Author: Caroll Atkins

Branding vs. Brand Identity Design

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

You have finally found the perfect name for your business. Now it’s time for a cool new logo to represent that business. One that gets attention and compliments and yes, bring the customers calling. Your logo is your brand after all. Whoa, is it really your brand? Is a logo a brand? Unfortunately many people mistakenly believe their logo is their brand. It is not. It is part of your brand identity design which in turn is part of your branding strategy. Confused? For a clearer understanding of what is your brand and what is brand identity design, please read on.

I started my entrepreneurial career as a graphic designer 13 years ago. Several years in, I was led to explore brand styling, mostly because of instinct and logic. You see, my instinct told me for years, “do not let a customer come to you needing a logo mark without educating them on exactly what that is and what they must know about their brand before getting one.” At that point most of my clients would say, “the logo is my brand, that is what I want a brand!” Many of my clients seemed more interested in something that was anywhere from cute to cool. Most of them knew very little about the market their business was hoping to attract let alone what that market would think is cute or cool and more importantly why. They gave very little thought if any to how they wanted a potential customer to feel once they saw their logo. Thinking about the customer’s emotions to their brand was just not on their radar.

13 years ago, branding was very new to my clients and probably to a lot of other people. What was clear back then is that many were simply looking for brand identity design.

Brand Identity Design: how a business wants to be perceived by its customers. Through brand identity design a brand will communicate with its niche. The brand identity is a cohesive message that uses a name, logo, imagery and various styles.

Branding: this is the purposeful and intentional actions a business takes to reveal its promise and to elicit a favorable emotional reaction from its target audience.

Brand identity design, branding, logo

Even today, there are still a lot of misconceptions between what is a brand identity design, branding or even a logo. Keeping my above definitions in mind, it is clear to see that a logo is part of brand design identity plan and an element used in branding. To make sure your business is as strong and solid as it can be, you need branding. Your branding must be consistent and it must be thoughtful. Many of my clients would say to me, “I just need a logo, that should be enough for my brand and if I really do need branding, can’t I just do it later?” At this point I would inform them whether they knew it or not, as soon as you expose any part of your business to the public, be it through sales, advertising or simply discussing it with people, you have started the process of branding. Is what you are doing and saying consistent, thoughtful, informative with a specific brand personality, tone and voice that you have given purposeful thought too? Do you have a brand design identity plan to introduce the target audience to your brand’s promise? These are the elements you want to make sure are always in place when you are promoting your brand. These elements help to build your brand. So as you can see, in all actuality brand identity design is part of branding.

Branding and brand identity working together

Once you have the branding foundation which will include the business’ core values, mission and vision statements, personality, tone and voice, you can use it to create the visual aspect or the brand identity of your business. Remember branding is about creating an experience for your customer. The brand identity will help to express this visually and give your brand a cohesive, memorable and professional look and feel.

Conclusion

I hope this article helped to clarify the difference between branding and brand identity design. Please take some time before you design your brand’s identity to understand several aspect about what your target audience is like, what they value, what their problems to be solved are and most of all how you would like them to feel and what experience you would like them to have with your brand.

If you are looking for an experienced brand stylist who will help you create and express the intangible elements of your branding into strategic, thoughtful and impactful visuals, please contact me at Caroll Atkins Creatives.

Do you know the difference between branding and brand identity design? What does that mean to you and how do you define it?

Caroll Atkins, Brand Stylist / Creative Director

Should You Brand Yourself or Your Business?

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

Now that start-ups and business owners are realizing the awesome power of having an engaging, informative and helpful brand, there seems to be some confusion as to who or what exactly to brand, themselves or their business. This can be a bit confusing when you are the business, however here are some guidelines that may help you make the best decision.

A personal brand means that you are branding around yourself in a personalized manner. Typically businesses that carry your name are those who would choose to self brand.

A business brand is created to help consumers understand the identity of your business, its promise to them and what it’s benefits are. The business typically is independent from your name.

When it is appropriate for a personal brand

Personal brands are really great if you are a one-person business. The flexibility it offers you is desired especially if you have a few different focuses that you deal with. Also, you may choose to drop a certain focus and add a new one with very little disruption or confusion to the business or to your niche. Actors, speakers, authors, consultants, artists and coaches are all industries that are perfect for utilizing personal branding. Associating your name and face with your various expertise and products is ideal for getting engagement.

However, you should consider some potential drawbacks. Your personal name does not say exactly what you do, so you will have to work hard to associate your name with your services/products. A slogan can help tremendously in this area. Also, using Twitter and social media along with blogging and interviews will help people make the connection. This can be quite a lengthy process before you can achieve this connection.

The one thing I will say should be a strong reason why you should think twice about creating a personal brand is if you do not like the idea of being your own salesperson. You will have to sell and you will have to be good at it. If you are shy and seriously introverted, this may not work for you.

When building a business brand is the best option

The first thing very apparent is you will need a name. And this has to be a good name, no a great name if you want to make an impact that connects well. The name has to connect to your niche, conveying what you do and what you are known for. There may be some trial and error here, to put it bluntly you will have to work! But for most it is exciting work as you ponder what that perfect name will be.

When thinking about your business, you should have a vision and a mission statement that effectively spells out what you want your business to do, how it will do it, when and for whom. You should also do the work to know exactly where you should position your business in the market. In addition, a business brand will benefit tremendously from having a brand message that it can share with potential customers. It will have them quite anxious to experience your brand. Last but not least, all the work you have done to grow your business, allows you the ease of selling it without the potential complication that it carries your personal name.

As with the personal brand, the business brand can have some potential setbacks. Changing what you offer products and/or services and deciding to go in a whole new direction can be a very difficult choice in that you may loose your hard earned niche. All the work you did that correlated with the current products and services will no longer be applicable and that may even include the name. It would probably be best if you just start another business and not many will desire this route nor can afford it.

Here’s my suggestion…

When I get a client that has a business that could potentially be a personal brand even though at the time they may want to establish it as a business brand, I encourage them to do both. I tell them that as they build that business brand, don’t forget to take every opportunity to let their niche know who the owner is behind the brand. Do things like interviews, blogging, social media etc. where they can have a presence promoting a specific focus. For example, if you are building a law partnership practice, you should take the time to promote your own area of expertise in law. Whether it be divorce, corporate, etc. Let consumers know which area you are an expert in and with that all the causes and endeavors that your participate in. This gives the brand added dimension and interest without taking away from its main focus.

In my opinion, if you still cannot decide, this may be the most sensible option for you.

Caroll Atkins, Brand Stylist / Corporate Director
Insta: @CarollAtkinsCreatives / Twitter: @CarollAtkins

Branding Vs. Marketing: What’s the Difference, and Which is Primary

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

I continuously get the question, “what is the difference between branding and marketing?” Some believe that they are in fact one in the same. Well, they are in fact quite different with only few similarities, but they are connected. Knowing the difference between branding and marketing is essential, because as a business owner effectively utilizing both of them will help with your brand’s success.

What is branding?

Branding is telling the story of who you are via your imagery, colors, verbal and written content and logo. It is your promise to your client. It is a strategy that you use to inform customers what is unique about you. Having well thought out answers to the items below helps you build trust with your customers one of the hallmarks of branding:

  • Your Mission Statement
  • Brand Positioning Statement
  • Brand Value Proposition
  • Brand Message
  • Brand Voice & Tone
  • Brand Personality

This will also help your consumers know exactly what they can expect of you and what experience they can expect to have. This is the starting point for your marketing efforts.

What is marketing?

Marketing is your efforts to build awareness to your brand. It is essentially the use of various tools to deliver your brand’s message. Unlike your branding, marketing evolves and it also changes. It can be vast and wide and it can be applied to focused sectors of your niche. There are many ways to market:

  • Radio
  • Print Campaigns
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Mobile
  • Television
  • Pay Per Click
  • Content Marketing

To be sure, there are more methods of marketing and these methods will change and more will be added. However, when it comes to branding, that rarely if ever changes.

Branding or Marketing, which is primary?

What you have no doubt come to see is that your branding drives your marketing. It is at the core of your marketing efforts simply because it gives marketing the fodder it needs to create strategy campaigns that show your business’ culture, message, values and core competencies. So, yes branding comes first. Remember, I said that branding is all about defining who you are and you must know who you are before you can effectively market to others. Your branding is what creates loyalty in your consumers and makes them want to keep coming back for more. Any business can market to consumers, they may even have the same products and services you do, however if that consumer loves your brand and the benefits it derives from it, you have created brand equity with them and that keeps them loyal. A marketing campaign does not give your consumers the quality, culture and communication they desire, it is their every interaction with your brand that does that. Your marketing attracts consumers.

In summary…

Your branding is what builds connection with consumers. It makes whatever success you may currently have even bigger. It is your branding principals that consumers point to as their reason for patronizing your brand. Your branding is your “secret sauce” and your marketing is an extension that allows consumers to know that you have a secret sauce and what that entails. Your branding is what makes your business truly unique.

Caroll Atkins, Brand Stylist / Creative Director
Insta: @CarollAtkinsCreatives

Why Brand? What is the benefit?

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

Are you still on the fence about whether or not you should invest your time and money in creating a brand? Do you look at major companies out there and think that they can afford to brand because they have the resources to do so. Or, because of their size it is easier for their branding to “catch on” so investing in branding makes it worthwhile. Many tend to think of these reasons or some variation, however this is truly not the case.

Benefits of branding

I can agree that starting a business in today’s market can be daunting because the market is very saturated, but it is not impossible and the tools available today can help you do so much more with so much less. So, if you have decided to push through, this is one of the main reasons you should seek the benefits of creating a brand. Business’ that do well are those who find ways to let the customer know they are special and valued. These businesses also tout their uniqueness and their overwhelming desire to solve their customer’s issues. They have discovered what their “secret sauce” is and realize that getting the word out is highly beneficial to their business. Also, making sure that the market is aware of their brand value and brand message further helps create brand equity with customers.

So, what are some of the major benefits of creating a brand?

Just because you have a business does not mean you have a brand. Brands are created. Building a brand encompasses such things as your logo, color palette, language, imagery, value and ideals. It takes a conscious effort to make sure all these things are in place, consistent and followed. Below are some of the major benefits of creating a brand.

Building customer loyalty – Nothing shows a customer that they are valued and solutions for their needs and issues are actively being worked on like branding. Branding has rules and values that they adhere to. As long as the brand keeps living up to these, their clients will be happy. Knowing what your customer values about you and look to you for, will help your brand stay in touch and increase loyalty.

Easier to launch a new product – with customer loyalty, launching your new products is much easier. While catering to your customer base, you will inevitably be aware when they need new products and/or services. Being focused on them will afford you the ability to grow your product line with products that they will both need and value.

Increase value – with great customer loyalty and the ability to successfully launch new products, you will no doubt increase your company’s value. Customer participation is very valuable to your business, it can make or break it. Not just your tangible assets but, how your customer feels about your business goes into deciding the value of your company. Branding and its wide ranging techniques all work to help build brand equity and increase value.

Allows for higher prices – without the benefits that branding offers chief of which is reliability, quality, and responsiveness a company may find it hard to price their product above what the current market pricing is. It is proven that customers will pay more if they perceive bigger and better value. So, how can you get across that you offer better, more reliable or more unique value if you are not branding?

If these reasons are not enough for you to start working on building an amazing brand, then consider this…market share. As I said before, this saturated market can cause many to sink however good branding, strong branding is the ultimate solution and life saver.

Caroll Atkins
Brand Stylist / Creative Director
Insta: @CarollAtkinsCreatives

Fenty Beauty Brand, Queen of Shade

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Robyn Rihanna Fenty has served major shade (40 shades to be exact) on the beauty industry and many of its prominent makeup brands with the release of her Fenty Beauty line.

Executing a successful brand launch
We always hear that the beauty market is crowded and launching new products that will gain any kind of attention and survive in the market is difficult at best. Don’t tell that to Rihanna. She took over 2 years to develop her makeup line. She no doubt studied what is wrong and who is underserved, neglected and unappreciated and proceeded to create products that beautifully serves that niche. Couple that with benefits that include some of the most sought after visual effects, trailblazing colors, tremendous value, quality and affordability, my friends, you have a winning product that is creating major buzz.

This is how you successfully launch a brand!

As if that was not enough, people are simply besotted with the packaging. Not only was the packaging simple, clean, fresh and as she states girly, it is functional as well. Many of the items have a built in magnet that helps the products stay together, a functional aspect that helps keep your products together and easy to find. In the development of products, packaging is a notorious area many tend to give only an after thought. They fail to realize that great, creative packaging adds to the overall experience of your brand.


What is unique about Fenty Beauty?
So what it the big deal about Rihanna’s products that it is demanding such great attention other than the fact that she is a major recording artist? Well, Riri did something few if any beauty brands has done, she launch a skin foundation line that includes 40 shades, from the palest white to the deepest chocolate, with several color choicest in the deepest color range. Not only are those color ranges virtually unheard of, what makes them unique is that their formulation address various undertones in the skin (ex. yellow, red, pink etc.) and is light wearing providing a natural and comfortable feel for the user. There is virtually no other product out there that does all this at once. One single application stoke of the product and users were immediately impressed. This product is something so many have been looking for and simply thought was not doable. Rihanna says “Fenty Beauty was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.” 

Take note, brand lesson learned
Rihanna now has many major brands scrambling to let clients know they have colors for darker skin tones as well. To be clear, some brands did have some darker color foundations, however they failed to adequately market this. A lot of consumers did not even know they existed. Also, they may only have one or two colors in the darker range which is hardly enough to effectively serve the market which is ready and willing to purchase products that solve their problems and serve their needs. Yes, the market does exist and it is much bigger than they thought. I chalk this short coming up to either these brands did not take the time to adequately research the needs and desire for such a product or they simply ignored the needs feeling it may not be lucrative enough to pursue. Whatever the case, it is a grave misstep as whoever takes the early lead in the market for a product, and as long as they continue to offer varied choices and exceptional quality and value, will be the go to brand in that space. Moreover, Fenty Beauty is endeavoring to be firmly entrenched in the mind of consumers, that it is the go to brand to solve their makeup needs.

Finally, the price point of Fenty Beauty is widely agreed to be affordable and a good value for a product of this caliber. Tremendous quality, great value, affordable pricing, and easy availability, with all these attributes, it is the overwhelming reason why I say that Fenty Beauty has a fantastic opportunity to become a huge leader in the makeup market and the brand to watch.

Caroll Atkins
Brand Stylist / Creative Director
Insta: @CarollAtkinsCreatives

Photo credits: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

 

5 defining concerns when building a life brand

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

Life Branding

2016 the year of individual awareness! Do you agree? I venture to say you probably do. Whether in your personal or business life, if you have not read a “tweet” or have not seen a “status” urging you to live life daringly and authentically then it may be that you are totally “unplugged”.

To go along with this new emerging culture and thought process, are various products, ideology and language terms. Some new some old, but reenergized. Branding and passion are two words that keep coming up in both business and personal circles. Not new words to be sure, but their current usage definitely represents a new way of thinking and living.

Today’s millennial epitomize that thinking. They desire to have, be and do it all. However, above all that they insist on being looked at as individual and unique.

So what of branding? How does that apply to ones life? Well, we know what brands are, however the term branding is fairly new. Branding is a marketing practice that uses names, symbols, colors and specific lingo to create a unique view of a product or service in a consumers mind, therefore attracting and retaining loyal customers. This definition makes it clearer how living a life based on passion helps one promote their own individuality and therefore creating their own personal brand of happiness. Consequently, what one offers is unique, who one is, is unique, and how one thinks is unique. What you choose to do for your life and livelihood based on this mind set is what gives you your own unique life brand and you get to this place via passion!

Why is this important?

 Who needs a life brand?

 Do you have regrets?

Have you stopped dreaming?

In other words, have you learned to bury dreams because you cease to believe that they could come true or worst yet, they don’t matter?

Have you put limits on your happiness?

If any of those questions ring true for you, and the status quo is no longer your desired status consider this. Below are millennial’s top five concerns and how you may adapt them to create your life brand.

  1. Job longevity. Today, we want career satisfaction. Our work must matter to others and to us. We want to make a difference.
  2. Secure retirement. Second phase of life. At 65, no rocking chair on the porch for us. We desire to be active, pursing a hobby or a career we wished we had.
  3. Marry and settle down. Relationship freedom. A relationship does not define nor control our future. We define it.
  4. Bank savings. Invest your money. Bank savings produce minimal yields. Today we are more aggressive with our money. We want brighter futures and increased financial stability.
  5. Purpose and cause defines today’s millennial. Who they support politically to whom they purchase services and products from must have just and fair practices.

A life brand built on passion takes you into consideration. It is doing things in the manner you desire. This way life is more meaningful and purposeful and no longer something to be endured but celebrated. Got an idea or passion and are ready to pursue it? Contact me today!!!

Caroll Atkins
CEO / Brand Stylist  | @CarollAtkins

5 components of Emotional Intelligence and how it improves personal brand

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

EmotionalIntelligence

Would you like to have the most amazing marketing skills that pulls everyone in and keeps them engaged? Can you imagine the advantage this would give your business? What about your brand?

Emotional Intelligence – (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) is the ability of individuals to recognize their own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. (Source Wikipedia)

There are 5 key components of emotional intelligence.

Self-awareness – ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, and the affect of it and your actions and moods on other people.

Self-regulation – expressing your emotions appropriately.

Social Skills – being able to interact well with others.

Empathy – ability to understand how others are feeling, and have the correct response.

Motivation – people who are emotionally intelligent are motivated by things beyond external rewards. Fame, money, prestige, power are of little consequence. They are driven by a passion to fulfill their own goals.

90’s style of doing business is out

That self-serving, self-centered, me first persona of the 90’s has all but disappeared. It is no longer advisable that one should move their agenda forward by any means necessary, without a care as to how their actions affect people or the environment. Millennials today are demanding more personal attention, therefore increasing the rise of more EI business transactions.

EI is the key to being likable and it is also a huge factor in one’s success both personally and professionally. Sincerity, transparency, and the capacity for understanding others, these are some characteristics of an EI person. Those with these skills out perform those who don’t by a large margin.

How can you be more emotionally intelligent?

Be genuine – This is easier said than done. Many cannot achieve this simply because they are not confident in themselves or their own skin. Confidence in who you are and what you have to offer is a key factor in being a genuine person.

Be focused – Focusing on what your happiness needs are keeps you present and able to give your best and full attention, therefore creating a warm rapport with your client/customer.

Be open-minded – This is a huge tenet. If you already have preconceived notions about things, you leave very little room for hearing and understanding what your client/customer needs or desires of you. You create a barrier before you even have a chance to find solutions.

Hold no judgement – It goes without saying that we should not believe we have the liberty or the authority to judge anyone. While we may choose what we decide to partake of, judging others on what they want, need or do is outside the bounds of being emotionally available to the client/customer.

Be appreciative – Nothing is owed to us. When a client chooses us to do business with, it is something that we must be thankful and appreciative of. They have a choice, they chose you!

Humility – Once a dying emotion now making a return. This goes hand in hand with appreciation. We should not take anything for granted. The competition is deep and thick out there. Believing we are guaranteed any business because we have the best thing ever, is a sure way to loose all business. We have to continuously earn our business and understand that a customer giving us that opportunity is a huge blessing.

Want to know how EI you are? Take this EI test and be on your way to your best personal branding ever!

CASHeadShot

Caroll Atkins, CEO / Brand Stylist
Caroll Atkins Creatives
Twitter: @CarollAtkins

2016’s mantra, I am you and you are me…the humanitarian side of branding

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

truth-166853_1920

To some my title sentence makes no sense. For others the beauty and intricacies of relationships are not something to ponder and appreciate, but to take simply at face value. Even still, there are those who literally see and live life this way. But for me, I am all you have and you are all I have, because if I am not valuing you, accepting you and appreciating you then what do I have? Nothing. I am not prosperous, because without you how can I share my wealth of life’s lessons learned. I am not growing, because without you how will I challenge myself, better myself and live up to my potential. I am not loved, because without you who will I give love to, so I too can feel it’s incredible warmth in return?

So, what I do for you, I do for me and what I don’t do for you, I don’t do for me. The sooner we accept that we are all connected through our shared humanity, the sooner we can get to the business of showing each other the unconditional love that Jesus spoke about and Muhammad and every pivotal person intent on connecting us through love in the history of the world.

The Humanitarian Side of Branding

In 2016 our mindset has to be elevated exponentially. While some of us have accepted and are now committed to helping others, we must no longer look at it as helping them, but accept that our positive actions are done for the good of us all. This is my approach to helping a client with their brand styling and brand identity. I believe helping a client deliver the most honest, truthful offerings and views of their brand will in turn bring them clients that will trust them. Their value will be easily perceived and readily accepted. With so many choices available today, it can be a maze to sift through. So why not be that beacon that calls one forward only to offer them an unexpected experience that surpasses the rest? This is what I offer my clients, this is how I make a difference.

What have we come to? Where do we go from how business was done in the me first 90’s? We have come right back to where we once started as entrepreneurs in the 20’s. We are now called to be compassionate, ethical and sympathetic. The Millennials demand this! If we look at all the world’s ills, how many can be helped if we just exercise a little compassion in our business practices? I feel certain at the very least, our businesses will get the attention it deserves, something we are all vying very hard for. When you realize I am you and you are me, then you accept without hesitation, that compassion for others is needed in life just as you want it for yourself. Compassion for every thing that is living, not just humans is key to our world surviving and continuing without humanity perishing and certainly to building flourishing businesses.

The whole is always greater than the sum of the parts.

In business branding let compassion be coupled with wisdom, so that when we set out to help with the myriad of causes out there, we are able not to get caught up in help that puts us in a reactive mode. Let us take time and think things through so we can be in active mode. The whole is always greater than the sum of the parts it is said, and I wholeheartedly to agree.

Caroll Atkins
Caroll Atkins Creatives

Develop Your Personality Brand And Watch Your Business Soar

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

Your creativeness is something that is manifested, harvested and crafted into ways and means that help others as much as it pleases you. This is your personality brand. ~Caroll Atkins

So many times I hear friends say they believe that they are not creative. When I say nonsense, they then challenge me to show them their creative ability. At that request I chuckle. How can I possible find their creative ability when I do not know what is their ultimate reality and where do they draw their spiritual power. Oh I know virtually everyone will say that they draw their power from Jesus or God or both, but what does that even mean to them? For most I think it is just something they believe they ought to say.

Your Personality Brand

I found my creative ability (my personality brand), when I stopped trying to lead and became led. Not led by a “divine power” but led by awesome displays of all kinds of beauty, majestic power of nature, kindness and generosity. You see I am a firm believer that these examples are what frees creativity, because to marvel at this is to know there is something greater and the beauty and pleasure it brings will certainly make you feel it. As you are no doubt starting to realize, your creativeness does not have to be something specific like drawing, singing, dancing, etc. Your creativeness is something that is manifested, harvested and crafted into ways and means that help others as much as it pleases you. This is your personality brand.

Develop Your Personality Brand Creative Power

So what are you conscious of? What is your reality? Is it material and monetary? If so, I can guarantee you that if you don’t have a readily visible, universally acknowledged talent that you can parlay to the world and be in the right place and the right time for someone to recognize it and pay you for it, you are screwed! Personal creativity is derived from a deeper level. The more you study creation, the more you will grow and evolve and birth your own individual creative personality and it’s brand power. You already have all you need to be creative. Once you learn how to believe in yourself, and know that YOU are your own source of power, you will become aware of what your special creative gift(s) is/are.

I found my creative talents, and yes I do mean talents, and I am continuing to find more and more of them, when I learn to enjoy the power of silence. It spoke to me, it told me to trust my feelings and instincts. I was then able to let go of the need to be in charge and embrace the idea of looking at things with a childlike amazement in order to see its honesty. Nature became something of an infinite well of wisdom. How things came to be? Why things came to be? How do they work together? Why should they work together? You get the point, I looked at it on a deeper more constructive level and in doing so it showed me ways and means that can readily be applied to life and my business and craft. The most important thing I learned, is to not be steadfastly rigid to ANY one point of view. Now don’t get me wrong, I welcome all views, I just do not subscribe to all of them. In business, I have learned to trust my consciousness as my ultimate guide, celebrate others creativity and be open to possibilities, big or small. However the ultimate principle I practice in my life is that of looking for and maintaing balance. No matter what is going on good or bad, I look for the balance. “Too much of one thing is good for nothing” so I have heard and I am inclined to agree!

Caroll Atkins
Brand Stylist / Creative Director
Insta: @CarollAtkinsCreatives

5 Tips For Amazing Logos

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5 Tips For Amazing Logos

“The first impression is the most lasting impression”, this is bible for a brand’s logo.

When it comes to having one of the most memorable, bad-ass, brand building logos out there, I have 5 tips you must follow. Yes, there are rules to having the most engaging logo that people remember and lead them to checking out your brand. Your logo is part of your brand’s promise. It sets the tone for your business and delivers an expectation to potential clients. Why take a chance to mess up this first impression? You know what they say, “the first impression is the most lasting impression”.

  1. Keep it simple! First of all, no one wants to spend time trying to figure out what all the cutesy, sentimental chackis in your logo is or means. They don’t care! And if they don’t care, you better care. In today’s communication world, the smart phone is king, second is tablets. What this means is your available space to show off your logo and foster brand visibility is smaller and more limited. Simple, flat designs are the most preferred styles because they address this issue. This will be the case for many years to come.
  2. Unforgettable and memorable. In today’s market the demand for a consumer’s attention is simply put, vicious. A typical person viewing your brand online will only spend about 2-3 seconds, so you must make sure your logo is compelling and attractive if you want to create engagement.
  3. So Fresh, so clean. Are you a fan of the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”? Well in the logo game, it is really not. What it is, is really this phrase “been there seen that”. This is one time that you do not want to remind the consumer of another brand especially if that brand is in a business much like yours.
  4. Be timeless, but modern. Do not confuse trendy for modern. Modern tends to be less stylized. It only captures relevant characteristics of the times and does not become bogged down by over stylizing with too many details.
  5. Keep the balance. One of the things that points out a poorly designed logo from a professional one is the balance and proportions that is used to create it. Even a logo as simple as the Twitter logo is filled with balance and proportions. This is especially useful in logos that utilize both text and graphics. Paying careful attention that these elements work together seamlessly and gives visual balance to the eye, is a critical element to the success of your logo design.

While there are many more elements one can add regarding proper logo creation, for the purpose of a brief article, I chose these 5. Many times when I see logos that miss the mark, these are the elements that have been ignored. A logo is a beautiful thing, but mostly it is a very important investment one has made for their business. Make sure it is also the wisest.

Caroll Atkins
Caroll Atkins Creatives

 

Why Millennials are critical to your brand

- Caroll Atkins 1 Comment

Millennial

Smart brands know that the holy grail for brand promotion comes directly from the consumer. They are connected to the consumer market and dialogue directly with them instead of at them.

It is 2016 and you may be gearing up for the best year of business thus far. This is a great time to start or refocus on your branding efforts. What is definitely NOT advisable is to believe that you can be impactful by connecting separately from your consumer. If you have not heard, engagement is the word!

Smart brands know that the holy grail for brand promotion comes directly from the consumer. They are connected to the consumer market and dialogue directly with them instead of at them. They know that organic conversations are preferred and user generated content (UGC) is king!

All you have to do is look at most of TV and online ads, and you will see that the theme attempts to make an emotional connection with the consumer. They do this through various mediums. Some even use personal home made videos or YouTube content. Why do they do this? One word, Millennials!

Why are Millennials coveted for brands?

If as a brand you are not connecting and learning about this group, you are missing a huge opportunity not to mention section of the consumer market. A person born 1982 thru 1999 is considered a millennial, start date varies. It is estimated that there are 80 million of them. Why are millennials so coveted? They typically have increasing buying power as they get older and they are usually early adopters ready to try new products while being huge influencers on the purchases of others. However, their thought process is different from the Generation Xers. Social causes are important to them. Brands with positive outcome for the consumer is key. They have higher tolerances and are more broad-minded. They see higher education as a necessary and expensive consumer good. They are politically oriented and community engaged. They are masters of self-expression and are determined to set their own path. (Millennial Generation Research Review) Above all, consumer markets research shows that this group relates best to the people they perceive to be like them. With such big numbers, increased spending power, influence over purchases and a desire and determination to express their selves as they see fit, you can see why they would be sought after. Also, if you acquire their attention and trust at an early age, it’s possible to have their loyalty for many years to come, and this is critical because their peak buying power is still decades away.

How do brands reach Millennials?

With an annual purchasing power of an estimated 200 billion, knowing how to reach millennials can be critical to your brand.

  1. The majority of millennials use social media to connect with brands. They spend 1.8 hours a day on social media.
  2. A brand that shows it cares is attractive to this generation. Be involved in philanthropic causes. Be concerned about how your product/service affects consumers.
  3. Have highly engaging content online. Millennials are willing to share information about their brand preference with their peers online.

Finally, you must have good branding and story telling. Knowing what this generation enjoys in terms of graphics, language and tone is crucial. Offering perks and being positive is very important. Never be fake. Always be authentic. For both males and females, happiness is their ultimate goal, so never “sell” them. They are very optimistic a trait that can be very beneficial to brands who provide products that they hope will change the world!

Caroll Atkins
CarollAtkinsCreatives.com

 

You are a visionary and the world needs your creativity

- Caroll Atkins 3 Comments

Vision to true visionary
Visionary. Once upon a time, many of us thought this word was limited to huge figures in history who discovered things like electricity, the wheel, etc. However, nowadays, we see this role in a much larger capacity. Vision like creativity, can be had by many as long as they are willing to step forward, communicate and recruit good people to help make it reality. Vision can be simple or it can be common sense that just somehow lost its sense and has become no longer common. Vision has become more and more important in this day and age simply because times are getting darker and more murkier. We are losing our way, our view has become narrower and we cannot see the forest from the trees. Because of this, vision is needed now more than ever. We realize that the same old way we have been used to doing things, are no longer working or just plain outdated for today’s life and circumstances.

When you are a visionary people come forward to serve you, not to spite you.

As we already know, vision exists in every aspect of life. So, when one steps up with their vision it can be in any capacity. As a visionary, many will be attracted to you and your vision. The world still wants and appreciates leaders. If you are such a person, realize that your vision comes with responsibilities and certain acknowledgements. Firstly know this, when you bring a vision to light, those who should choose to follow you and take up your cause by offering their help do so for the simple fact that they want to serve you because they believe in what you believe in. What greater honor is there? Sometimes when we try to bring a vision to reality, it can be very stressful and we may at times find that we can become less than kind to those who are dedicated to help us. Sometimes we can be downright nasty. Nurturing our vision can at times unleash our egos and our distrust especially when those we have helping us reveal information that has us questioning if our vision’s direction is the best one. At such times, it is easy for us to feel that those helping us are trying to spite us. Please be clear on this, those who show up to help you are not there to spite you. One does not sign up to help, cheer you on, congratulate you and most of all they would never recommend you or promote you to others if they did not believe in you and respect what you are about.

Do not let your bright vision, one that may be capable of doing much good and enlightening many, be extinguished by distrust, ego and being self-absorbed. Realize that many are waiting for new and better every day, but may sometimes lack the direction, focus or strength to carry it through. And others may not even know they needed what you have to offer. Be gracious, and grateful, be inclusive, but most of all realize that sometimes your vision may need adjustment, a tweak here and there. I mean we don’t curse our eyes and throw them out when they need adjusting, no we simply get a pair of glasses.

Peace & Light
Caroll Atkins
Caroll Atkins Creatives

Donald Trump’s presidency bid, a lesson in effective branding?

- Caroll Atkins 2 Comments

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No matter what we may think about Donald Trump, the one thing that has not gone unnoticed by me is his tireless marketing skills. This guy knows how to command a bounty in media attention. Now politics aside, looking at how Mr. Trump has been able to on almost a daily basis garner some media to cover him and his views as he runs for President of the United States is fascinating. How is he doing it? How is someone who is best known in New York and marginally know elsewhere for his casinos and penchant for putting his name on any and everything he produces, able to garner so much press and attention? Not because he is a novelty, Ben Carson is just as out of the box as he is and does not get as much press.

 

…Mr. Trump’s USP is proposing to give the people what they want.

“Make America great again“, this is Donald Trump’s USP (unique selling proposition). Hearing the American people complain about America’s falling standards as compared to the rest of the world, he saw his opportunity. Using one of the most pivotal principles of business, Mr. Trump’s USP is proposing to give the people what they want.

As a business man, Mr. Trump promotes his products as the best in quality. He fancies himself as a great individual, in fact all that he does and represents he packages as either the best or the greatest. That strategy has obviously worked for him in his business ventures, so it appears that he is adapting it to his bid for the presidency. Americans complain of wanting to return to the good old days. Mr. Trump quickly framed his USP in a manner that promised this, simple and straight forward. Unlike the other candidates who speak and focus on the individual elements of the American economy and culture that need to be improved, Mr. Trump has stuck with this one phrase. While he has not given any tangible information on how he will help to make America great, the public is still on board. Well to be clear, he has not given tangible information on the who, what and when to make it happen either.

What Mr. Trump has done is use his why in a cunning manner. Again, using his marketing skills, he has proceeded to create a need in the public that may not have been there at least not to any great extent. He helped escalate the public’s fear, irrational or latent. He awakened their hate and cultivated their ignorance and propositioned it back to them as being strong and becoming aware. Now, he can now sell them the cure or the fix, and that is to elect him as president a strong, no nonsense, unafraid individual.

Some may argue that Mr. Trump’s message is to build a culture of hope and optimism and bring back greatness to America. It appears all he has really managed to do is to build a brand of hate and fear mongering. The old adage that no publicity is bad publicity is definitely apparent here, at least to the extent it is getting him noticed. The question is, is he getting the kind of brand recognition he wants? Will the culture he has built for his bid for the White House sustain him? Will it bring him the ultimate success? In my opinion this is doubtful. In marketing at some point people stop focusing on the hype and start looking for the plan, the promise, concrete traceable steps of execution. But for the time being I say, well played Mr. Trump, let’s see if you can win the game.

Caroll Atkins
CarollAtkinsCreatives.com

5 Amazing Ways To Make Your Brand Stand Out

- Caroll Atkins Leave a comment

 

Have you heard of a USP? Do you have one? The power of a good USP (unique selling proposition) is priceless. Think of Nike and their “Just Do It” or McDonald’s and “I’m Loving it”, they are reaping the rewards and benefits of a solid USP that speaks directly to their customers emotions and of course they have the solution. In my article “Are you building a brand or making one up” I spoke of how branding is a process of many features, and one of those features is definitely a USP.

Spend time exploring things about your product or service that is original to you. Call it your special sauce if you will.

  1. The first thing to consider in your business is, what are my offerings. Basically, what is in it for your customers. Your product must solve a need or offer a clear and defined service to your chosen demographic. In addition, find the differentiation in your product and your competitor’s product. Promote this!
  2. Today’s customer especially millennials, purchase products and services based on an emotional quotient. They want to know the products and services they use are in some way or another beneficial, safe, responsible even ethical in addition to being reliable and of good value. Your product or service must fill several of those needs.
  3. How original are you? Spend time exploring things about your product or service that is original to you. Call it your special sauce if you will. If you offer the same product or service as your competitor, you should find ways to differentiate. It could be better service, increased benefits or features, whatever it may be, promote it!
  4. Have you heard of the elevator speech? Well start thinking of the “company one liners”. Create as many short phrases about your company as you possibly can. Whether it is to sell the business, service, people, customer, etc., create them so at any and every opportunity you can promote your business and let everyone know how passionate you are about your business and what it can do for them. Try to resonate with their emotional senses, show them you can fill their product or service needs.
  5. When all is said and done, every customer simply wants to know, “what is in it for me?” This is your chance to go directly to the point of your product or service’s benefits. Bottom line it for them. Visa tells the public, “We are everywhere you want to be”, it lets potential customers know that it’s use is global and so they will not have a problem having their card accepted at any and all merchants. What I am trying to say is, potential customers want to know that you can solve their issue or at the very least you can inform them of a potential issue that you already have a solution for.

When you are trying to stand out, think  very carefully about your brand and what it has to offer. Think about your competitors what are they offering? How are you different? How can you be different? That’s the message you have to get out, every single chance and in every single way and promote this!

Caroll Atkins
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Are you building a brand, or making one up

- Caroll Atkins 4 Comments

CAC_Logo

Your brand is your verbal, visual and written promise to your customers. It sets the stage for what they may expect from the products and services that you offer. It is your opportunity to differentiate your self from your competitors. Your brand is created when who you are and who the public believe you to be as well as what you want to be is clear.

You have a logo, you have a website, you have business cards and you have product, lots of product, with your logo on it. You are advertising on all the social media sites. That’s it! You have built your brand right? Or have you?

Branding today is a critical part of any business, whether small or large, even B2B, having an effective brand strategy will give you a major edge in this increasingly competitive consmer market. Knowing what branding is and what it means is crucial if you want to stand apart from the crowd and command your share of the consumer market. Building a brand is much, much more than just those things. Sure, they are critical elements of your brand, but what is the brand?

Brand
/brand/
Your brand is your verbal, visual and written promise to your customers. It sets the stage for what they may expect from the products and services that you offer. It is your opportunity to differentiate your self from your competitors. Your brand is created when who you are and who the public believe you to be as well as what you want to be is clear.

How is your company positioned in the consumer market? Are you innovative, experienced, reliable, a low-cost leader, etc.? To answer this you must know who your target customer is. Once you know this, you can give them what they want and need. Stay away from the trap of trying to be all things to all people. This will muddy your brand and confuse your customer.

Logos, color palette, packaging and your voice in marketing material and advertising are all things that will support your brand. Careful attention should be given to these as well. Building a brand is not so much what you have, but largely how you make your customer feel. If you can make them want something they never thought they had a need for, then your branding is successful.

Caroll Atkins, CEO
Caroll Atkins Creatives