Do You Need to Pull the “Weeds” in Your Branding?

I was recently pulling weeds at my parents’ house. At first glance, I didn’t see very many (which is why I decided to undertake this task) but the more I started pulling, the more weeds I started to see. All of a sudden, they were everywhere!

But once I started pulling the weeds, it was such a rewarding feeling. And the more I pulled, the better the garden looked overall.

It’s kind of like your branding—at first glance, you don’t see any problems. The “weeds” just seem to blend in. But once you really take a good look at the big picture, weeds, or should I say, problems, start to jump out at you.

But just like weeding, once you start to take care of those small branding inconsistencies and gaps, things start to look a whole lot better. And it’s such a great feeling!

Here are a few tips for keeping the “weeds” out of your branding:

• Conduct a quarterly branding audit: Print out hard copies of your branding materials and spread them out on a large table. Seeing everything at a glance helps to spot problems and missing elements
• Create brand guidelines: Your brand guidelines are an overview of the usage of logo, typography, color, imagery and layout, making it easier for everyone in your organization (as well as outside vendors) to stay on-brand when developing marketing or promotional materials
• Know your audience: Knowing exactly who you are speaking to can help keep your brand messaging and visuals clear and focused.
• Think before adding to your marketing mix: Adding marketing materials or channels you really don’t need can make your branding appear scattered and inconsistent

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