"I really, really love it" said a budding entrpreneur when talking about a particular Vistaprint template design she had recently discovered. "I'm going to use it for all my promotional material." I grimaced, knowing I was about to burst her design-happiness bubble.

In case you haven't come across Vistaprint…

Vistaprint is a popular worldwide online printing service that is incredibly cheap for small runs of anything from business cards, to rubberstamps, lawn signs and mugs. They even have reasonably-priced website and email marketing services.

I've used them on behalf of many clients and give them a big thumbs up.

Vistaprint have pre-designed templates for business cards, flyers, etc. for people to pop their details in and hey-presto! You are looking pretty darn spiffy. So what's the problem?

Back to the budding entrepreneur…

According to this budding entrepreneur, there was only one problem. She wanted to change one element of the design and was wondering whether she'd be in breach of copyright.

The problem she thought she had:

According to the Vistaprint customer service officer I spoke to, there is no copyright issue regarding altering a Vistaprint template while you are in their site, printing and purchasing from them. Not all templates can be altered, but some can.

However…

If you take the design and have someone else to print the material then you are in breach of copyright – tweaked or non-tweaked.

So if you want to print with anyone else down the track and you have a Vistaprint template as the basis of your branding, you are in trouble. You need to re-brand.

The real problem

Sites like Vistaprint are very popular. This means that many people out there are likely to be using the same template you choose. This defies the whole point of branding – i.e. presenting yourself as something special.

If someone sees your design and recognises it as a generic design template – which is becoming more and more the case – you look like you haven't had enough money, or care enough, to have your own brand developed. In short, it reduces your image of professionalism.

I know enthusiastic business owners who have completely by-passed their own branding and embraced a generic design template. Why? Because it's cheap and easy while making them look good. Or so they think. These people love showing me all the new marketing materials they have just bought…without their logo – the logo that's established their image over the years. I could cry.

Please, hire a graphic designer…

…preferably a graphic designer who understands branding. Feel free to show them the design template you love. They might be able to do something similar – but not the same. Showing your graphic designer layouts that you like fast-tracks the job nicely (which may even make the job cheaper).

Even better, sites like Vistaprint usually have clear specifications for graphic designers to work with so you can upload the designs yourself and enjoy all the perks.

IF that design is what's best

You loving the template design is all well and good. Your potential clients or customers loving it could be another matter entirely. So how do you know that's best? Find below two articles about logos. You logo should inform your brand – that is, your whole 'look and feel'.

• Briefing your logo designer.
• Logo basics even some graphic designers forget

By all means, use Vistaprint and other services like them. I do. Just go in with your eyes open about branding and about copyright.

This post was written by Megan Hills. Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who believes everyone is special – and wishes they would market themselves as such! Find out more about Megan.

Remember how in the previous post of What makes you so special, eh? we talked about your 'unique selling proposition (USP)'.

While the term USP doesn't sound all that riveting, identifying what is it for your business is the key to "happiness and success" (in marketing hype terms, that is) or "what is going to work for you" (in my terms).

An example

Let's say that, after assessing your competition, it is clear you are the only locksmith in your area offering a ten year guarantee.  And let's assume that having a ten year guarantee is of great interest to your potential customers – though if there is doubt, market test it (have a gander at: Market testing your promotional concept).

Okay, so that little guarantee nugget could be considered your USP.

How do you introduce that USP into your branding?

• Tagline
  If your business name is Hills Locksmiths, then your tagline (appearing under your business name/logo graphic) could be "Guaranteed security for ten years"  
   
• General 'look and feel' 
  Another approach is to position that official seal (with '10 year guarantee' in the middle of the seal) and popping it on your website banner, on the cover of your brochure, at the side of your business card layout, etc. 

USPs can change 

The marketplace demands change, what is available changes. Your tagline and general 'look and feel' are easier to change with the times than your business name or logo.

If you are feeling really rock-solid about this USP for now and the long term, you could approach it like this:

• Business name
  If you don't yet have a business name then you could look at naming your business Guaranteed Locksmiths.
   
• Logo graphic
  An alternative approach could be having a logo depicting a key with an official seal stamp over it.

Don't be caught false advertising 

Avoid saying "We are the only ones who…." because:

• There might be someone else who does offer this, you just haven't found them yet.
• There might be someone else who does offer this, but they are crap at promoting it.
• As soon as a competitor sees you are "the only ones who…", they might think "Hey, what a great idea!" and start doing it too (you can't control copycats like this).

The fact that you are offering it is special enough. For now.

Wrap up

Whatever you do, ensure that your USP is communicated simply and clearly. Also remember to put your USP into your elevator description. 

Don't know what an elevator description is?

I have been lax, my friend! Let me share that piece of excitement with you in the next post… 

This post was written by Megan Hills.  Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who thinks 'lax' means 'neglectful', not the other definition… Find out more about Megan

I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about the VERY CORE of marketing.

Sure, I've gestured towards it…flirted with it even (namely in 3 things people forget about a new business name). But I can't wait any longer. It is now it's time to 'go there'. It is time to talk about your….  

Unique Selling Proposition

God, what an awful, boring term. It's almost as rigor mortis-inspiring as 'corporate image' and 'corporate identity'. It even has a boring acronym: USP.

Okay. It may be hard to believe, but your 'unique selling proposition (USP)' is what makes you really exciting to other people. It is what makes you special.

For remotely effective marketing, it is absolutely vital for you to know – in one line – what your unique selling proposition is. Why? Because if you don't know what makes you special, why should anyone else care?

But nailing your USP can be tricky…

There are two questions to ask yourself:

1. What do you do that's different from everyone else? 
2. Why should I care?

Question # 1: What do you do that is different from everyone else? 

If you say "But I don't care about what anyone else is doing", I say "You're a ning-nong who deserves to fail in business."

Sound harsh? Being spiritual (and loving all of God's creatures) doesn't mean you exist in a bubble. Embrace your environment and understand what's going on around you.

Finding out what makes you different from the rest: 

1. Define what you do as best you can (e.g. plumbing).
2. Define the people you want to do it for (e.g. people in Bondi, Australia).
3. Google those answers (e.g. plumbing, Bondi, Australia) to find out how others like you are promoting themselves (i.e. your competition). 
4. Take notes on the key messages they are promoting
5. What's missing from their sites that you know you do?

It could be a particular service you give.

It could be a particular product you sell.

It could be a guarantee you offer.

It could be that you know everyone in Bondi is groovy-savvy and there are no plumbing websites that look remotely groovy-savvy…and you are pretty groovy-savvy yourself (yes, even plumbers can be groovy-savvy).

Is being a 'groovy-savvy Bondi plumber' enough to serve as a unique selling proposition? Maybe. This leads us to the next question…

Question #2: Why should I care?

People aren't as caring as you think. They don't really care where you were born or what your favourite colour is. These days, chances are, they won't even care if you are a family business.

But it's a good idea to get to know these people personally – even if they don't want to get to know you personally.

Who are these people?

'These people' are called your 'target market'. They are the people you are selling to, your clients or customers. These are your punters – or punters you wish you had. 

How would we describe your punters?

Punter descriptions are often called 'demographics'. Demographics are small boxes we jam complex humans into for the sake of effective marketing.

In other words, sometimes you have to throw the net out and generalise a little. Are your desired punters:

• women, men or transsexual? 
• high income, low income or low income but want to pretend to have a high income?
• tertiary graduates, from the School of Hard Knocks or an interesting combination of the two?   

Okay, you get the picture.

So let's look at some possible demographics / characteristics for Bondi punters in need of plumbing repairs for their homes:

• well-educated women (men are too ashamed to call)
• reasonably high income (the beach might be free but the rest certainly isn't)
• likes groovy things 
• doesn't tolerate mess well (not even sand…)
• can still drive a hard bargain (on anything but shoes and soft furnishings)

What do they care about?

Essentially, most people want to know that:

• you are reliable: fix the problem properly
• you are responsive: fix the problem when they want it fixed
• you are worth it: charging at a price that's fine to them.

So why would a groovy-savvy-looking plumbing website be important to Bondi people?

Well, first you have to ensure they understand you will fix the problem at a price that's fine to them. And that your availability is good – who wants dodgy plumbing for more than a day? And that you clean up after yourself, because they hate mess, remember? 

But maybe all the plumbers advertising in the Bondi area are saying these things.

So THEN, by having the groovy-savvy-looking website you will be saying "AND we are one of you".

Why is saying 'we are one of you' important?

Answer: Trust. Plumbers come into people homes, often when there isn't another man around. A woman wants to know she can trust the plumber. She's already feeling that 'we are alike' trust from your promotional material by the groovy-savvy-looking design. From your words she knows that you won't be ripping her off financially either.

But that's just one example.

The point is…

The point is that your unique selling proposition isn't just a line of words. It can be conveyed in a multitude of ways. But you need to start with that line of words for your own clarity and go from there.

What do I mean "…and go from there"?

In the next post, you will find out how to use your unique selling proposition in your promotional material….

Note: If you know why you are special, then you are more likely to make your clients feel special.

This post was written by Megan Hills.  Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who thinks you're special too. Find out more about Megan

Following from my previous post on logo basics even some graphic designers forget, here are some things to consider when approaching a graphic designer to create a logo for you. 

But before we start…

Why give your logo designer a brief?

A friend of mine recently approached a graphic designer to create a logo for his new business.  He told the designer the name of the business and described the service he provided.  Then he said, 'Go for it' – i.e. the designer was to present a wide range of branding ideas. 

What came back was two pages of half-baked concepts, none of which my friend was remotely happy with.  From my experience, this result was not surprising.

I could understand the guy's logic.  An open slather brainstorm can often bring about amazingly creative ideas.  But the brainstorm needs to come from a strong foundation. And what you ultimately want is a strong presentation from the designer with a logo that will work.  

The designer needs to know all kinds of things to create that happy outcome.  And contrary to popular opinion, graphic designers don't have ESP.

Does the designer already have a creative brief form?

Before writing your brief, ask the designer if they have a creative brief questionnaire.  This document will assist in preparing answers that will inform their approach.  Some designers don't have this template set up.  Don't ask me why.

Who is a logo for?

No, it's not all about you.  Naturally it is important to be comfortable with your logo, but don’t think that it should be purple because purple is your favourite colour. 

Your logo is one very powerful way of making a connection to those you want to reach.  So think about what are they going to be attracted to.

List the basics of your business:

• What is your business name and tag line?
• What is your core service(s) and/or product(s)?
• Who is your target market? (list demographics like age, income and geographic area)
• Who is your competition and what makes you different from them? (copy and paste business logo designs from your competitor's websites, so the graphic designer knows how to differentiate your business from theirs)

Explore your logo's logistics:

• How is the logo likely be used? (consider letterhead, business cards, website, signage, stickers for packaging, ink stamps, pens, t-shirts, embroidered on uniforms, billboards, television, etc.)
• Are you likely to need sub-branding? (i.e. a logo for each of your products/services)

 
What are some key words that convey what your business represents?

• Some examples: nurturing, reliable, secure, feminine, lush, hygenic, fun, creative, practical, resourceful, friendly, etc.

Already have some ideas?

If you have some visual concepts in mind, sketch them out.  It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t draw.  Any indication is further information for your graphic designer. 

Important note: Just because you come up with a concept doesn't mean this is what the logo will end up being.  Your designer may think up something completely different that works ten times better.  Well, you would hope so.  It's what they do for a living after all. 

When non-designers have design ideas for their business, it is best to get them out in the open.  Why?  So the concept can be discussed.  Your idea might be useful to the process…or, at least the exercise gives your designer an opportunity to explain why you idea is appalling (hopefully they'll do this nicely while offering chocolate or a tumbler of whiskey).  Then you will be able to move onto other, decent ideas.

Changing an existing logo?

If you already have a logo, ask yourself the following:

• What are the elements that are already successful? 
• Why do you think they are successful? 
• What elements do you want to change?
• Why do you want to change them?

What do you expect at 'Presentation Time' from your designer? 

My two cents: three deeply considered logo concepts from your graphic designer is generally better than a multitude of possible ideas.

A couple of dollars worth of two cents (I've addressed these points – and more – in the previous post, but they are important):

• Have the logo(s) presented in different sizes (really, really small is important)
• Have the logo(s) presented as black & white versions
• Have the logo(s) presented in a corporate material context (e.g. business card layout)
• Have the logo(s) printed on different kinds of paper (newsprint, glossy, etc.)
• Make sure you see how it looks on a computer screen (sight colour variations between printing and screen are usual in these instances)

And make sure you own the copyright to whatever design is decided upon.

Wrapping up

Gathering as much information as possible in advance before briefing a designer not only helps with initial discussions, it also assists with potential negotiations later if the designer has strayed off the brief. 

So be painstakingly detailed in your brief.  Throw all your thoughts down – even though you will be welcoming new ideas from the designer….won't you?

And be nice to designers.  Even if they look strong and assertive, deep down they are usually gentle, sensitive souls.  And this sensitivity is a good thing.  If they weren't, their powers of creativity would be dramatically diminished.  And that would be our loss.

This article was written by Megan Hills.  Megan is a writer, marketing consultant and cartoonist.  Megan thinks that graphic designers who are able to create logos that are highly creative AND work logistically AND are relevant to the business' purpose are the Zen Masters of our time.  Read more about Megan

A good logo is a simple one.  That doesn't mean designing a logo is simple.  In fact, it's the crème de la crème of graphic design.

Your logo – as simple and sweet as it may be – needs to do a number of things:

1. reflect your business accurately
2. work logistically in every format
3. look different from everyone else
4. be appealing to the folks you want to reach

Because of all these considerations, it is a good idea to hire a graphic designer to create your logo.  You want to look spiffy, don't you?  An amateur job is not the go for something that is so important.  You need make a good first impression.   

Still, even if you have a great graphic designer enlisted to help, it doesn't hurt to know some things about logo design yourself before kicking-off.

Between you and me…

…I'm a little shocked at how many graphic designers I've come across who don't take the logo basics into account.  Because I couldn't help myself, I made a pretty bold statement about these kinds of graphic designers on the website Flying Solo. Predictably, the article received a ton of flack from furious creative souls.  

Blog tip: Writing contentious articles is a great way to attract 'comments'.

Moving right along…

Below are some considerations that might help guide you (and your designer) towards a logo that is both practical and powerful:  

What is a logo?

When people think 'logo' they generally think of the symbol that appears next to (or under or above) the business name.  But your logo could just be your business name in a particular font, sporting particular colours.  

Or you can have a graphic as part of your business name, rather than beside it.  

Warning:  Be wary of graphics that break up the business name, rather than pull the visual together in a neat package.  Breaking up the business name can send a 'scattered' message.  

How you choose to approach the basic nature of the logo design depends on:

• what you want to communicate (i.e. your key message)
• who you are communicating to (i.e. the people you want to buy your gear)
• how the logo is likely to be used (i.e. what promotional formats this baby will appear on)

Do you need a symbol?

Logo symbols can be a great way pack a punch for your brand.  They often sit on the left hand side of the business name (like your business' right hand man).  Symbols can be handy for favicons (otherwise known as a 'website icon' or 'bookmark icon' i.e. the little round symbol that can appear before your website address on a web browser).  

They can also appear as a watermark design behind text in promotional material or on a product packaging tag.

There are all manner of ways a logo symbol can be used to help your branding along.  But not everyone feels the urge to have one and that's okay too.

Some more design tips:

• Make the logo design simple - The simpler, the more powerful.  Instant recognition is the name the logo game (look at the logos of major banks and telephone companies – as evil as they might be, these businesses generally have the simple logo thing sussed).
   
• Keep the number of colours used to a minimum - Aim for two colours maximum, not including white, and avoid subtle tonal changes.
   
• Avoid metallic colours - They require expensive inks/stock and don't translate well on computer/TV screens (e.g. copper will convert to a murky brown on your website).

• Do you have a tag line (slogan)?  - If so, have a version of your logo with your tag line.

• Avoid hairlines – Thin lines can get lost in photocopying, on television and on computer screens.
   
• Test the logo’s appearance:  Fax it, photocopy it, print it out, look at it on your computer monitor.

• Does it reduce well in size?  What can you see when your logo is 3cms in width – or even smaller?

• Check it out in different formats: See how it will look on letterhead, with comp slips, business cards, order forms, packaging, web page, newsprint, glossy paper.

• Consider appearance beyond corporate material: As an ink stamp, in a small black & white newspaper ad, on a billboard, embroidered on a uniform or printed on a promotional t-shirt, etc.  

• If the logo is one colour, have a reverse colour option - If blue on white, for example, check out the white on blue option.

• Ensure your designer gives you a black & white version of the logo (if you have a colour logo).

• Also have a black & white inverse option - White on black/black on white.

• Consider having both horizontal and vertical versions to accommodate different layout demands.

• Consider 'long-range' identification - If street signage, expo signage, event banners, and/or uniforms spotted easily in a crowd will be important to your business, consider your logo to be a light colour (or white) on a strong background colour for it to be seen quickly and easily from a distance. 

A couple of legal tips

Make sure the design hasn’t already been trademarked by someone else.  And check that you own the design, not your designer – ensure the copyright ownership is documented and signed by both of you. 

Wrapping up

When satisfied with your logo design, make sure your logo appears on EVERYTHING. Business cards, letterhead, signage, packaging, e-mail signature, advertising – the works. 

Familiarity creates trust (unless your logo appears on the news in relation to something really bad).  So don’t be shy, go forth and shamelessly stamp your logo about the place.

Next?

Next I will write a post on how to brief your designer.  It is likely to involve chocolate, so stay posted (boom boom).  

Maybe even consider subscribing to My Marketing Thing….

This article was written by Megan Hills.  Megan is a writer, marketing consultant and cartoonist.  Despite popular opinion, she also has friends that are graphic designers.  Read more about Megan

A client recently got in touch about finding a name for a new business.  The staff brainstorm had already happened back at the client's office.  You could have called it a tsunami.  

The client wanted my feedback on their ideas. The staff had obviously gone through every thesaurus on the planet. They had also given their best college try to be fun and creative. 

But my feedback changed everything.

The team had started off well. A pretty thorough job had also been done on analysing how the competition was branding themselves. What seemed to work ‘out there’ and what didn’t.  

One staff member had actually gone to the trouble of writing out the key elements of the business and what makes them different (called a 'USP' – unique selling proposition).  Three key messages had been identified.  All great stuff.  

You would think all the boxes were ticked.  But they weren’t.

Let’s say the client’s business was about recruitment.  The list the staff came up with were generally one-word shots, like ‘connection’, ‘fusion’, ‘empower’, and  ‘dovetail’. 

Each word was a vague gesture towards at least one of the three key messages. I felt sorry for the words.  An awful lot of pressure had been put on them. They needed support. They needed context.

When choosing a new business name it can be helpful to imagine how the name is going to sit in a logo.  And when you do this, consider the following:

Ask: What is your industry?

If you are in recruitment consider having ‘recruitment’ in the name.  There are two good reasons to try this out: 

1. Potential clients will then know immediately what industry you’re in (i.e. how you can help them)

2. You have a nice keyword in your domain name (good for Google searching)

So instead of just ‘dovetail’, see the name as ‘Dovetail Recruitment’.  

Ask: Is it available?

A quick gander on Google and you’ll see that all the business names (connection, fusion, empower and dovetail), along with the word ‘recruitment’, have been taken somewhere in the world.  

Important note:  Don’t just check if you can register it as a business name and if it’s already trademarked.  You need a good website address as well. The hat trick.

If you want to have a global presence, finding a name that is still available can be challenging.  If you want to be more local, then it is generally less of a problem.  

Either way, it is worth going through the process as thoroughly as you can to end up with a name that works.

Ask: What’s your tagline?

Let’s keep with ‘Dovetail Recruitment’ as a business name for now.  It sounds okay and we know what you do.  But what makes you different from other recruitment agencies?

This is where a tagline becomes helpful.  A tagline can really push home what is special about you.  

Perhaps your recruitment business has a special screening process that has a unique, lateral approach to finding the right person for the job.  The process screens candidates for qualities beyond the usual criteria that other agencies use.

What could your tagline be?  Perhaps something like:

Lateral recruitment for better results.

So we’re now looking at:

Dovetail Recruitment
Lateral recruitment for better results

The positives about the line is that it prompts the question ‘What is lateral recruitment?’.  A potential client might call you on the basis of that question.  

To a lesser degree it prompts another question: “better results than who?”.  The imagined answer would be “Better than those silly-moo linear recruiters that you usually hire”.

But the line needs improvement.  Firstly, you don’t need ‘recruitment’ in the tagline when it’s already in the name.  And it might be good to try a more personal approach. After all, this is a ‘people business’.  

So let’s make it:  

Dovetail Recruitment
Your lateral resource for better results

But what if we think (after some market testing) that the term ‘Wide Net’ might be worth introducing?  The word ‘lateral’ is still quite effective…  Do you change the tagline or change the name?  Be bold.  Try changing the name and see how it feels.

Wide Net Recruitment
Your lateral resource for better results

Compare this business branding example to one small brainstorm word: ‘dovetail’. See the difference?

The punch line

I’m not saying ‘Wide Net Recruitment’ is the best name for this particular business.  Or that ‘Your lateral resource for better results’ is the best tagline. The point is, the business and the tagline need to work together for the key message to come through powerfully and succinctly. Combined, they need to say what you do and why you are special.

Test them both on your target market.  Ideally, this means a good swag of people that don’t know you from Adam.  This way you will have a better chance of receiving helpful, objective feedback.

One final tip:

Say the business name.  Don’t just write it. I’ve seen too many names where the potential client would hesitate before attempting to pronounce the darn thing.  

You might think the name is straightforward to pronounce, but always test it. Use a flash card and get strangers to speak it out loud. 

Then, by all means, sing your new business name from the rooftops.

Megan Hills is a writer, marketing consultant and cartoonist - more about Megan

I did this 'Rebranding Christmas' cartoon (above) for my other blog site: My Cartoon Thing.   But I want to tell you about where the inspiration came from. It was a conversation with a client who was about to make a very serious marketing mistake.

The butt of the joke in the cartoon is the notion that Santa feels the need to rebrand Christmas.  The elves look less than inspired by the process.  Who can blame them? 

I looked much like one of Santa's elves when my client said to me "It's time for 'a fresh look' to the business".  Sounds innocent enough.  But we had only created the new look twelve months before.  Clients and potential clients might have really only got the impact of it 6 months before.   The 'old' look has only just taking hold, and creating a great response from those my client was wanting to reach.  

Changing now was the worst thing he could do.

Being committed to your brand is vital.  It takes time to build familiarity and trust with your target market.  Give them that time.  Changing your 'look and feel' or corporate identity too soon just confuses everyone.  And all that familiarity and trust you've worked so hard to build goes down the toilet.

If your main brand is working REALLY well over a long period, don't just change it for the sake of changing it.  Consider keeping it as is.  Instead, create a new injection through sub-branding.  That is: brand or re-brand your products and/or services (that exist under your main 'umbrella' brand).

My client's biggest mistake was making it about himself.  He is tired of the look, so he wants to change.  

But it is not about him.  

The branding (and rebranding) process is for the people 'out there' he wants to connect with.

Don't fall into the same trap that Santa did – instead, get out onto your sleigh and talk to the kids.  And have a great Christmas.