How to Use Design to Unify Your Branding

What is ‘your brand’? Do you actually have a brand? Find out how to use design to bring your marketing message together for effective branding.

Branding is so much more than getting the attention of whoever is looking at your product or store. It is about building a familiar image. A logo that can be recognized instantaneously is worth more than all the paid ads in the world, albeit it probably took quite a few paid ads to get there. 

You don’t want to have a different look for your website, and then a different look for your packaging, and another one for your store. You will want to use specific design strategies to enhance each medium to its fullest, but you will want each instance of your brand to feel familiar. 

 

A customer should feel confident that they are seeing your brand online, with your products, and in store. To do that, you need to unify your branding strategy: 

 

Online 

 

As most people will be buying or visiting your brand online, your website and social media presence is a good place to start. Now, though you want your brand to look unified you also need your website to be modern and usable in order to encourage customers through from homepage to checkout. 

To do this, have your website audited and then updated if necessary. If it has been awhile you can also use this time to update your marketing materials so that they are ready for the modern era. Photographs, illustrations, slogans, and even a new logo will go a long way online and offline. 

 

 

• Update the Website Itself 

 

 

You want your website to convey the right feel. A tech company will want to be modern and futuristic. A small local café will want to convey a homely feel. Know your brand and what people expect of it to drive your website redesign. 

What is non-negotiable is user friendliness and searchability. This means you need it to work well, be easy to find information, and be optimized for search engines. These technical components can be handled by outsourcing, so there is no reason to panic. 

 

 

• Update Marketing 

 

 

Update your marketing materials. Have a whole new set of photos you can use, text posts, and so on. Your marketing will, after all, be used on your website and your social media accounts. Try to create marketing for each specific channel as well.

 

If you want to create a buying guide to help customers decide which of your products is right for you then you can advertise this guide with: 

 

• A cover image for Pinterest 
• A series of great product images for Instagram 
• A helpful guide post for Facebook 
• Question or quiz posts for Twitter 

 

Do remember that when you create marketing destined to be online that you need items to market your overall brand and for any posts you make. 

 

In-Store
 

Though your store won’t look like your website brought to life, it should share similar design elements. Using the same font in store as you do online can help unify your brand identity without customers realizing it. 

The real trick is to find places to add these design elements that unify your brand without them becoming an eye sore. To do this, try to think of unique ways you can add imagery or logos throughout your store. You can use floor graphics to add a more dynamic effect to your store, especially if you opt for a more artistic approach to unifying your brand than just installing your logo on the floor. 

That being said, a big floor decal of your logo when you first walk in can be exactly what the doctor ordered, especially if your store has taken a more practical approach (like DIY, gardening, and similar stores do) rather than an artistic one. 

 

 

• Match the Color Scheme 

 

 

An easy way to make your store feel in harmony with your online presence is to have a matching color scheme. Use color theory to decide which colors suit your brand best. 

 

 

• Include Similar Design Elements 

 

 

The same logo, the same font, and even some of the same imagery will go a long way towards unifying your online and offline presence. 

 

 

• Think Outside the Box, But Keep the “Feel” the Same 

 

 

You don’t need to rehash everything from your website in some way in your store. Think outside the box. The only thing that matters is that your store has the same vibe as your website, and that is easy to do when you create an umbrella “BRAND IDENTITY” so that every element of your company reflects who you are and can be recognized online and in store. 

Product Marketing 

 

You want your product packaging to compliment your overall design. You will also want the packaging to look similar, so that they have a unified feel on the shelves or when ordered to the store. 

 

You can do this even if you sell a variety of products or products from a variety of brands. In these cases it is not the box the product comes in that matters, but rather the bag you leave your customers with. 

 

 

• Product Packaging 

 

 

Create beautifully thought out retail product packaging that uses many of the same design elements and simple smart thinking to wow your customer when they open your product. 

 

 

• Checkout Packaging 

 

 

For products purchased in store think about how you can improve their checkout process. Wrapping up clothes in tissue is an easy way to convey high end sophistication. A wonderful design for the bag you place the item in is another chance to wow your customers and advertise your brand as they go home. 

 

 

• Shipment Packaging 

 

 

Don’t get lazy if you are shipping a product to your customer. Think about how you can improve the design of your shipment packaging so that they can be equally thrilled when they receive it. 

 

Unifying your branding is one of the smartest moves that you can make as a business. It is the only way you can ensure your customers know it is your brand that they are looking at on all your platforms. It is how you can state proudly where your products are from. 

It is more than just a logo. It is an entire experience, so use the tips you have learned in this guide to redesign your marketing and unify your brand.