Brand management isn’t at the top of the to-do list at many print services companies. There are so many other things demanding attention that working on the brand doesn’t seem important. Printing
companies often relegate branding to the “when we have time” category of business tasks, which might be a mistake.
It’s possible to run a successful business supported by referrals and repeat business without spending much time on creating and nurturing your brand, but future growth may depend on it. A strong brand establishes a professional image and helps shape the perception customers and prospects have about a printing company.
Printing is a competitive business. Every print service provider competes with local, national, and even international competitors, who all offer similar services. Differentiating your company and helping people remember you are big benefits of a brand strategy.
Not Just for Big Companies
Large organizations spend a great deal of money to manage their brands. Why? A brand identity builds familiarity, trust, and credibility among current and prospective customers. Brand management adds an aura of professionalism to a company’s reputation.
Smaller printing companies have the same needs. They have limited budgets and an abbreviated target audience, but they still need to stand out among the many companies that can supply their customers with printing services.
Branding helps customers recognize the business. Branding materials help them remember your company and what you do. When your marketing efforts include consistent branding elements, they become links in a chain of impressions that customers and prospects build in their minds regarding your company.
A branding strategy combines messaging and other content with visual elements. Brands can convey your organization’s values and personality. Ideally, your brand should tell a story that connects with your target audience.
Creating Your Brand Identity
Your brand communicates the image your company wants to portray to the public. The elements that make up your brand should be consistent with your company’s core values and mission. Before working on the mechanics of brand building, think about why your company exists, how you do business, who you serve, and why it matters.
Colors, Typography, and Logos
As you know from your own experience in the printing industry, colors and fonts shouldn’t be arbitrary choices. They are part of your image and connect with human emotions. Once you choose a color palette and typefaces, stick with them across all mediums and platforms. For this reason, take care to make sure that the elements are easily accessible and reproducible in various online applications and in print.
Typefaces should reflect your company’s personality but be sure you can render text your audience
can read. Something fancy may work for titles or headlines, but keep the body text fairly simple.
Logos can be graphic images, symbols, or word marks. Be sure your logo is scalable and create multiple versions. You’ll want presentations in horizontal and vertical orientations. Also create versions you can use for dark backgrounds and light backgrounds. Logos should be memorable, relevant to your business, and easily recognizable as being yours.
Because they appear just about everywhere, logos are one of the most important elements of your brand. Spend the money for logo design and keep revising until you are pleased with the result. Logo changes can be an expensive and time-consuming effort, so be prepared to use your logo for a long time.
Voice
Choose a voice for your brand and, again, be consistent in its use. Does your company cater to financial institutions or law firms? Your brand voice will probably be mostly professional and formal. Alternatively, if your company image is more fun and fanciful, the words and sentence structure you choose will be more relaxed.
It’s OK to vary the tone of your content depending on the situation. You may be enthusiastic when describing an exciting new service offering like promotional items but solemn and compassionate if you’re discussing the reasons for instituting a price increase.
Leveraging Your Brand Identity
The elements of your brand will appear everywhere. The more often your customers see your brand, the easier it will be for them to remember you. For your brand to be effective, your target audience must see it and associate your brand with positive emotions.
Here are a few places where your logo, typefaces, colors, and sometimes your voice will appear.
Printed Items
Business cards, invoices, packing slips, packaging, correspondence, and direct mail marketing.
Online
Website pages, banners and pop-ups, social media posts and articles, digital ads, podcast/webinar hosting events or podcast/webinar appearances, and email signatures.
Other
PowerPoint presentation slides, trade show booth, exterior and interior signage at your facility, and uniform shirts.
Branding Isn’t Optional
Your brand is a part of your print services business. A brand helps tell your story and makes you stand out in the customers’ minds. It becomes the anchor for all your advertising and marketing efforts. Taking the time to establish, refresh, or expand the use of your company brand is a worthwhile best practice. Customers often consider printing a commodity—one printer is just as good as the next. Use a strong brand to build lasting customer connections that strengthen your position among the competition.