Logo Update
As your business evolves, you need to make sure that your mission statement and brand strategies are still representing your business most effectively.
As I rethink my website and business goals for 2023, it came to me that my logo, while still representing the things I originally designed it for, did not do the best job of representing where I’m at today.
(To read my previous post about my process when designing my logo initially> My Logo Design Process).
As a former color analyst, I couldn’t believe how many of my clients didn’t realize that the colors we wear and surround ourselves with each day have a definite effect on our moods and emotions. I find this topic fascinating.
As I rethink my brand and what it is that I want to express to my shoppers and art collectors, this color training came back to me.
As a website visitor, shopper, and hopefully a collector of my art and designs, why should you care about my marketing and branding? Here is what I think about that.
If you or I had to choose between a business with a clear, professional-looking logo and website that was attractive and easy to navigate and a business that hasn’t made much effort, we both know which one we’d trust more. If the business owner doesn’t pay attention or care about their presentation, it just makes it hard to trust that what they’re creating and selling is a quality item I want in my home.
By having a well-thought-out website and attractive, interesting content and products, I can show you that I am an established and credible business owner. You will be able to discern that I will deal with you honestly, that I care about your safety while on my site, and that I’m a professional creating quality items to add to your enjoyment in your life. Over time and with experience with viewing and purchasing my art and getting to know me, I will also earn your trust.
First, I would like to be clear about what “branding” is.
Information from sba.thehartford.com: The importance of branding in your marketing strategy can’t be overstated — even for small businesses. Your brand influences every aspect of your customer’s perceptions of your company. Branding builds:
Trust
Recognition
Loyalty
Reputation
According to Accenture, 66% of consumers say that a brand’s culture and transparency attract them to buy from a certain brand, and 62% want companies to stand up for the issues they are passionate about. This illustrates the impact of strong branding. Your brand has the potential to say so much about your company’s:
Products or services
Customer relations
Employee relations
Promises
Values
Societal goals
As you can see, even as a small business owner, there is much more to creating a true representation of your values and standards than just a logo. But, to create that all-important logo, color, and design become a major decision.
Here is a close-up look at the sketch-turned-raster-image. I spent much more time than most small business owners, but I’m a detail-oriented Virgo; what can I say?
This part of my logo touches the very heart of me. I chose the colors carefully to represent the message I was trying to convey. (You can see my thoughts and choices for the design in a previous post). After I identified what it was that my brand would say to the world, I then had to choose the colors and values to further support that message.
Did you notice the little singing bird is now identified as an Eastern Bluebird? My Mother and I have always loved Bluebirds. She had little glass bluebirds on her window sill. One year, she gave me a set for my birthday. I still have them and cherish them.
From Birds and Blooms magazine, “Some believe the bluebird is a symbol of joy and hope; others, that good news will be arriving soon. Others still think that bluebirds represent a connection between the living and those who have passed away.” My Mother went to her Heavenly Home on Easter Sunday, 2011. So all of the symbolism is not only in sync with my brand but with my fans and collectors as well.
To assist you in understanding the psychology behind color, I could have created a graphic for you, but I’m working hard on my paintings! So I searched for just the right one to present here.
While doing research, I found this wonderful and thorough color psychology chart by an expert brand strategist that expands on this subject thoroughly. While you review the chart, compare it to my color choices with my brand. I think everything lines up perfectly.
Color alone is credited with increasing your brand recognition by up to 80%!
Michelle Clayton
If you need help with your small business branding, someone like Michelle would be the right person to help you work through your challenges. Michelle Clayton designed the color psychology graphic I shared here.
I hope that now that you know how important color is in your everyday life, you will surround yourself with those colors that enhance your life the most.
Be well, be blessed,
