S U M M E R F A L L 2 0 1 1 - ASID Georgia Chapter

Branding Your Small BusinessBy Julie Witzel, ASIDBranding your small business isone of the most importantmarketing tools you can utilize asan entrepreneur. Small designfirm owners must realize thatbranding their business issynonymous with brandingthemselves. We don't have the luxury of hiding behinda corporate culture. A strong brand gives customersand potential clients a positive perception of you andyour business. Without branding, it is difficult to focusyour efforts on your target audience and maintain alevel of consistency.When I first decided to start my own business, one ofthe initial exercises I went through was identifying mytarget audience. Who do I want to design for? Whatare my goals? How do I want to reach my potentialclients and what do I want them to think of me? Whyam I different from my competition and what makesme special? Develop a mission statement and makesure it includes what you do, who your clients are, howyou work and how your clients can find you and yourbusiness.Once you are able to identify your company goals andideals, you can start developing your brand. Create abrand that is honest. Be true to yourself, what youstand for and your business model. Don't try to besomething you're not. Branding is influencing a client'sdecision to choose you over the competition and youwant that to reflect who you are, what your strengthsare, and what value you will bring to your clients.Create a brand that allows people to associate aproduct with you before they even meet you.When launching your brand, it is important to selectwhich channels will be the most effective tocommunicate your message. Marketing and brandinggo hand in hand. No one has the time or the funds totarget every market, using every medium available,and it defeats the purpose of specializing andidentifying a specific client. For example, if I want mybrand to say "quality, integrity, luxury lifestyle," I amgoing to choose periodicals that reflect that message.Your brand is reflected in your choice of marketingmediums.In my opinion, the "must haves" are:• Brand identity: your logo, fonts, graphics andcolors. These should be consistent throughout allyour marketing collateral and press items. Ensureyour ambassadors and marketing channelsadhere to the standards you create. Just as youwould obsess about the details in a project foryour client, obsess about the details of yourbrand. Inconsistency will subtly influence the ideathat something is just a little off and will detractfrom your message.• A well-designed portfolio: This meansPROFESSIONAL photographs of your projects. Thisis a very necessary use of your marketing dollars.If you don't believe me, look at the differencebetween the designer profiles on www.decorati.com.The professional shots stand out.• A website, an online designer profile or, at thevery least, a Facebook page. We are lucky asdesigners to have so many great outlets in whichto market ourselves and post profiles. ASID allowsyou to create a profile in their "Find A Designer"section. A simple search will pull up a dozen or soothers. Browse each of them to see which willtarget your specialized market. Some will be free,while others will require you to pay a fee. There isno need to create profiles on all of them, justselect one or two that suit your brand messageand subscribe to those.As additional marketing funds become available, youmay want to add in print advertising in shelter anddesign magazines or direct mailings if they'reappropriate for your market. Make sure the print ad orpostcard you create adheres to the standards you setand properly conveys your brand identity and message.Don't forget that once you create your brand andsuccessfully market it, you will need to upkeep andrevisit your goals periodically. Make sure your brandcontinues to do what you want it to do. Treat yourbrand like an extension of yourself and your businessgoals and it will grow with you.12