7 Secret Tips for Branding Your Interior Design Firm

7 Secret Tips for Branding

 

Putting an identifying brand on a business often breathes terror into the minds of designers, but it doesn't have to frighten you. There are several simple ways of putting a brand on your business that brings clients back and keeps you in the forefront of their thoughts when they need the products or services you provide. Below are seven helpful tips.

1. Know Your Business Purpose

What is the purpose of your business? Answer that question in ten words or less, and you suddenly have a purpose you can spout as an elevator speech. It's a simple process, and once you have it, the value multiplies exponentially. You can't beat a good elevator speech for relaying your purpose of business. Know the purpose of your design firm and why you exist. [4 Steps to the Perfect Elevator Speech]

 

2. Claim Your Identity

Once you have your purpose down to an elevator speech, you'll want to focus on one or two terms that identify your business. It might be your business name, or it might be the tag line - words that are not part of your business name that you use to identify your business.  For instance: a tax business is  called The Tax Office. The tag line is "Full Service Accounting". Both the name of the company and the tag line identify the business, online and in the local community. Do the same for your interior design firm.

 

3. Focus on Your Vision

Visualize your business as an office, not just any office, but the office you'd like to work in. See your ideal clients. See your staff and design team. See the business in your mind's eye, and focus on the part of the business that says "I'm Successful".  This can go a long way in helping to solidify your brand.

 

4. Add Color Power

In your vision, you probably had a sense of colors that moved you. Add those colors to your brand. These colors should speak success. For me, the colors that speak success are purple, red, or blue. Whenever I put together a business lead or header, I think of the colors that speak success to me and, somewhere in the design, I incorporate that color in a significant form. Do the same with the colors you love and that speak to you.

 

5. Breath Life into Your Brand

Motion [and form in  the form of a logo] brings your brand to life. I'm not necessarily speaking of actual movement. That can be distracting. What I am referring to is the illusion of motion [or form] that breathes life into your brand. You'll want to incorporate [that form] into your brand's logo. For instance: The Nike Swoop seems to flow and move. It is a solid line, no motion, but it flows. I've seen chandeliers, peacock silhouettes and birds in the case of Twitter. Remember these when branding your design firm.


 

6. Make it Memorable

Your logo must be seen in a flash, and identifiable after it's disappeared to be memorable. Graphics that speak loudly, and fast, make a hit impact. The best way to keep your ad flashing in their mind is to make it highly visible with contrast and design. Be certain to keep your logo simple enough to be recognized.

 

7. Simply Bring Them Back

This  also refers to memorability. When your brand uses all of these items, and is readily recognized, it will bring people back to see more of what you have to offer. Ask your clients if they remember your logo? If they do, ask them what they remember. Simple logos that use color, design, motion, and purpose are readily recognized. Make it work, by creating a brand logo that keeps your business in front of your clients. Do this and watch the potential of your design firm grow.

 

By Jan Verhoeff
Image by Stocksource

Jan Verhoeff knows the value of Brand Identification. She works with clients regularly to design Business Logos, Branding Identifiers that work for their businesses. Sign up for a FREE Subscription to The Branding Iron at http://brandyourmarket.com and schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation by phone.

The Interior Design Resource Agency

The Global Leader in Business Information Resources for Interior Designers

Bringing You the Business Behind the Business of Interior Design

+++