The importance of visual appeal.
As CEO of a marketing and website design company, I have seen dramatic improvements in ROI and market share for businesses that invest in branding services. Unfortunately, too many organizations rebrand only after a series of setbacks. Others fall into the trap of accepting a modest level of success, missing out on opportunities for growth.
Large corporations like Facebook’s New Logo and Google’s New Logo are more likely to ‘evolve’ their brands in subtle ways, with carefully calculated, research-based tweaks to their messaging. By contrast, the majority of mid to small-size organizations are hesitant to invest in rebranding because they have no clear idea how to assess their current marketing needs.
More than tweaking your company logo
But don’t take my word for it. We strongly recommend you assess your current situation with the following questions–
- Is your market share stagnant or lagging behind overall market growth? If so, you need to carefully research the current market to determine where it is going to better position your products and services moving forward. – Remember, without an exciting, credible brand image, you can’t stand out in a crowded market.
- If customer feedback shows a low or mediocre level of trust in your products and services, how can you begin to turn that around? VW, for example, is doing what it can to counter the intensely negative publicity that came with its recent emissions cheating scandal. It will take years before we know whether those efforts are succeeding.
- Is your business doing respectably, but facing more competition than a few years ago? What advantages do your fastest-growing competitors offer? What elements of their messaging resonate as applicable to your business?
- What are your unique strengths? Those advantages are likely to include some combination of industry standard-setting customer service, technological innovation and/or superior products/services. Drilling down further, can you provide concrete examples to bring those advantages to life for current and potential future customers?
- By contrast, if business is good, are you overlooking ways to update your brand to accelerate growth by taking advantage of future market developments?
- Have you recently launched new products or services? If so, you absolutely need to update your marketing and brand to promote those new offerings with current and potential customers.
- Are you a tech-based company? If so, change is continual and dramatic. You will need frequent rebranding initiatives to stay agile, credible and competitive.
- Finally, are you failing to attract premium talent and/or struggling with a high turnover rate? If so, rebranding will help but isn’t enough. This deadly dynamic demands sweeping changes to your organizational culture and structure.
Conclusion
As a designer, I can’t overstate the importance of the visual appeal of your website, social media formatting and other marketing materials. That, combined with a research-based written content that highlights your strengths, pitched to the right demographic, constitutes a sure-fire formula for future business success.
