B R A N D I N G

What do you have to say for yourself?

The why of your business

Brand is often defined as a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. We define brand as “how the rest of the world perceives you.” It’s intentionally a broad definition; Businesses, products and services have different needs regarding identity, but they all have a common goal: to present a clear and identifiable message to an interested audience.

Brand is more than just a logo. A logo and other visual elements can make up part of the brand, but we see brand as more of a movement. Your business is taking a risk and making a statement in the marketplace, which now encompasses the entire world. Brand is not a simple visual identity to be taken lightly. It is a process, and is ever-evolving into a place of sustainability and possibly even dominance. When an audience is exposed to your brand, they should almost immediately know what you’re about and how you’re about it.

The moving parts can be complex: a plan, a unique selling proposition, a visual identity, the style of audio, video and music, product quality, corporate personality and tone – all working together seamlessly to define your business purpose.

The 12VoltArts branding strategy starts with a plan, and if necessary, works through all elements of the branding process with you to create a living entity. When ready, it will enter the world and represent your business, products, services and you wherever it goes. It’s important to develop it carefully; There are no second chances in one’s first experience with brand.

Contact 12VoltArts to find out how to bring your brand to life.

The Elements of Brand Development

Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.

– Paul Rand

In The Visual Brand Package

File Formats

The most common elements to a brand pack are the logo lockups. Clients often need an assortment of logos in different file formats to relay to vendors working on their materials, as well as for internal usage. File formats are typically AI (Adobe Illustrator), PNG, JPG and sometimes GIF. Different sizes are produced to mitigate the placement process by either the client or their vendors.

Fonts and Typography

Fontsets encompass the typeface that presents the brand in written text. Fontsets are sometimes included in the pack, or available somewhere for download. Typeface states quite a bit about the attitude and tone of the business presented by them. Looser typefaces carry a more casual tone, where tighter and more traditional typefaces are used for a more direct brand personality.

Photographs and Images

Outside of the logo, the photography and image standard for a brand is usually what the audience notices first about a client’s marketing presentation. Most clients produce at least some custom photography to carry the style of their brand throughout all of their printed and online materials. The right photography can speak in a strong emotive language to users; It has to be carefully chosen and implemented for effectiveness.

Media Examples: Video, Audio and Music

Media examples provide guidance as to the type of video and audio that will most effectively carry the message of the brand and produce a consistent perspective to an audience. Video is the most engaging aspect of brand campaigning, and is typically designed to support brand ideals either consciously or subconsciously depending on the marketing objective. Music plays a crucial role in developing tone.

The Brand Guideline

The brand guideline ties all of the rules of the brand together, and speaks to 3rd party vendors and internal team members who work in the brand with minimal direct supervision. The brand guideline describes the usage format for logotypes, typefaces, and color — all carefully defined and placed into a requirements document. The brand guideline should be a part of every brand pack that represents the building of the brand out of the control of the client.