No matter the size of your business, clear and original branding paves the way to success. But it seems small businesses in the UK are not cutting the mustard when it comes to brand identity and that SMEs may need a helping hand to deliver a memorable brand experience.
Vistaprint’s Small Business Uniqueness Report reveals, as well as being unable to define their brand, everything from language to font to colour are copycat stumbling blocks for small business. Here are the key findings:
• 77% use more than one typeface in website copy and 51% use a minimum of three
• 74% repeat the same adjectives in website copy
• 46% choose blue for their branding, 21% choose grey and 18% choose red
Head of UK Marketing at Vistaprint, Jake Amos, commented: “There are so many brilliant creative and individual small businesses in the UK, however, there is a disconnect in how many of them communicate that individuality to the world. It can be overwhelming for small business owners when first starting out and knowing the best way to brand and market their business is an important step in their journey towards success. We created this report as we want to support small businesses in uncovering their unique qualities to help them better stand out from the crowd and achieve their vision”.
Calico’s branding mantra
Here are five reasons it’s important for you, as an SME, to “become” your brand:
Brand identity
Your brand should have its own unique identity, the more you immerse yourself in the brand the more you can understand it and communicate your brand message effectively to your customers. In the same way you should know yourself before embarking on a romantic relationship if you want it to succeed, you should be able to define your brand and your USP.
Brand empathy
Customers are more likely to buy from brands that they identify with so the more beliefs and values they share with you and your brand, the more likely they are to build lasting relationships with you. They may even become brand ambassadors who not only stay faithful but give excellent reviews on Google reviews and Facebook!
Confidence
While big brands can be bound by red tape which makes them less flexible and – dare we say it – less creative, SMEs have the freedom to go “no holds barred”, build a brand that really stands out from the crowd and develops with its customer base. Remember this and embrace it.
Consistency
Choosing a typeface, appropriate language and images, a tone of voice and colours that identify your brand are crucial. Using these consistently throughout all your marketing communications, from website copy and social media to brochures and banners, helps you to reinforce your brand so that it sticks in your customers’ minds. Don’t chuck around random fonts and memes that are out of character as they will only cause uncertainty and come across as inauthentic, which can lead to mistrust.
Positioning
As much as you might admire big successful brands that are hitting the nail on the head, refrain from trying to mimic the way they do things as, again, this smacks of inauthenticity. You need to make your brand unique and distinctive – make it your own and become it!
Enter professional design and branding services…
The Calico crew wholeheartedly agrees with Vistaprint’s Amos who said, “Small businesses were born to stand out from the crowd. That being said, it is always challenging to juggle different entrepreneurial roles when first starting out. As a result, there is a need for additional support. Businesses have individuality, they just need a helping hand and the tools to know how to communicate it,” and we invite you to check out our professional branding and logo design services to discover how we can help your SME fly.