the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family ca

Do you know what the most recognised item in the world is ... it's the coke cola, believe it or not. A vacuum cleaner is not known by its proper name, but instead is known by a brand name – a Hoover (a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners). A photocopier was known for years not as a photocopier but as a Xerox machine – a manufacturer of photocopiers, a brand.

This is how important branding is to businesses. Billions of pounds are spent every year by companies on branding and brand recognition. Think about your last trip around the supermarket – how many brands were screaming at you for recognition and to pry money out of your wallet?

Whatever your business, whether you are a small family concern or a multi-national conglomerate, proper business branding is vital for you.

Branding is more than just a logo design, it’s almost an ethos, it permeates everything you do and are as a business. It’s on your business cards, your stationary, your leaflets, your posters, your adverts, your … you get the picture?

A brand is how the public recognizes your company and your product. It’s an identity and association in the minds of the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family car

ier but as a Xerox machine – a manufacturer of photocopiers, a brand.

This is how important branding is to businesses. Billions of pounds are spent every year by companies on branding and brand recognition. Think about your last trip around the supermarket – how many brands were screaming at you for recognition and to pry money out of your wallet?

Whatever your business, whether you are a small family concern or a multi-national conglomerate, proper business branding is vital for you.

Branding is more than just a logo design, it’s almost an ethos, it permeates everything you do and are as a business. It’s on your business cards, your stationary, your leaflets, your posters, your adverts, your … you get the picture?

A brand is how the public recognizes your company and your product. It’s an identity and association in the minds of the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family ca

reaming at you for recognition and to pry money out of your wallet?

Whatever your business, whether you are a small family concern or a multi-national conglomerate, proper business branding is vital for you.

Branding is more than just a logo design, it’s almost an ethos, it permeates everything you do and are as a business. It’s on your business cards, your stationary, your leaflets, your posters, your adverts, your … you get the picture?

A brand is how the public recognizes your company and your product. It’s an identity and association in the minds of the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family ca

meates everything you do and are as a business. It’s on your business cards, your stationary, your leaflets, your posters, your adverts, your … you get the picture?

A brand is how the public recognizes your company and your product. It’s an identity and association in the minds of the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family ca

the public.

For example, would you pay the same amount of money for a Skoda compared with an Audi or a Bentley? No of course not, yet they are owned by the same company. The Bentley is branded as being an expensive, luxurious car whereas Skoda branding is cheap, reliable family car.

You can see from this why it is important to have your business branded. However you are positioning your business, whether it is the high or lower end of the market, you need to brand yourself accordingly.

The “pile it high, sell it cheap” branding used by cheap supermarkets years back would have never worked for the perceived high end shops such as Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. This branding was dropped by the cheaper supermarkets when they gained market share and started to aim their sights on more affluent customers.

What is your target market? Is it male, female? Young or old? Trendy or traditional? High end, “posh” or cheap and cheerful, appealing to the masses? Luxury or practical?

These are all questions you need to ask yourself and consider with your graphic designers when creating you corporate identity.

A corporate identity and brand is not exclusively the remit of large companies. It is something that every business from the home based entrepreneur to the small and medium enterprise needs to use to establish their identity in the marketplace.