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A Starbucks coffee is seen in Miami, Fla., in this file photo. The Starbucks logo is instantly recognizable and with a consistent look and feel, customers can quickly distinguish a brand from others. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A visual brand is one that connects ideas and concepts to a brand using images, video, and other graphic cues.
It’s a powerful method of establishing your brand in terms of the types of graphics and colors you use on postcards, in TV commercials, online, or any other marketing media. More importantly, it’s about storytelling and blending the look of your brand with your story.
The big brands have storytelling down pat. Starbucks, Nike, and Coca-Cola, to name just a few, have all created such a strong visual association with their brands that their customers associate the same general feelings with these companies, irrespective of where the brand is seen.
Also, consider the world we live in today and the number of people using photo-sharing social sites such as Instagram and Pinterest, which have 80 million and 15 million users, respectively. People simply enjoy being able to share images with others. Take advantage of the visual in your own brand and you will gain a new level of traction and improve your brand’s equity.
Your Story
First things first, you must establish your story; otherwise the rest of your visual brand choices will be much more difficult to mesh together.
Keep in mind that your story does not necessarily have to be a traditional short story, although it can be. Oftentimes, a brand’s story is simply the specific feelings and emotions you want to elicit in your customers. Sometimes a brand’s story is of the founder and his or her vision of the company and how that vision has been carried out over time.
For instance, Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, was a cook whose recipes for fried chicken failed miserably over and over again. But he didn’t give up on his vision, and eventually he created a popular recipe for a fried chicken fast-food restaurant chain that allowed families on the go to have southern-style home cooked meals. Commercials on TV, posters, the website all reflected and supported this story.
Quality Images
Another aspect of your brand that will come into play is the type of images you use. Remember that images are a powerful medium for portraying emotions, which makes quality images a must and which may require professional support.
Small-business owners may not have the capital to always hire a professional photographer, but stock photos are available online at an affordable cost. Be careful: using generic photos can wash your brand out. Make sure you only use stock photos if they accurately portray your brand.
Another important consideration with images is that whichever images you choose they should always be of the highest quality. Mediocre graphics and photography immediately dilute your brand’s quality.
Custom Graphics
Custom graphics, such as a logo and infographics, should always be used when practical and appropriate. These custom icons can tell a story, and they can represent your brand in ways that a single photo cannot duplicate.
You want people to see a specific image and automatically associate that with your brand, so make sure your logo and other graphic design elements tie once again into your brand story.
If you have the capital, definitely hire a professional photographer or graphic artist. In fact, for your logo I would suggest nothing less than professional help. However, if you simply are strapped for cash for other graphics you need, do not despair.
Creating your own is doable; just remember that these graphics will be with you for quite some time so make sure they match your brand’s look and feel. The point is to tell a story. You can create the most basic graphics in only a few minutes using various tools. A favorite is the use of memes where you use a stock image and add a caption.
However, you don’t have to create a funny image. You can use these meme generators to create graphics that help communicate a simple message that’s all your own.
If you want to create full infographics, check out Visual.ly—a tool for making infographics from scratch. These are just a few ways you can jump into creating custom, high quality graphics for your website and other marketing materials.
Consistent Visual Branding
Before you jump into creating a handful of custom graphics, take time to establish your brand’s visual elements. Colors, logo, and typography are just a few considerations. Then, as you start rolling out custom graphics, you can try to integrate these brand standards into your designs.
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