Branding & Brand Strategy
Branding is more than just your logo – it’s how you present your business to the world. It includes your logo, the colors you use, how you write and talk about your services, and the overall look and feel of everything from your website to your business cards. Good branding makes your business look professional, helps customers remember you, and makes it easier for people to understand what you do. It combines strategy with visual design to create a cohesive business identity that differentiates you in the marketplace.
At Corwin Design, we develop comprehensive brand identities that increase recognition, build customer trust, and support your business growth objectives through research-backed design and strategic positioning. In short, we help you organize all these pieces into a clear system that works consistently across everything you create for your business.
What is Branding?
Branding is the strategic process of creating a distinctive identity for your business that resonates with your target audience and differentiates you from competitors. It encompasses both the visual elements people see — your logo, colors, typography, and imagery — and the intangible elements they feel — your personality, values, voice, and the experience you deliver.
In short, branding is how you consistently present your business to customers. It’s your logo on your storefront, the colors on your website, the way you write your social media posts, and even how your employees answer the phone.
Think of it this way: if someone sees your business card, then visits your website, then follows you on Instagram, they should immediately recognize it’s all the same business. That’s branding working properly.
Many business owners think branding just means getting a logo designed. But a logo is just one piece. Real branding answers questions like: What do you want people to think when they hear your business name? How do you want to sound when you write emails to customers? What colors make people think of the feeling you want your business to create?
When you have clear answers to these questions and use them consistently, you’ve created a brand. When you don’t, your business can look scattered or unprofessional, even if you offer great products or services.
Case Study
Branding Across America
Sagora Senior Living, with more than 45 communities across the U.S., needed a comprehensive newsletter solution that maintained consistent branding while allowing for personalized content in each location. We delivered a streamlined process that keeps their newsletters professional, engaging, and on-brand.
Why is Branding Important?
Without good branding, your business can look unprofessional or forgettable, even if you do great work. Here’s what happens when you invest in branding:
★ Builds Recognition and Memorability ★ Consistent branding makes your business instantly recognizable. When your logo, colors, and style are consistent everywhere, customers start recognizing your business immediately. Instead of thinking “oh, that landscaping company,” they think “that’s Green Thumb Landscaping.” Recognition leads to more referrals and repeat customers.
★ Establishes Trust and Credibility ★ Professional branding signals that you’re serious about your business and committed to quality. Customers are more likely to trust and choose businesses that appear polished and established.
★ Save Time and Money ★ Once you have a brand guide, you don’t have to start from scratch every time you need something designed. Your designer (or you) can quickly create new materials that match everything else. No more spending hours deciding what colors to use or wondering if your new flyer matches your website.
★ Creates Emotional Connections ★ Brands that resonate emotionally with their audience build deeper, more loyal relationships. When customers connect with your brand values and personality, they become advocates who not only return but also refer others to your business.
Case Study
Opening a New Restaurant
La Marsa, a Seafood and Grill restaurant, needed a complete set of branded materials to enhance their customer experience and showcase their delicious offerings. From menus to a modern website, we created everything they needed to make their mark.
Components of a Branding Package
When we work with new small businesses, our branding packages include these essential elements designed to establish a strong foundation for growth. We can create a simple document to get you started, with just a logo, colors, and typography; or we can get into the nitty gritty with lots of details. Here are the types of items and considerations used to create strategic branding. You already know the answers to a lot of questions about your brand – the branding guide simply organizes them and gives them a visual identity. The branding guide keeps all creative information in one place, so you don’t have to answer these questions every time you add a product or service, or change designers.
Brand Strategy Foundation
▶ Understanding Your Business We ask questions like: Who are your customers? What problems do you solve for them? How do you want people to feel when they work with you? What makes you different from your competitors? Most business owners already know these answers – we just help organize them clearly.
▶ Your Brand Personality Are you friendly and casual, or professional and serious? Are you the reliable expert or the innovative newcomer? We help you define this so everything you create feels consistent. For example, a children’s dentist should sound very different from a corporate law firm.
▶ Who You’re Talking To Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, we help you get specific about your ideal customers. A high-end wedding planner talks differently to brides than a budget-friendly event coordinator does. Knowing exactly who you’re talking to makes all your marketing more effective.
Visual Identity System
▶ Logo Design This is the symbol that represents your business everywhere – on your sign, business cards, website, and social media. We design something that looks professional and fits your personality, then give you different versions for different uses (like a simpler version for small sizes).
▶ Color Palette We choose 3-8 colors that work well together and match how you want people to feel about your business. Then we give you the exact color codes so they look the same whether they’re on your website, printed on a business card, or used in a Facebook ad.
▶ Typography System We pick fonts that are easy to read and match your personality. Usually one for headlines and one for body text. We make sure they work on both your website and in printed materials.
▶ Visual Style Guidelines Should your photos be bright and colorful or moody and dramatic? Should they show people or just products? We help you decide so all your photos feel like they belong together. Photography style, illustration approach, iconography, and graphic elements that support your brand identity and ensure visual consistency.
The Brand Guide (Your Instruction Manual)
▶ Comprehensive Style Guide – How to Use Everything A simple document that shows how to use your logo correctly, which colors go together, and how to write in your brand voice. This is especially helpful if you hire other people to help with marketing or if you work with different designers for different projects.
▶ What NOT to Do Examples of how not to use your logo or colors, so you can avoid common mistakes that make your branding look unprofessional.
▶ File Organization and Delivery We organize everything and give you files that work for both print (like business cards) and digital (like websites) so you have what you need for any project.
▲ Branding develops your visual identity across all media
An example page of a branding guide ▲
▲ The most basic branding guide includes colors, a logo and logomark, and typography
Ready to Build Your Brand?
Great branding is an investment in your business’s future. It’s the foundation that supports all your marketing efforts and the key to building lasting customer relationships. Whether you’re launching a new business or ready to elevate an existing one, our team is here to help you create a brand that not only looks amazing but drives real business results.