Visual Branding – be deliberate and consistent!

It was both a pleasure and huge honour to be asked to speak last week at #SMPros14 in Brisbane on the subject “Visualise your Brand”. #SMPros14 is Australia’s leading Social Media Professionals training event, co-ordinated and staged by Zoe Wyatt of Social Media Shortcut.

Logo in vines

It was also a fun opportunity to think back and take a look at what Paradise Rescued has achieved over its short life as a brand. Yes, as a brand, not just a company, not a wine label, a brand. I can still remember the moment when I was first introduced to what a brand and branding actually meant and encompassed. More importantly, I learnt that it could also apply to Paradise Rescued, no matter how small we were or what our size we might choose to become. You don’t have to be Coca Cola, Shell or Apple to be a brand. The budget will be smaller but the customer perception can be stronger.

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The Paradise Rescued logo is the catalyst for our brand

The Paradise Rescued logo is the catalyst for our brand

Our talk was specifically related to Social Media but we took the interpretation a bit further. Using examples of our different SM platforms as highlights of how we operate our branding strategy, we were able to demonstrate the results of our tactical plan through what we have achieved. The tactical plan can best be summarised by the line: Be deliberate and consistent.

So firstly be deliberate. What does that mean? In short it means “Do It”. Go ahead and brand your business and every facet of it. Of course that starts with your product! But it doesn’t end there. Get your logo on anything and everything that relates to your business. Most people, who know our brand, appreciate how proud we are of our gorgeous PR vine logo. We place it on all our wine bottles – front and back, on our wine vats, barrels, paperwork, my computer, media, publications, price lists, etc. Anything and everything is an opportunity to showcase our brand. We want all our activity to be linked to our brand and our logo is the instantaneous reminder of that.

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Basking in the Bordeaux sun - Paradise Rescued Cloud9 Cabernet Franc basks in teh Bordeaux sunsine

Basking in the Bordeaux sun – Paradise Rescued Cloud9 Cabernet Franc

Secondly. Be consistent. Ensure that how you brand your company is carried out in a consistent manner. Select a colour scheme, decide how to use it and stick to it. Never let anyone be in doubt as to whether it’s your brand or not. If your current approach isn’t working, change it and develop a new one that aligns well with your organisation’s values, vision and values. If your products and services are high quality, adding significant value, don’t go with a cheap looking design and colour scheme. Get something appropriate. And then deploy it in a planned manner across your business, merchandise, products, stationery, etc. Everything!

Never forget, it’s your brand! Be deliberate and consistent. You want your customers and fans to know that it is you!

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