A company with a unique visual style creates a promotional link beyond clever advertising and catchy slogans. Symbols like McDonald’s golden arches and brown UPS delivery trucks have become iconic in our culture and create an enduring brand identity.
Create An Indelible Image
The design of a business’s visual identity doesn’t have to be complicated. Something as simple as a color scheme or the font of the display signage can embed the image of a business in a potential customer’s mind. An eye-catching logo is another good way to create identity and can easily be used on anything from visual displays to business letterhead.
Some companies work with marketing firms to create an image. Marketing is both a science and an art, and creating the right message may be more complicated than it seems. Other organizations are able to create strong visual styles without outside help, and these icons may grow organically as the business evolves. Both methods can create powerful images.
Incorporate The Style
Design of the business’s look is only the first step. It should form the core of an overall visual theme, starting with the company’s display signage. By creating a consistent look on signs and logos, from interior graphics to the building mounted architectural signage, the company identity is reinforced in the customer’s mind.
The theme can be extended to other aspects of the business. Design elements from the display signage can be incorporated into the decor of the business, design of the letterhead, or website graphics. The goal is to create a unified look that becomes a powerful symbol.
Updating The Look
Any business, even a multinational corporation, faces a dilemma when decidingwhether or not to alter the look of display signage.
Changing the image of an organization weakens brand identity in the mind of the consumer. This can happen even with minor updates such as updating a logo to a sleeker, more modern version. People used to the classic look don’t feel as strongly connected with the new imagery. A strong promotional campaign can rebrand the business with the new look but that increases the cost of the changeover.
However, retaining the old look of display signage can make the company appear stodgy and old-fashioned. As the new generation of consumers appears, they may view the business as something for their parents while they are attracted to competitors with updated new looks. A business that doesn’t appear modern runs the risk of becoming irrelevant, something that can happen very quickly.
There is no easy answer to the dilemma. It depends on the industry, the target consumer, and even a certain amount of luck. Consumers can be hard to predict and often businesses have to gamble on the right decision. What’s important is to have a strong visual identity that creates positive feelings in the mind of the public.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Display
Signage, visit http://www.WLConcepts.com/.