💾 + 🌸+ 👩🏼💻
You made it to the 💾 Let’s Get Digital Blog! Whether you are a stay at home mom, an employee at your local bank, a small business owner, or you run a fortune 500 company, you have migrated to the right spot to start doing great professionally. This blog post is all about what you need to build and maintain a clear and cohesive brand! To many, branding is considered more important in 2024 than ever before (7). In fact, in a Forbes online article from earlier this year, Forbes Council Member, Neeha Curtis, explained that “having a distinct and authentic brand identity and an emotional connection with your audience is more critical than ever” (8).
Not to worry, more on authenticity and emotional connection is evolving soon in the 🦋You’re Doing Great Blog.
For now, let’s expand on brand unity: what it is 🌸, how to create it ✨, and what all of this has to do with Alice-Hilton 🦋. Eeep . . . this is going to be great!
🌸 Elements of Brand Unity.
Brand elements, in my opinion, are the most foundational pieces to your brand. They represent the overarching theme of who the brand is, they explain how the brand serves the community, and they are, oftentimes, the first glance your client will see before committing to a journey with you.
While character is far more important (also in my opinion) than a simple aesthetically pleasing font, perhaps it could be argued that the aesthetically pleasing font is what attracts your potential client to you in order for them to experience your character.
For the purpose of this blog, “brand identity” and “brand unity” are interchangeable. My perspective is that the brand is the unifying piece of the business. It is a part of every department, it is represented on every shipping box, and it is experienced on every Zoom sales call.Thus, it is the unifying piece throughout the company. In no specific order, here are the twelve elements for clear brand unity.
📇 One. The Business Name.Your business name is a key unifying factor to your brand. It requires no color, no image, and no font. It can simply be spoken. When your brand is clear, the remaining eleven elements are easily seen in the mind’s eye of your client.
Let’s take a look at a business name that is doing great 🦋. . .
HEREND. When you hear “Herend,” your mind's eye (or at least the OG grandmillennials mind’s eye) brings you to that gold scripted font, that blue stamp on the bottom of each piece, and that hand-painted fish net pattern. Just hearing the name creates a desire for an addition to your figurine collection.
🦋 Two. The Logo. Your business logo can be thought of as the image behind your business name. It is the main visual that showcases the brand.
Let’s take a look at a logo that is doing great 🦋. . .
JULIA BEROLZHEIMER. Julia’s brand focuses on curating beautiful objects, experiences, and ideas to her audience. Her logo is a direct reflection of that. To curate is to select and present information based on expert knowledge (10). Her logo depicts a selection of different colored flowers brought together with a bow. Keep curating Julia!
〰️ Three. The Tagline. The business tagline is the little phrase that follows the business. It often gives a glimpse into the meaning behind the brand, the mission of the brand, and/or the values of the brand.
Let’s take a look at a tagline that is doing great 🦋. . .
THE LIVING ROOM. This cutie little family-owned cafe in Maplewood, Missouri carries the rainbow tagline “All are Welcome.” Not only do the colors reflect the tagline, the team remains true to their tagline throughout a normal day. From the moment you walk in to the moment you return your metal tray, you feel welcome. You are greeted with love no matter your size, color, or shape, you are surrounded by tables where each member is their unique self, and you are sent off with a smile and wave. All are truly welcome.
🧑🏽🚀 Four. The Mission Statement. The mission statement is why you do what you do. It is the thing at the end of the day you wish to achieve for your clients. Ideally, all of your products and services your brand offers should have this mission in mind.
Let’s take a look at a mission statement that is doing great 🦋. . .
CAITLIN WILSON. Scroll to the bottom of Caitlin’s site to easily find her brand’s mission of creating beautiful spaces. Browse any of her categories to find functional and classic pieces that are sure to make your space beautiful.
🤍 Five. The Values. The brand values are the ethics and morals associated with your brand. When you seem to get slightly knocked off of your path, revert back to your values to realign and get back on track!
Let’s take a look at a business with values that are doing great 🦋. . .
GIGI FRAZIER. Read all about Gigi Frazier’s values on the About Us page. The brand values connection and remains consistent in this value by offering a collection of plates to connect family and friends over a meal.
🎨 Six. The Color Palette. The brand’s color palette is the collection of colors used for fonts, backgrounds, and other visual formatting.
Let’s take a look at a color palette that is doing great 🦋. . .
MASON MAISON. From the moment you enter their website and you are met with a pop up, to the colors that represent each banner, to the highlights on their Instagram page, Mason Maison has a clear brand color palette of blue and green.
🔠 Seven. The Typography. The brand’s typography includes the fonts for headings, subheadings, and other texts.
Let’s take a look at typography that is doing great 🦋. . .
COLEY HOME. They are selling furniture and the typography is so good it makes me want it added to their next fabric. From the navigation bar to the product name and description, the typography is clear making the brand cohesive.
📸 Eight. The Images + Patterns. The brand’s images and patterns are the visuals that represent your brand. These are used alongside the logo. They can, however, stand alone and still be recognized as your brand.
Let’s take a look at a patterns that are doing great 🦋. . .
MACKENZIE CHILDS. Any OG grandmillennial knows that the classic black and white checkerboard pattern belongs to Mackenzie Childs. In fact, some may conclude that this pattern is even better known than the logo itself.
🤭 Nine. The Brand Personality.Think of your own personality except for your brand. It is your brand’s senses, fears, desires, behaviors, and traits. It is the tone and voice for how your brand communicates (6).
Let’s take a look at a brand personality that is doing great 🦋. . .
THE SALES GIRLS. If you do not leave this website with a smile on your face, I know a good therapist who can help! For real though, The Sales Girls are playful while being professional. You can see it in the clothes they wear, you can hear it in their discussion and copy, and you feel it as your sales calls go from high failure to high achieving.
👫🏽 Ten. The Audience + Team. Your audience and team are a direct link to your brand. Your external branding serves to connect your audience while your internal brand serves to connect your team. Establishing your ideal audience and team members will serve as a foundation for attracting and creating impenetrable teamwork, deep client relationships, and successful end results.
Let’s take a look at a team that is doing great 🦋. . .
JULIE SOLOMON. Julie’s team operates from their soul rather than ego. They prioritize connection and delayed gratification over the superficial and instant gratification. It is clear that they have reflected on and taken the time to understand their ideal client in order to better serve their audience.
📘 Eleven. The Brand Story. Your brand story involves your brand characters, plot, theme, and dialogue that collectively articulate how your product or service solves your audience’s problem.
Let’s take a look at a brand story that is doing great 🦋. . .
SOCIETY SOCIAL. Roxy Owens started her furniture brand to bring high design furniture to a low design budget (11).
🏷 Twelve. Product + Services.Your brand’s products and services are what you propose to your audience as the solution to their problem. They are that thing you leave your audience thinking ADD TO CART.
Let’s take a look at a product + services that are doing great 🦋. . .
GIGI FRAZIER. Gigi Frazier sells a collection of hand-painted earthenware plates that are unique to their brand. The best part is, they donate a portion of the profits to a non-profit so that you connect with your friends and family while giving back to the community.
Woohoo, you made it (almost!)
✨ How to Create a Clear Brand.
Now, it is your turn!
Ask yourself these three questions.
How does my brand leave a positive impact on the community?
Why does my brand’s impact matter?
How do I want the community to feel as they experience my brand?
Combine your answers with the twelve elements discussed above. Remember, a clear brand has a way to connect all twelve elements seamlessly. I cannot wait to see you do great!
🦋 Connection to Alice-Hilton.
I once was on a Zoom call with a super talented brand coach in which we discussed how a cohesive brand can impact your relationships, your career, and your spirituality. Here is what was discussed . . .
Relationships. Creating a cohesive brand has the ability to call in deeper connections based on empathy, trust, and shared values rather than surface level connections that may lack purpose.
Career. Creating a cohesive brand positively impacts your career because as you develop these stronger connections, you will, in turn, establish a community of people who desire to work with you. These community members are going to want to work with the person who they have that deep connection with rather than the surface level connection because there is a sense of understanding, trust, and respect that comes with a deep connection. Insert flourishing career here!
Spirituality. Creating a cohesive brand positively impacts your spirituality as it has the ability to awaken you to a life of deeper connections and true purpose.
Dr. Joe Dispenza once said that “our outer world is a reflection of our inner reality” (9). Thus, the more we align to our higher self, the more we will effectively branding ourselves and our business.
(Side note, if you have yet to read Dr. Dispenza’s book, Becoming Supernatural. How Common People Are Doing The Uncommon, grab your copy here 👉🏼👉🏾👉🏿 click anywhere in this sentence).
Now, I want you to picture this . . .You are about to open the doors to your small business, you are about to hit publish on your new website, or you are about to hit send to broadcast to your audience the release of your new and improved social channels.
This time last year, your business was just an idea you were typing out in your notes app during a meeting at your previous company. Your website was cloudy with a lack of direction. Your social pages were cluttered, chaotic, and confusing.
There was a moment where you thought this day would never arrive. A moment when you thought your fear of failure would take over. And, a moment when you knew that your mindset had to shift.
Now, you stand here moments away from unlocking the front door to your dream business. You are one scroll away from hitting the publish button to your new website. And, you are one click away from showing your audience your updated socials. You pause from the chaos of unpacking boxes, endless to-do lists, and late nights to sit in awe of the beautiful brand that you have created. You realize that you did not fail, rather you are just getting started.
You feel aligned to your higher self and true calling in life. You feel equipped with a clear business vision, a clear business purpose, and clear business visuals. Finally, you are attracting in dream clients.
This can be you!
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Thanks for visiting Alice-Hilton. Share this blog with someone who is doing great. We hope you leave here feeling like you have emerged into the beautiful butterfly that you are.