The Brand Process
What’s the purpose of branding? How does branding impact, influence, and transform the way people engage with your business? What’s the difference between branding and a logo? Once you have a brand, how do you even implement it? If you’ve ever wondered about any of these things, this blog post is for you!
On April 8th, 2021 I hosted a Clubhouse with Em Deane from Locals Creative to address common questions people have about branding. We ended up chatting for over an hour, so I decided to break down our Branding 101 transcript into a series of blog posts for those who missed the live call. This first post specifically focuses on the branding process. Enjoy!
Introduction
Jess: Welcome and thanks for joining our Clubhouse call — we're super happy to have you here! As people start to come in, I'll quickly go over the outline for today, then we’ll dive right in. First, we’ll introduce ourselves and talk a little bit about who we are, then we'll go over the branding process and answer some questions that have been submitted to us before resetting the room for more questions. Afterward, we’ll close with some next steps and where to find us on social media! Em, will you go ahead and introduce yourself?
Em: Yeah, absolutely! So, my name is Em Dean and I was born and raised in Maine, but I have been living in the Lake Tahoe area for about seven years now. I run Locals Creative, which is a boutique creative agency specializing in branding, strategy, website design, and web development for e-commerce brands and local businesses. At Locals Creative, we help build brands worth talking about around a campfire. My background for my undergrad was double majoring in Graphic Design and Marketing with a minor in Behavioral Economics. After moving from New Haven, Connecticut out here to Tahoe, my background was mostly in marketing and creative roles for outdoor industries. Starting Locals Creative was a way for me to connect with local brands to help them tell their stories, while also giving me the flexibility to travel and spend time outside. One last little fun fact about Locals Creative is that we are a 1% for the planet member, so 1% of every project in our annual sales goes back to helping environmental non-profits.
Jess: I love that, Em — thank you so much for sharing! My name is Jess and I am a Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Hand Lettering Artist located in Abbotsford, BC. I started pursuing design at the age of 15 because I won a couple of contests. It was very apparent that design was what I wanted to do, so I moved to Portland to attend design school. After graduating, I went through all kinds of different processes such as interning at a local agency and working as an in-house designer at Design Aglow. Now, I operate my own business creating innovative designs that enable you to stand out and inspire your community! Today we just wanted to jump on Clubhouse to talk about branding because it's one of our favorite subjects and it's something we're both super passionate about. First, let’s talk about the difference between branding and a logo. Take it away, Em.
Branding Versus a Logo
Em: Oh, man, there's just so much to chat about around this topic. Even when Jess and I were planning yesterday, we found ourselves talking about it for such a long time! The basic breakdown is, I always try to stress the fact that branding is a system versus just one specific element. Branding is made up of countless different parts, whereas a logo is just one part of that overall branding system. A logo is an identifying mark for your brand, while your brand identity includes all the visual elements like your logo, typography, color palette, icons, and packaging. Branding also stretches much further into your messaging, your why, and how you communicate with your audience.
I always try to use local examples for who's doing a good job at branding, so I'm going to use one of my last employers — Drink Coffee, Do Stuff — a coffee roastery based here in Truckee and Lake Tahoe. If you look at their packaging design, you’ll notice that they have a super strong look and feel to their branding. Each individual coffee also has an icon system set up: Bark at the Moon has a little wolf icon howling at the moon, Hot Shot has some little racer flags, and Party Wave has a wave. All of the icons, color palette, logo, and packaging really work together to tell their overall story, which is really cool.
“A pretty logo is nice, but it doesn’t have the longevity that a brand does. If you want to see your brand push real business growth and actually generate results, then you’ll want to consider the whole system.”
Jess: Yeah, and I'll jump ahead here because someone actually submitted a question asking about the most important element of a brand. When people come to us wanting just a logo, I think it’s a great opportunity to educate them about branding and where they want their brand to take their business. I love what Em said about design being a system; branding has a lot of components and each piece supports the other. A pretty logo is nice, but it doesn't have the longevity that a brand does. If you want to see your brand push real business growth and actually generate results, then you’ll want to consider the whole system.
If you're trying to figure out what the most important piece is, it's kind of hard to say because if one element is lacking, it brings everything down. In other words, if you have a color system that's not representing your brand well, it might weaken the other elements. The same goes for the typography, iconography, and visual theme. Many people don't understand how much goes into branding, but it's so much more than just the brand visuals. That’s where strategy comes in. Trying to create a brand without brand strategy is like trying to shoot at a target blindfolded. Em is super smart when it comes to brand strategy. As she said, she has a background in marketing, so I'm going to let her start that conversation and talk about what the brand process looks like. Em, if someone wants more than just a logo because they desire longevity and results, what would that process look like?
Brand Strategy
Em: Yeah, brand strategy is something that's super important that we both include in our process. Even if you’re interested in working with a different designer, make sure that you're really starting off the process by diving into brand strategy. As Jess said, if you just go straight into the design process you might get a pretty logo, but it's really not going to be representative of who you are and what you want your brand to be.
“We kick off with a deep dive into your strategy and really take a close look at who you are, what your goals are for your brand, who your target customer is, and countless other topics.”
Em: Speaking specifically to the Locals Creative branding process, we kick off with a deep dive into your strategy and really take a close look at who you are, what your goals are for your brand, who your target customer is, and countless other topics. Talking about the design itself is actually a really small part of the discovery session. Once I am confident that I have a good understanding of your brand and what your goals are, that's where I initially start the design process with stylescapes. Stylescapes can be described as moodboards on steroids because it takes them to the next level by including all those visual elements that we touched on in the brand strategy, such as typography examples, color palette examples, and target customer examples. It’s just a whole mix of elements that really give the client a broad brush stroke look at what their design direction could be.
With those stylescapes, I really encourage people to take a little extra time to get them professionally printed and mounted on foam core, so that the client can have a tangible piece to review and really start to envision what their brand can look like. That's when we reconnect in person to review the stylescapes and talk more about their brand strategy. From there, we dive into the design process by creating some initial logo mock concepts and rough digital illustrations to explore a couple of directions. Together, we continue refining those concepts until they’re complete. That's when we can continue to evolve past just the logo and hone in on the typography, color palettes, marketing collateral, website — the sky's the limit as far as what we could do and determining what's best suited for our clients.
“The right designer will dive deep into strategy by trying to understand your audience. They’re committed to being a part of the entire brand development journey with you.”
Jess: Yeah, and if that seems daunting (especially the brand strategy), just remember that both your brand and your strategy can evolve over time — as Em said, it's something that grows. I think it's really easy for people to get attached to their branding because it feels really personal and it's hard to know who to trust it to. Having said that, when you hire a designer, you're not just outsourcing a task, you're onboarding a team member who’s very invested in your brand. Depending on who you go with, what their process is like, and what collateral pieces you choose, you’ll likely work with a designer for one to four months. The right designer will dive deep into strategy by trying to understand your audience. They’re committed to being a part of the entire brand development journey with you. They should even be available to you once the project is over because you're going to end up with a ton of assets. Your designer should help educate you on the appropriate application of your brand so you can use it correctly.
Some people’s budgets can only accommodate a logo and that's ok. If people aren't interested in brand strategy and it intimidates them, I would just ask them, “what do you want more: a logo that matches your personal preferences or a brand that's going to produce results for you?” To be honest, brand strategy is a total waste of time if you're not going to try and release some of that personal interest. In order for branding to be effective, you’ll need to trust the designer's expertise. By doing so, they’ll lead you to a solution that's going to work for your audience. Letting go of control is really tough for people. It’s hard to find the balance between personal preference and the aesthetic that will resonate with your audience.
Understanding Your Target Audience
Jess: I’ve found that there are two classes of people: the ones who are a carbon copy of their audience and the ones who aren’t. Some clients see a need that wasn't being met in their own life (a gap in the industry), so they themselves decide to fill it by creating a business that meets their needs. In this case, their target demographic looks an awful lot like themselves. Then, you have another type of person that’s the complete opposite of their target audience. These people are actually trying to target someone who's nothing like them. They have a product that's great, but maybe they’re a boomer trying to target millennials or another and generation that they don't fully understand. When hiring a designer, they’re depending on that designer to help them understand what people in their target demographic desire. Where does their audience like to shop? Where do they live? What are their preferences? What do they like in terms of aesthetics? What draws their attention when they're walking down the aisle at a grocery store? When they're deciding between two different products that are essentially the same, which one do they choose? Good designers think about how the psychology behind a brand influences decisions.
The Discovery Phase
Jess: My process starts with an initial inquiry, then a discovery call to see if the prospective client is prepared to work together. I want to have an honest conversation with them. If they hop on a call with me, I will try to determine if now is even the right time for them to do branding or if it’s something they should consider looking at in the future. I need to know if they’re ready to dive deep and commit to a long-term process. Sometimes people will get sticker shock because they don't understand why branding costs so much, but if they actually got into the process, they would realize just how valuable it is. Those who are ready to commit and book with me will get a questionnaire that helps them examine their own clients a little bit more. My brand process is very similar within all of my projects, so if you're a wedding client or you have a campaign, you're going to get a similar process.
“You might be surprised at what you’ll say or understand when given the appropriate questions to work through.”
Jess: Every process starts with questions, but something else I'm starting to implement is a brand clarity workshop. Right now I'm taking Brand Clarity Academy by Quill & Co and this is something that she does. Ideally, these workshops would be in person, but given the times, a lot of them happen over zoom. Although some people like to write down the answers to their questions, others benefit from having a back and forth conversation. You might be surprised at what you’ll say or understand when given the appropriate questions to work through. Once we've really nailed the brand strategy, you will get a report that has everything we discussed in it — including some visual inspiration that we’ve collected. I want to collaborate to a certain degree, but I also want to keep your audience in mind. As we dive into the design phase, we can always come back to the strategy. For instance, if things start to pivot in the wrong direction, we can revisit the brand strategy roadmap to get back on track.
The One Concept Method
Jess: Another thing I implement is the one concept method. Historically speaking, designers would present 1 to 3 or more concepts — I've even heard of people who will present 10 or 15 logos to the client. Most people hire designers because they just want to get the design off of their plate, so having lots of decisions and being presented with a ton of options can be quite a hassle. Additionally, it’s a waste of the designer’s time and the client’s money to pursue concepts that aren't the strongest just so the client feels like they have options. Believe me, the designer knows which concept is the strongest. Oftentimes, these designers will spend most of their time working on the concept they know is the strongest, then throw together a few other concepts so they can have something extra to present to you. The worst possible case scenario is that the client goes with the one that's not the strongest and becomes attached to it or they want a hybrid of more than one concept.
“Keep in mind that the concept presented is just a launching point for the brand. From there, we’ll refine it and it will evolve into something else.”
Jess: Only being presented with one concept may sound intimidating, but that one concept is deeply rooted in strategy and has your audience in mind. Because we've already locked in the visual direction from the start, it becomes very clear to the designer which direction we're supposed to go in. Keep in mind that the concept presented is just a launching point for the brand. From there, we’ll refine it and it will evolve into something else. Some people may look at that initial rough draft and feel concerned that they’re only being presented with one concept. In order to help my clients understand my thinking behind the design, I'll put together videos talking about why I made the decisions I made and how they're rooted in the strategy. Once they watch those presentations, it clicks. Not only does my design make sense to them, but they also believe it’s the best solution.
The other day I was talking to my accountant about something I didn’t understand and he helped make sense of it. Of course, I immediately thought, “this is why I hired an accountant.” In the same way, I hope you have a lot of those aha moments when you work with a designer. So, the strategy is the beginning, the visuals happen in the middle, and then the collateral comes together towards the end (if the chosen package includes additional collateral items). I know that was a really long explanation and there's a lot that can be explored in that, but I think we're going to go on to the next question. Em, is there anything else you would like to say in regards to that, or did you want to move on to the next question?
Finding a Designer You Can Trust
Em: Yeah, there’s one quick thing I wanted to circle back on that's super important. If you’re working with a designer on your branding, find someone you can trust that’s also going to help you implement your new branding. You really want to look for someone who’s not going to just create these visual elements and then send them over to you without helping you implement them. The last thing you want to do is make a big investment financially and commit to going through this process, only to not know how to implement it into the real world. Also, I hope this is a good reminder for designers to continue serving their clients beyond the typical deliverables that are included in their packages.
Jess: Yeah, definitely! Find a designer that's going to see your project all the way through and will be committed to helping you every step of the way. I mean, there are some client horror stories on the designer end, but there are undoubtedly horror stories from people who have worked with bad designers. Those people come into the client relationship like "yeah, I've worked with a designer before and this was my experience . . . " You get what you pay for. If you're looking for a logo that’s a few hundred dollars, you can buy one on Etsy, Fiverr, or 99designs — just don’t be surprised if you're frustrated with the process that your designer takes you through. If they're not listening to you and don't care about what you have to say, or the design isn’t hitting the mark and it wasn’t rooted in brand strategy, you may end up with a nightmare process.
“Booking a designer that aligns with your interests and personality will make the process more seamless and enjoyable for you both.”
Jess: I love that Em brought it back to finding someone that you can trust and someone who can be your friend. Your designer should have an aligned vision with you. Just like a designer has a process to weed out bad fits, you need a process set up to weed out bad fits too. If you want to find an aligned fit, don't just go with the first designer that comes on your radar. Em is a perfect example of this because she's in Lake Tahoe and she creates brands worth talking about around a campfire — you can see it in her work. Her designs have a particular style that people with similar lifestyles are drawn to.
Booking a designer that aligns with your interests and personality will make the process more seamless and enjoyable for you both. Of course, like with any relationship, there'll be communication things that need to be overcome. Regardless of fit, you may still go back and forth on issues that need to be worked through. That’s why it's so important to find someone that is well-aligned with your vision and will be as passionate about your project as you are. If you have a business that a designer is not very enthusiastic about, they’re probably not showing any examples of that type of work in their portfolio intentionally or they haven't worked with people like you before. I would maybe consider that a red flag and a sign to keep looking for a more qualified fit.
Em: That's such a good point, Jess! Everyone in the room who knows me will kind of laugh at this, but my favorite part of the collaboration process is being able to sit outside and drink a beer with my clients or grab a coffee with them. I feel like so much comes out of those organic conversations versus, like you touched on, some of those cheap online platforms. On sites like Fiverr, you're never going to find someone who really wants to get to know you and your brand, so just always keep that in mind.
Thanks for taking the time to read part one of Branding 101 with Em Deane from Locals Creative. Stay tuned for part two coming soon!