot of the time, that’s not going to be the case – and factors outside of that control are going to determine the perception that audiences have of you. Still, you can make the most of what you can control in order to affect this as positively as possible.
It’s not just about presenting what you can as effectively as possible; it’s about making choices about what you want your brand to be seen as – and how you’re going to reflect that through aesthetic decisions.
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Logo and Consistency
The logo of your business is likely going to be the first thing that you think about here – and rightly so. The logo is an incredibly foundational aspect of your branding and aesthetic, but it might also be something that you struggle to get right the first time around. Of course, you could enlist the help of some professional designers to work with you to produce something that you’re happy with, but you might feel as though there’s a certain pressure to get it right the first time, as changing it later might be confusing for audiences. In this case, you might feel as though it’s better to think of the potential redesigns that you find yourself having to undertake down the line as being ‘refinements’ more than outright redesigns. Being open to them might take a bit of the pressure off this initial version, but it’s still important to find something that you want to stick with so that audiences can build up familiarity with it.
This sense of consistency across redesigns isn’t the only type to consider, however. You might also find it important to keep a sense of consistency across the presentation of all of your marketing materials. When you put out a newsletter, a social media post, or a press announcement, you want those reading the material to immediately recognize that it’s something coming from your business before they’ve even started reading it. You can even use these different types of presentational styles to differentiate between the more routine social media posts and the important announcements that command the attention of those reading them simply through their presentation. Having a visual language that people can learn and associate with you might help to make the process of interacting with you as a customer a more enjoyable experience.
Exterior and Interior
Another place where your presentation might be more important than you think can be in your place of business. It’s tempting to think of these places as being simply functional, but they hold a lot more value than that for a multitude of reasons. Most straightforwardly, making the interior of your business as well-equipped, comfortable, and pleasant as possible can simply go a long way toward making it a nicer place to work for you and your employees. This might not feel as though it ties too neatly towards the idea of presentation, but being known as a business that people would want to work with might prove to be very important for attracting talent. Furthermore, having the inner workings of your business reflect the image that you’re presenting outwards can help to add a layer of truth and confidence to your staff, as if the business is everything that it claims to be and potentially more.
The exterior might be much more self-explanatory, however. With people traveling past and seeing your place of business, coming to associate it with your brand, and potentially even visiting it, depending on the kind of business that you run, you want it to look the part. Now, think about what you’re trying to present here and how that can be reflected in the architecture. Are you a modern, cutting-edge business? If so, construction companies, such as https://koehncs.com/, might be able to help you blend your own unique aesthetic into that kind of style in order to produce something attractive and professional. You might not want the aesthetic of your business to reach the point of novelty when it comes to the building itself, which can make its appearance a fine line to walk.
Relevant to Your Audience
As mentioned previously, there is a certain image that you’re trying to convey – and this is something that’s going to be felt throughout every aspect of your business. The answer will lie in your target audience, and reaching that audience might mean presenting yourself in a certain way. For example, it might be that you’re trying to depict your business as one that is sophisticated, top-shelf, and professional in every sense of the word. This might lead to a simple, minimalist style throughout a lot of your materials and a more reserved tone of voice that doesn’t risk too much informality, whether that be in marketing or in direct interactions with your customers. However, you might find it difficult to do this without coming across as cold or unwilling to make an effort – which could turn people away.
There is another side to this coin, however, and it might be that the audience that you’re aiming for really responds well to a more personable business. This can help to create a dynamic between you that is more familiar, and in order to achieve that end, presenting your interactions as informal can make them more enjoyable. This could just come in the form of a certain off-hand friendliness, but there is an extreme to take it to where you attempt to achieve a sense of social media virality through your social media posts. This is something that some businesses have achieved successfully, but it could be harder to pull off than it first appears. If done incorrectly, it could risk making your brand simply come off as rude, which could have the opposite of the intended effect.
The Product Itself
Of course, presentation might be seen as most important when it comes to the product itself. It might be that what you provide is more of a service, which might be a different story – one much more about professionality and customer service to produce an efficient result. However, when it comes to a product that you’re shipping, there are several aspects to consider.
First of all, you have the packaging. It might be an element that you find easy to neglect, but impressive packaging can make a strong first impression that might encourage a first buy or a return visit. Engravings, embossed writing or branding, sleek presentation, and a lack of superfluous packaging materials could all help you to achieve this end. In relation to that last point in particular, it’s important to factor in environmental concerns here too. While you’re trying to make a certain statement about your brand with your packaging, you’re also trying to convey that you’re aware of how recyclable and restrained packaging can be more sustainable in the long run.
So, what about the product itself? Well, obviously, it needs to be something that lives up to the marketing surrounding it – reliable, sturdy, and impressive enough to land a good first impression (as with the packaging). It’s difficult to account for every possibility, but if you’ve hyped up your latest launch through an exhaustive marketing campaign, you don’t want to face a large amount of backlash due to it not meeting the standards you set for it or, even worse, due to it not functioning as it should.
