STEP 1
Logo & Branding
You need a brand first, not just a logo. A brand is the personality of your business. It’s the only tool on how your company is perceived. It is also your ultimate competitive advantage. With the sole purpose Of standing out!
What Is Brand Identity?
Brand identity is how customers, consumers, and other businesses view your company. It is the personality of your business. There are 12 personality archetypes, according to Carl Jung. Combining two or three of these archetypes together will determine where you fit in the customer’s mind. The goal of brand identity is to get those people to think of your business in a certain way, using, specific words, visuals and other media to get your Ideals across. The possibilities are endless. How do you want to be perceived? A brand identity is the control of just that. We have a strategy on how to create a brand that fits you.
Stand out from
the crowd
The ultimate goal of a brand is trust, and the only way to get trust is through consistency. More often than not, our team has to redesign or update the existing logo so we can engineer consistency into a project. Even though it’s the literal cornerstone of your business, many companies neglect their brand personality for the sake of getting to market sooner. But what’s the point if you rush to market for no one to take you seriously? Below are some of the logos we created and redefined.
The core elements of a brand
Your logo is just the tip of the iceberg.
When it comes to your visual identity, there are 3 major components to help keep your visuals consistent. It might not seem much, but the closer you stick to these guidelines the more trust you will build in the minds of your customers.
Your psychological identity is the sword you forge to craft your competitive advantage. Who do you serve? What problem do you solve and most dangerously why… If you can figure that out your company will stand the test of time.
Your "voice" is how
you choose to speak to
your "tribe."
That will determine how they will remember you. You can't invite everyone or you risk appealing to no one. Create a club a select few would want to be in."
Colour palette
Color is the first thing you see and the last thing you remember. Choosing the correct colors will impact how you set the tone. Blues and greens represent trust and tranquility, while Reds and yellows give off a sense of energy and excitement.
Typography
If words are the message, the typeface is the accent or the way it's spoken in. BIG BOLD AND ALLCAPS represent yelling, an italic or script typeface is seen as a softer or more seductive way of speaking. A Sans serif typeface can be portrayed as stern conviction, while a serif typeface is more relaxed and thoughtful. Hence why they're used in novels so often....
Visual patterns & styles
These are your images, visual structures, and patterns throughout your marketing collateral. Are your images black and white? Full color? Maybe Illustrated? Is there a hierarchy how you lay things out? Do you have repeating patterns or images? The more consistent these things are, the more specific the mood of your brand is.
vocal identity
What vocabulary do you use? What's your tone of voice? Silly or serious? Are you yelling or whispering? How you say it can be so much more important than what you say...
motion style
Consistent motion graphics and visual animations across all touch points will give the particular vibe you are trying to portray.
guiding principles
It's so much more than your mission vision and values. It's your impact and how you choose to make it.
There are 3 types of logos
Based on how much care time and effort you put into your brand, will determine how seriously people will take you. Some logos are better than others and there are 3 main criteria.
1 – does it look professional or mediocre?
2 – does it reflect the ideologies and values of the company?
3 – does it actually connect with your audience
In canada there are ultimately three levels a logo can be.
A basic logo
90% of Canadian businesses have this style of logo. It often looks mediocre, it rarely reflects the ideologies and values of the company. And it absolutely does not connect with your audience. Unless your product or service is kick ass, no one will take you seriously if you have a basic logo.
On our websites and graphic design plans, we offer this for free. If you don't care then why should we.
a good logo
Just 8% of Canadian businesses have this kind of logo. A good logo is well thought out with time and effort put into every visual decision. It looks professional and iconic, it reflects the ideologies and values of the company. Most importantly it's conveys to the audience who you are and how you can help them.
We can create you a good logo starting at $904.00 tax
A logo system / brand identity guidelines
Only the top 2% of Canadian businesses utilize a logo system. Want to play with the big boys like Nike and Apple? Then you need to come up with a set of rules of how your logo is displayed and most importantly how NOT to display it. This will convey a level of trust across all your touch points, so deep it's practically subliminal. It is the Natural Evolution of a good logo. You need to have a good logo first before you can even think about a system.
Brand identity guidelines
Do you need a logo and brand? If this is your only step, we recommend packaging all of your branding information as one cohesive book called a brand identity guideline. This will help future designers and team members to keep their project consistent visually and from a messaging standpoint.
Our brand package includes.
- The actual brand guidelines book and or digital PDF
- Color palette
- Typography Selection
- Visual Patterns
- Business card design
- letterhead Design
- Brand identity guideline
- Vocal Identity
- Guiding Principles
- Brand Personality Archetyping
Optional items
- Website design
- App design
- Packaging design
- Social media profile banners and post templates
- Outdoor and indoor signage
- Vehicle graphics
- Clothing, apparel and merch
- Letterheads and custom documents
- Motion Graphics
- Whatever else you could think of...
Let us know if you need help determining your brand identity! We’d be more than happy to set you on the right path.
The next chapter of that path is having a website that solves the unique issues of your business.
But what if I told you there's a secret logo level that nobody talks about...
Brand strategy
Want to turn your basic logo to a good one? Or determine the most clever rules of your brand identity? Brand strategy is the secret sauce woven between all three levels of your logo.
Brand strategy is the long-term blueprint defining who your company is. What is your purpose, values and identity. While marketing strategies are the tactics and actions used to communicate that identity and achieve business goals like sales and growth.
Think of the brand as the “what” and “why,” and marketing as the “how,” “where,” and “when” you tell people about it. Brand Strategy focuses on Long-term vision, company essence, emotional connection, positioning. Think to yourself, Why do we exist? What do we stand for? Who are we to our customers? What problems do we solve? Will the answers to these questions change or evolve over time?
It’s deeper than just making a profit. Our talented team at James Designs inc can help you determine a brand strategy that propels your business for generations to come. Contact us and we’ll show you how it’s done.
On To The Next Step!
Come join the
The industry waiting list.
We only work with 1 or 2 customers per industry. Our niche is Canadian domination. We don’t want to make you any competitors. First come first serve…
But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from our latest discoveries!
Join our exclusive newsletter to discover how to become the number 1 Authority in your industry.