We wish we had these branding tips when we started. When we started as AKGraphics back in 1994 as a graphic design company we specialised in one thing – great graphic design. We did exactly what you’d expect a print based company to do. Since then, we’ve evolved from a design studio into a digital marketing agency.
Now, we still do graphic design. It’s core to a lot of work we do – especially brand building services and marketing campaigns. But we felt that while AKGraphics was a pretty snazzy name back in the day – it doesn’t really reflect what we do or who we are today. We are more than graphic designers. We take everything into account. And we needed a brand that was fit for purpose. Check out the following branding tips and what we learned.
Introducing our new brand
Introducing anne+co. a new name for a whole new service offering. It’s more than that though. We wanted our name to tell a story about who we are as an agency. This updated name says more emphatically that we are approachable and friendly. It says when you work with us you are part of the team. Together we create, grow and manage your brand using a combination of design and strategy.
What does branding mean/what does it entail?
Branding is more than a new logo and name change. It’s your entire personality and value system as a company. Branding is what actually does the hard part of connecting with your customers. This is done though everything from your colour palette and font choice to brand voice. If your brand is bland then your company is at a disadvantage. It’s a tricky thing to get right really that’s why we kept things simple. Minimalist design is at the heart of anne+co. It was important that we be progressive, premium yet relatable.
Is your branding fit for purpose?
So what about your branding? How does it stack up against the competition?
Here are a short checklist to get you started:
- Website:
- What are people’s first impressions?
- Is it easy to find all the information a customer need?
- How’s your grammar and brand tone of voice?
- Are you speaking your customer’s language?
- Logo:
- What does your logo say about your company’s personality and values?
- Is it memorable?
- Does it stand out from the competition?
- Is it legible across all your branded materials (digital and print)?
- Branded materials
- Assess everything that your customers and potential customers first touchpoints interact with – everything from signage, pitches and presentations to vehicle graphics, advertising and branded clothing, brochures
- Are these reflective of your brand personality?
- Are they consistent in colour and language?
- Brochures – ads If you picked them up would they interest you enough to get in touch?
- Social Media:
- Are you relatable and engaging?
- Do you offer valuable content to your followers?
- Competitors:
- What do you notice about their brand positioning?
- Is there anything they are excelling at that you need to take note of?
- What are people engaging with on their social channels?
We challenge our clients – if something isn’t fit for purpose we tell them. And the same was true of our branding. AKGraphics was no longer reflective of what we offer as an agency. We are a full digital service agency. We’re still passionate about design, it’s at the heart of everything we do, but we also offer a range of services too including:
