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The BEST-CASE SCENARIO Survival Presentation
BRAND IDENTITY
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THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO You have the full support
of your administration and colleagues. You have
all the tools, talent and money to pull off a
full scale, organization-wide branding
program. Everybody within your organization
loves everything you do, and you win lots of
industry awards. Your efforts pay off with
measurable results that catapults your
organization into stratospheric success. You win
the Nobel peace prize for bringing order and
clarity to a visually troubled and confused
public. You get something out of this
presentation that will help you either personally
or professionally or both.
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Branding.
Who are you? Branding is about mind and
emotional share. Its about how you want your
customers, clients, community, and cohorts to
think about YOU.
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What a Brand Identity does for your organization.
Demonstrates enduring values of local, national
and global efforts. Builds familiarity with
work. Clearly differentiates you from
others. Raises profile to create impact with
consistency from market to market. Helps to
promote a meaningful relationship with your
customers and clients.
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The mark of a great Brand Identity.
A great brand knows itself. Is in for the long
haul. Taps into emotions. Tells a story that is
never completely finished. And has consistency
and integrity in design. In other words, a great
brand identity is an organizations committed,
and supportive partner.
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Elements that express your Brand Identity.
Consistent and correct use of your brand identity
will communicate the fundamental values and
qualities of your organization through look and
feel. And it will significantly increase the
stickiness factor of your brand. The essential
elements of a brand identity system
are Language Photography Typography Color S
ignature Design Layout Production Guidelines
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Language.
Its not only what you say, but HOW you say
it. Informed language choices complement
compelling graphics in a visual identity
system. The style of writing underscores how
your organization best expresses itself through a
wide range of media.
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Formal outlets for expression.
One-on-one relationships Television Radio Magazine
s Newspapers Web sites Direct Mail Email Newslette
rs Brochures Scientific journals Annual
reports Video and film Presentations Special
Events Signs, displays and exhibits Your
voicemail!
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Photography. A few pointers.
Use a photo before an illustration when you want
to tell it like it is to your audience. A bad
photo beats a bad illustration any day. If you
are the photographer. Find something interesting
about your subject. The color, shape, background,
location, activity, etc. Photos should tell a
story. Point of view. Move yourself around the
subject. Look up. Look down. Sit on the floor, or
stand on a chair. Reduce red eye. have people
look at a light before you shoot them. This will
reduce their pupil size. Use a flash outdoors if
the subjects face is hidden in shadow.
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Photography. A few more pointers.
When shooting people, get rid of as much clutter
around them. (e.g. stuff on their desks, walls.)
The exception is if they had an enormous amount
of clutter and that was the subject of the
story! People with glasses should tilt their
head slightly to avoid reflection in the
lenses. Arrange groups of people so that they
relate to one another or to their shared
activity. Keep the camera stable (unless youre
going for blurry). If you are not the
photographer. Tell them what you want, and get
out of the way!
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Cropping that photograph.
Crop to the area of interest. Ask yourself what
visual information is important to the story.
Salvage a bad photo by cropping out the fat.
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Nice shoes.
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Scanning photos.
Scan at least twice the lpi at 100. Newspapers
print at 85-100 lpi so scan images at 170-200
dpi Magazines print at 133-150 lpi so scan
images at 266-300 dpi Printers screen at 133-150
lpi so scan images at 266-300 dpi Check your
printer/publication spec sheet for line res.
For Digital Presentations or a Web site.
Applications such as PowerPoint, use 72 dpi
jpegs. Digital Photos. Convert to desired
resolution and color mode (Grayscale, RGB, or
CMYK) before placing in medium.
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Type basics.
Creative, consistent type use enhances the
message and expresses a brand personality.
Fonts Select one or two typefaces that impact
consistency and emotion in your publications.
Usually a serif font is used for titling and most
text, while a sans serif is the secondary
typeface used for subheads, captions, charts,
etc. Use a minimum of 9 point type and a maximum
of 14 point type for body copy. Be aware of your
audience age. Use judgment with column width and
leading (line spacing) when using a specific font
size.
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Type. A little testing is a good thing.
This is a test to see what font at what size with
what leading reads and looks best in a similar
sized column width. You should do this for
publications with a lot of body copy especially
newsletters and brochures.
This is a test to see what font at what size with
what leading reads and looks best in a similar
sized column width. You should do this for
publications with a lot of body copy especially
newsletters and brochures.
This is a test to see what font at what size with
what leading reads and looks best in a similar
sized column width. You should do this for
publications with a lot of body copy especially
newsletters and brochures.
This is a test to see what font at what size with
what leading reads and looks best in a similar
sized column width. You should do this for
publications with a lot of body copy especially
newsletters and brochures.
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The backbone of a Brand Identity is called your
Signature.
The elements of an organizations
signature. Logotype The specially set typestyle
for the name of your organization. Symbol A
logo or visual that is attached to your identity.
It is usually in the same place with your
logotype on all collateral. A well executed logo
can tell the whole story of a business. A logo
is your flag. . Symbol color Always use the
same color for your symbol. Tagline The words
that your company uses for your mission, motto,
message, etc.
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Care and feeding of your Signature.
Consistent Use Did we mention that the
CONSISTENT application of a brand signature for
your organization is essential to building
familiarity and visibility and to protect your
trademark rights?! Creating boundaries for the
troops. Proper Placement of Signature Proper
Clear Space around your logo Minimum Size of
logo When co-logoing is appropriate, etc. List
the don'ts for your organizations logo use. Some
examples Do not rearrange or alter the
established configurations Do not substitute
other typefaces Do not skew, stretch or condense
the signature Do not add effects such as drop
shadows or ghosting
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Looking at the bigger picture.
Your approach to a unified design and layout
takes broad stroke thinking on your part, and an
almost obsessive effort to adhere to the
principles and guidelines set forth in your
organizations brand identity manual. You will
be challenged to find and create compelling
images, evocative colors, expressive typography,
and enlightening language to create something
that tells the world who you (organization) are.
The result is that the reader/viewer becomes
connected with you and your message. You are
creating fans for your brand.
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Business Stationary.
Letterhead Pre-printed letterhead may be used
for various business documents, including general
letters, memoranda or facsimiles. You can even
select the font and size for your letters, memos,
faxes, etc. This also applies to business cards,
envelopes, note cards, etc. Business cards often
create the first impression of your
brand. Envelopes and mailing labels are the
external shell of your brand. They are seen first
when mail is received and also need to maintain
consistent standards. Create templates for
letterhead and business cards, envelopes.
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Brochures Booklets.
Brochures and booklets must have a quick impact
and a lasting impression. Some
guidelines Correct and discerning use of
color Relevant images Smart and clear
copy Correct use of signature elements Within
budgetary constraints Meets desired goals
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Newsletters.
Newsletters are time-intensive and costly to
produce, so consider whether this vehicle is the
most strategic way to engage a specific audience.
Other communications tools may be more
effective at reaching audiences traditionally
served by newsletters. Some guidelines Correct
and discerning use of color Relevant images Smart
and clear copy Correct use of signature
elements Within budgetary constraints Meets
desired goals
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Annual Reports.
Annual reports are an important branding tool.
They can aid in fundraising by communicating
your work to major donors, trustees and other key
audiences. They also provide an overview of your
organization to policymakers, research
organizations, and other important
constituencies. Some guidelines Correct and
discerning use of color Relevant images Smart and
clear copy Correct use of signature
elements Within budgetary constraints Meets
desired goals
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All the other stuff.
Special publications such as cards, invitations,
board meeting programs, posters and calendars can
and should be part of the brand identity all
the way down to the Post-it notes. Create a
PowerPoint template that uses the font, colors
and visual/verbal style of your brand identity.
Introduce figures and graphs very simply by not
adding a lot of data to each slide, but build on
the information. And follow the guide lines!
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Signage. Also known as wayfinding. Also known as
environmental graphics.
Signs provide identification and directional
guidance for the locations of your organization.
Make a bold statement, so that you have
immediate recognition. Include your logo!
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Grid and bear it!
Templates and grids can save time, money and take
the guesswork out of CONSISTENT communication.
A grid is a series of vertical and horizontal
guidelines which provide structure for consistent
and organized placement of typography and other
visual elements. A template is an open container
with pre-established grids so that you can dump
in the content. Your figures and graphs can also
be based on a grid system. This is all part of
the brand build.
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Grid Sample.
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Grid Sample.
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Pick papers that fit your brand and budget.
Pick a few papers and use them throughout all
your publications. This will save time, money and
a lot of frustration for your organization.
And, of course, consistent use of the same
papers will help build your brand
identity. Paper Stock Use a paper finish that
succeeds in transmitting the feel of your
organization and is sensitive to your viewer. For
example, if your primary audience are people over
85, dont use glossy finishes they cause a
glare problem. Color printed products will
achieve the greatest impact if printed on white,
smooth paper stock of good quality. Avoid flecked
paper stocks as photos and type become muddy on
the page. Use these for covers.
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Vendors and how to save some money.
The lowest quote does not necessarily produce the
best overall results. It is a good idea for most
projects to get at least three comparative print
bids. The more complicated the job is, the more
money it will cost. The higher the quantity, the
smaller the unit cost. Bleeds cost more because
you need more paper. Design using standard sheet
sizes. (e.g. 8 ½ x 11) Ask the printer how you
can trim a bid. Use stock photography.
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A branding mantra.
Never do chintzy in any of your organizations
print, broadcast, or collateral materials. If
your print, broadcast or collateral piece is
chintzy, then your message is chintzy. Give
everything value!
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Did you do your assignment?
Everything adds up to C O N S I S T E N C Y
! Forms, notepads, stationery, brochures all
contribute to the companys image. Like the vote
it really counts! The goal of all branding is
an emotional tie between your organization and
your client or customers. It's not just slapping
a logo on a coffee mug ... remember, it's your
identity.
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