Is it Time for a Corporate Identity Makeover?

Is your corporate image helping your business succeed,…or standing in its way?  If you’ve reached that point in business where your momentum is not where you want it to be, it might be wise to take a long hard look in the mirror to see if you need a corporate identity makeover. Don’t worry, makeovers are fun. Who doesn’t like to dress up in a new suit or dress so they look their absolute best? So what about your business? Are you happy with the current image your company projects? Is it serving you well? A large percentage of your potential customer base gets to know you initially from your corporate brand. First impressions last forever. That’s why you must stay ahead of the game and your competition by ensuring your image is everything you want it to be. Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider a corporate makeover.

The Name Game

Does your company name accurately reflect your business and what you offer?  If you want to buy lamps, your best bet is to shop at Larry’s House of Lamps, and not waste your time at Larry’s House of T-shirts. What about your company name? Is it communicating what it should? Your name represents you when you’re not there yourself. It can be a huge benefit to the public perception of your company to have a name that clearly defines to what you do. The name you select should be descriptive, and to the point. Don’t follow trends, what sounds cool and works for the trendy crowd quickly becomes dated. Stay with something easy to remember that reminds people of you and your business.

The Branding Style

Now that you have a name you’re happy with, how well is it presented in your collateral? Do you have a logo that says you are a state of the art successful business, ahead of its competition? Or does your logo say your company is dated, and behind in the game?  What about your color choices that you use to show consistency in your brand? Have you selected colors that fit well with your message? Here are few tips to consider when making your color choices.

• White represents purity and cleanliness.  Suitable for the medical field.
• Black stands for power and elegance. Be careful not to choose this as your primary for a small business.
• Red is the color of passion, it can actually raise your blood pressure.   Use sparingly as a secondary color.  You can inject life into your identity with red.
• Blue is the color of loyalty and serenity, and the most used marketing color.

Do some research to see what your employees and customers think? I’m sure you’ll get a wide variety of opinions. That’s what makes re branding fun.  When you’re done, you will have a better understanding of how your brand can better represent your business.

Putting it All Together

Now that you’ve made your choices it’s time for a designer to put all of this together. The new logo goes immediately to the welcome page of your web site. Create a press release to notify old and new friends to the changes you’ve just made. Create new designs for your web pages with your new color selections. Business cards, brochures, sell sheets, all of your sales and marketing collateral have just been given their make over and are ready to help you find new clients and new business. All it takes is some bold decision making on your end. Do you think you’re ready for your corporate identity makeover? Are you ready for your new and improved look?