Calgary Graphic Design: Achieving Brand Consistency

Consistent Calgary Graphic Design

A logo design is only one aspect of graphic design. Who they are, their mission, goals and objectives and the perception they create are the real backbones of the company. Consider these key points when refining your Calgary graphic design and branding.

An inconsistent brand can cause confusion from staff and customers. Putting a plan in place to avoid inconsistencies, you have to first understand the need for consistent branding and why it really matters. These Calgary graphic design best practices show why it is relevant:

Clarity- Any issue of confusion will be mitigated, your staff and customers will know what your business stands for and what it is offering.

Authenticity- We are what we repeatedly do. When your branding is consistent, your customers see that your business identity is a projection what you really are and not just a marketing exercise.

Direction- The core values of your brand will be maintained by your executive teams and employees alike when your identity is consistent.

Professionalism- A consistent identity spells out professionalism, which gives the public the right perception of your business.

Trust- No one trusts a business in disarray. When discord is seen around the identity of your brand, you can be hardly trusted for business. Customers will turn to more consistent brands.

Creating a Brand Guideline

This is a business document of high importance that every professional brand should have. It is a handbook or document that ensures that all aspects of the business are aligned in the same direction. Your guideline should address the mission of your brand, the use of the logo, colours, graphic styles and photography, iconography, voice and tone, media formatting, fonts, differentiators and value propositions. Creating a brand guide can be time-consuming but it is a worthwhile investment!

Get Your Entire Team Onboard

Your brand guidelines should not be for your marketing team alone. It should be circulated throughout all the levels of your organization from the sales team to potential partners, who would be able to relate with those core values. The production department should be carried along too to ensure the brand’s style is visible on the design and packaging of the product. Third parties and freelancers associated with your business should also be made aware of the target. This will help them align with the brand, hence projecting a cohesive front.

Take an Inventory of Existing Material

You need to ensure that the guideline put in place is enforced. You can expect the desired results only when it is being enforced. Take an inventory of the existing materials and check if they are consistent with the brand’s guidelines. Make an update to the marketing tools at your disposal like business cards, videos, social media profiles and posts, blogs, web pages and brochures.

Redesign Where Needed

When you discover your marketing tools don’t align with your guidelines, you need to make the change. Ensure you do so to give all your resources a common identity. This will go a long way in creating bulletproof branding.

Plan Ahead

A plan is needed to get the job successfully done. You should not ignore this step as failure to plan will affect other aspects of your business. The absence of a plan to ensure you remain consistent with your guidelines will return you to your previous state of inconsistencies, hence the demise of your identity.

Create an Annual Schedule to Update Your Strategies

The evolution of your business with time is as important as maintaining a consistent identity. Ensure you review your business strategies as changes occur in the market and in your organization.

Review Your Design Elements Regularly

New trends and styles surface every now and then, one place you shouldn’t find your business is chasing the pack. So, you need to constantly look upon your design elements and ensure they are in line. Also, avoid making unnecessary changes.  Creating and sticking to a brand plan will ensure that your brand avoids the pitfalls associated with inconsistencies in identity. When you do so, you will achieve all the benefits of graphic design outlined.

Our Calgary graphic design team would love to help you create a unique brand for your business. Click HERE to learn more!