Menu
As much as possible a company name should be appealing to its target audience, relevant to its product or service, unique enough to...be memorable and easy enough to say and spell. Many companies fall short in this area and are stuck with a name that really does not serve them well as an identity. Creating an effective company name is a process we have mastered and done successfully for many businesses. Let us help you with yours!
The logo, which comes next, should likewise have many of the same characteristics in terms of its appeal, relevance and originality. It needs to be professionally designed within the parameters of best practise brand development and design principles as well as being practical and versatile across all mediums and platforms both printed and digital. Logo design and brand development is a thoroughly enjoyable journey for a business, rejuvenating energy and inspiring vision.
One of the primary goals in the design of the corporate stationery is consistency. When a client sees, for example,... your business card, email signature, company letterhead and yes, even an invoice, they need to speak the same language and portray consistency. This conveys a message of professionalism and organisation.
As elementary as some of this may sound, it is astounding to witness how many organisations do not make the most of these ‘brand ambassadors’. Firstly, they need to be superbly designed and adhere to their relevant ‘best practise’ principles. Business cards need to be double sided and laminated, email signatures need to be coded and not just ‘images’ and letterheads need to be correctly set up in an electronic format with the follow-on sheets having a design separate from the first page.
Brochureware are the ‘handouts’ a company gives to a potential client to educate and market to them. These can be both printed and digital. Printed brochures are...are a great ‘leave-behind’ when going to meet a prospective new client and a digital brochure is ideal for emailing through. Digital brochures have the added benefit of being interactive with clickable links and buttons, directing people through to your website or allowing them to mail you at the click of a button.
Another very useful form of brochureware is a company folder. They are especially useful when dropping off a proposal, tender or quotation at a client. A company folder can be designed to serve as a company profile with a pocket including slits for your business card.
It has become ‘expected’ to have an online presence. In our global digital village and with all of the jargon and platforms out there, it has become... overwhelming for businesses to know where to start and where to remain. First and foremost, and if nothing else, you need a website that is well designed, professionally written and SEO friendly. It also needs to be designed for all devices including mobile and tablet. Far too many companies neglect their mobile view in particular.
Next most important are your social media pages. Do you have them set up and on which platform should you be? Which is best? This depends to some degree on the type of business you have and the target audience you are wanting to reach. A good place to start is Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Facebook in particular is very geared for helping you build, manage and market to a specific audience. All of the social platforms have their own uniqueness about them and we can help you figure out where you should have a presence.
If there is one word in the business world that seems to be very vague and non-specific, it is marketing. In a business context: ...marketing is the efforts of a company to reach out to and communicate with its target audience with the objective of creating awareness and increasing sales.
We have identified two ‘types’ of marketing in business. The first is ‘brand awareness’ and the second is more ‘sales driven’. The former does not directly try to sell you something or get you to take action but rather strives to create ‘brand relatability and loyalty’. The latter strives to drive sales through a more direct sales approach.
Marketing can be done through a variety of channels. The most popular and cost effective channels for the SME are of course on social media but another viable channel is the community newspaper, which is regarded as quite ‘trusted’ by the community in which it is read. One can also look at the above the line media like tv, radio and newspaper, but these are usually pricy for the SME.