Audacious Branding

This post is about a variation of an old adage: “Do what I say, not what I do!”. In this case, it should read: “Do what I say, and what I do!”.

I know, it sounds like we are bragging, but we really are not…Whenever I hand out my business card people always stop to tell me how much they love the name Audacity.  It stands out.  It grabs your attention.  It intrigues and fascinates.  It literally is audacious. The name and brand identity were developed using the most advanced strategic branding techniques available, to generate that “wow effect” we are getting. Same techniques we use for our happy clients.

This is called ultimate brands engineering.  “Engineer” is an important word as we are strategically building brands. Our solutions bridge the gap between strategy and creativity, taking our clients where they never thought they would go, in a new truly innovative space.

That can be scary sometimes, but as Seth Goden, author of The Purple Cow, said: “boring is always the riskiest strategy”.  The same is true of brands – the more exciting, audacious, and compelling a brand can be, the more engaged the customer base will become.  It is crucial that companies take the time to truly evaluate and strategically implement tools to maximize brand potential.

Understanding the current personality of your brand, the ideal personality of your brand, and in turn, the most effective positioning for your brand’s future are just the first few steps for strategic branding.  It takes dedicated management, differentiated positioning, consistent communication tools, and true comprehension in order for your brand to become authentic and engaging.

Remember, the most successful brands are not measured by their bottom line, but rather by the experience they deliver and the relationships they have produce.  So take the time to strategically cultivate a brand that is exciting, intriguing and memorable.

The Impact of Color

When you think of some of the world’s most famous brand identities you may think of Coca-Cola’s red, Tiffany’s blue, Starbucks’ green, or McDonald’s yellow arches.  All of these colors were strategically chosen and implemented to effectively impact targeted markets.

Color is one of the most important brand identity elements for a company to consider.  Not only do colors have a significant impact on people’s (both customers and employees) emotional state, but they can also greatly impact physiological, psychological, and sociological associations.

Yellow represents happiness and cheer.  Red increases people’s speed and conveys power.  Orange makes an item appear more affordable.  White showcases clean, fresh perspectives.  And black can be perceived as mysterious, sophisticated, and elegant.

The color blue tends to have a calming effect on people. Blue’s relaxation ability allows for higher reading retention and concentration, making it a favorite among many companies.  As a result, a strong majority of companies choose blue to be involved with their brand identity…the only problem is that it is hard to stand out in a crowd of blue when you are also blue!

Some of the most legible colors are red, green, and yellow – which is no surprise considering stoplights!  And softer colors have a calmer, relaxed effect and also allows for greater retention levels.

Yet, no matter what type of lasting impression these colors may have on consumers, additional brand elements including shapes, sounds, names, avatars, etc. also play into the brand identity for each company.  Understanding how best to showcase your brand elements is a strategic process that takes time, research, and some creative genius.