Grow your brand vocabulary

Your brand vocabulary consists of all things that define your brand’s personality. These are the things that are consistently used in your marketing materials from business cards to websites to commercials and other advertising. Several things go into building your brand vocabulary, some of which are often overlooked.

Some examples of items that make up your brand vocabulary are as follows:

Colors: Your brand should be represented consistently by one or two colors. Some brands can pull off three, but we don’t recommend it. The more colors you use, the more difficult it gets for people to remember you. A focused palette is much more memorable. This palette should be used in your ads, illustrations, graphics, and all other materials associated with your brand.

Fonts: Choosing a limited number of fonts is just as important as choosing a limited number of colors. Using too many fonts is confusing and creates unnecessary visual discord. In both print and online, specify what fonts and font weights should be used for headlines, sub heads and body copy and use them consistently.

Sounds: Some companies may be able to add a sound to their brand vocabulary. This is easier to do if you are advertising on television or radio. A great example of a brand with a sound in their arsenal is Intel. The four chimes that play as their logo is shown in their commercials are instantly recognizable – most people don’t even need to be watching the ad to know who is doing the advertising. Another is Apple. The tune that they use in their “switch” campaign is also repeated in their stores. (Is it in your head yet?)

Smells: Again, this is not an element that every brand can use, but it is still available to some. Think Starbucks or Cinnabon. These brands can be associated with specific smells because they produce a consistent product. If either is near, often you can smell it before you see it, and you’re already craving it when you get there.

Shapes: Shapes manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Bullets, borders and call-out boxes are just a few examples. The way in which images are cropped can be another. Do you use rounded corners? Do you crop your pictures so they are strongly horizontal or strongly vertical?

Photographs: We all know that photographs can add a world of personality to your branded materials. Stay consistent with the style of photography you use. Also, it is a good idea to select several (stock) images and purchase them at the highest resolution possible. These can be used in all your materials - both print and web.

Layout Styles: It is a good idea to establish a consistent way in which you lay things out in your marketing materials. How many columns do you use? Do you have one dominant image, or do you use several smaller ones?

Having an established brand vocabulary will make your brand more distinct, consistent and professional. And all that adds up to a more memorable market presence - the first step in building a base of loyal brand users

Kristen Friend is the art director at the graphic design company, Luckynine Design. As a graphic, web, and logo design company, Luckynine has worked with companies of all sizes. To learn more, visit luckyninedesign.com.