I wanted this blog to also include more generic small business posts where I can share what I have learnt in my 13 years of running businesses. I have been through many branding processes – not just for Jazzy Rose Flowers! There was my first logo for Sew Over It, then a couple of years ago we did a complete rebrand. I have also had two other businesses: Lisa Comfort and Lisa Comfort Home. I have also had the privilege to create many of these with the support of Katherine Raderecht, a brand consultant. So I have learnt a lot about creating a brand. I thought I would share some of those learnings with you. I will write this in the context of Jazzy Rose Flowers but this applies to creating a brand for all other small businesses.
The first thing to do is to create an identity of your ideal customer. Give them a name. Write down where they shop for food, where they go on holiday, what hobbies they have, where they buy clothes…. This seems odd to do as I am creating a floristry business but it helps to get it clear in your head who you are aiming your business at. It also massively helps when you send a designer your brief. They can visualise this person and therefore the brand so much more clearly.
These were some of the things I sent the designers I worked with. There was a lot more but this gives you an idea.
My customer shops at John Lewis. They like Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater recipes. They go on holiday to Italy, France and around the UK. They love being in the countryside even if they live in a city and enjoy a walk and pub lunch on a Sunday. They love supporting small and local businesses. They also love female-run businesses.
You will then need to think of the revenue strands you are going to have. I will be selling to individuals who want flowers for their home but also I will be selling to brides. Now when it comes to flowers, those markets are very different. The colour palettes are different. But what both customers are buying into is quality, beauty and a curated style of flowers. It was important for me to choose a palette that would appeal to these two different customer groups.
Have a look at what your competitors are doing. Do you think their logos and branding represent their offering well? Also have a look at other brands that you like that perhaps your customer would also like. For example for me, this could be Neptune. Try and be analytical. You could also try looking at art galleries, clothes shops, interior shops – you might find a colour that speaks to your brand.
Fonts are the hardest to decide on but it is worth doing a little bit of surfing on the internet, to see what you like and don’t like. Pinterest is good for this. Also look at labels in the supermarkets. You never know you may be inspired by a bottle of sauce!
Once you have done all this research you are then ready to go to a designer. I used Helena Steele for my branding. I have worked with her on previous brands and I love her work and know that we work well together.
This was the process we went through:
- I gave Helena my customer description (as above)
- I explained what I would be selling and who I would be selling to.
- As a flower farm/florist is a little more unknown, I sent her websites of competitors I liked
- I gave a rough colour palette. If you don’t have this then at least send colours you want to rule out. Elimination can sometimes be just as useful.
- I sent her brands I liked, regardless of what industry.
- I gave her a loose idea on font – for example I said no script font.
- Helena then came back to me with some initial designs.
- I chose one I liked the most and we worked on that. There were probably a few iterations and then we honed down on the colour palette.
Here is the original document she sent me with initial designs, so you can see where we started. It really wasn’t far off and the brief would have massively helped with that.
Things to remember
- Trust your instinct. I have always had a very strong feeling about designs the first time I see them. Be honest. Be direct. It helps you both get to where you need to faster
- Make sure you think about your logo in the different formats it needs to be – social media avatar, on the website, on a sticker etc
- Make sure you are really clear on what your business will be, what it will sell and who too before you embark on branding.
- Try not to ask all your family and friends for opinions. They won't have the vision for your business like you do and unless they work in branding and marketing will probably just just tell you what they like and don’t like! It’s best if you keep it to just you and the designer.