Some design tricks to make your business larger than life.
When it comes to corporate design solutions, too many business owners look at the competition and do whatever they’re doing. But whether or not your competition’s marketing materials are effective doesn’t really matter. If your design solutions look like theirs, you’re going to have a hard time attracting customers.
First, because you don’t stand out, so they may not even notice you in the sea of sameness. Second, because you aren’t giving people an obvious reason to choose you over anyone else.
In other words, if they don’t see you they won’t come to you.
As easy as it sounds, it’s one of the toughest things to achieve. For you, your business is already different. You see all the little things that make you better than your competition and how much more attractive your offering is, but to your prospects, those small things don’t matter; they don’t even notice them. In business, in order to be unique (or perceived as such), you need to be different, really different.
So, how do you make sure your business stands out from the crowd?
The only way to know if you’re offering something different is to know what your competition is offering. Here’s a simple exercise to do just that…
1. Collect samples of your competition’s marketing materials. This could be ads, newsletters, web pages (print them out), brochures, postcards or anything else.
2. Lay them all out along with yours. Look at everything from the type of marketing collateral they use (ads vs. blogs vs. direct mail, etc.) to the colours, graphics and layout, style of writing, products and services offered, target market, payment methods, pricing, tagline and guarantee.
Once you know what your competition offers, how they offer it, and whom they offer it to, you can figure out what to do to make your business different. Then, create a unique selling proposition and design solutions that make you the clear choice.
Corporate design solutions are not a one-size-fits-all solution for your business.
Engaging your customers can be difficult. There are many aspects to consider.
- Is the brand memorable?
- Do I need stationery?
- What do I do for annual reports, brochures, flyers, etc?
There is a lot to consider when you need to promote your business. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses will try to do the branding as well as stationery and other design elements of their business in-house. While this might seem cheaper, it is, in fact, cheapening the brand it’s trying to promote, having a negative impact on sales and service.
By using a graphic designer, you are tapping into a wealth of knowledge that will take your brand/product to the next level. After careful consideration (and a chat with your friendly graphic design expert), you may decide that your business dollar is best spent on a logo and business card rather than having the whole stationery suite and a corporate brochure that you can send to your client base or use for prospects. Design solutions that work for you are those that are targeted and help you stand out in the overcrowded marketplace.
Don’t be embarrassed by your brand and print marketing; make a positive impact and build confidence in your consumers. Graphic design is about more than just making a document or brochure visually pleasing. Effective design solutions should not only make your business stand out but also speak out about who you are and what you do, giving your clients an instant and memorable impression of your business.
In business, you need to be unique, you need to stand out from the crowd and be noticeable to prospects and customers. You need to be different from your competition. If not, your prospects will go to someone who is.
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About Author Josephine Abbatangelo
Since graduating from Swinburne School of Design with a degree in Graphic Design, Josephine has spent many years gaining valuable experience in various studio environments and advertising agencies. She is capable of exceptional design solutions that are simple, intelligent, and unique, and she is committed to design excellence. She also understands the importance of developing and maintaining strong branding and meeting stringent deadlines.
Her multi-disciplinary studio, FREERANGE DESIGN & COMMUNICATION, seeks to explore a new direction in both design and client relationships, where the results speak of a collaborative approach and unique vision. This process ensures highly considered, relevant and memorable solutions that defy the typical cookie-cutter design method.
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