The Color of Business

I have spent the last couple of days educating myself on the ways of logos and branding and the marketing side of business. As my little business grows I realize it is important to hone in on such things. That - and I'm having some signs professional printed. (ha) I realized that as I start investing money in larger and more professional promotional materials, if I was thinking of making changes, now is the time.

I have known from the start the importance of branding and being very consistent with images and words - logo and tagline. (I worked in the cable industry for a long time and branding was drilled into me!) I don't like to change things too often; people will lose interest and/or not know who I am.

But with growth comes the need for change. And now I know just enough to be dangerous. *wink* Since the bulk of my products are child-oriented I focused on which colors would work best for a child-oriented business. I learned that colors in a logo are very important. Who knew that colors can have a subliminal psychological effect on us? It's so interesting. There are tricks to this advertising gig. I learned that orange represents fun, lightheartedness, youthfulness, creativity - and purple has many of the same qualities. They are happy, cheerful colors and appeal to children. Children who will drag their Mama and Papa by the hand to a booth with an orange and purple logo. So it seemed logical that orange and purple should be my color combo, no?

Running it by my pal Stephanie of Stoopher & Boots (who ironically uses orange and purple in her logo as well and is well-schooled in the ways of a child-oriented business), we agreed it was a good choice.

So my teal pup is now orange (and in need of a name...), the text purple. I'm in the process of changing things across the board - all my printed material and all my online venues. For starters I freshened up my blog here with some simple color in the background that kind of coordinates with my new color scheme. I'd love to hear what you think of my new look ~ the logo and the blog. Especially if you like them. *wink*

Onward and upward, peeps!

The Unveiling ~ and the Importance of Branding

Creating my new logo actually turned out to be easier than I had expected. I went in knowing pretty much what I wanted. I knew which image I wanted to use (see previous post) so that was half the battle.

Then it helped that I am blessed to have savvy geeks in my family. One son works for an interactive advertising agency and the other owns his own IT business. They provided techy and artistic advice.

I knew I wanted a simple image, clean lines and something that would be easily recognizable and memorable; and yet, something whimsical that would represent what I do. (I learned the importance of branding when I worked in the cable television biz.)

Something I hadn't considered, however, was creating versions in different colors for different venues (thank you my Mad Men son) ~ or as I have chosen to use them, for different causes or holidays. The images here depict pink - for Breast Cancer Awareness; teal - just because that is my favorite so far and may be the standard image; and purple for "Stop the Bullying."

I'm already envisioning something for Christmas... :)

I find projects like this incredibly fun. But there definitely is a serious side to it as well ~ branding your business is important. And once you find something that works, stick with it. People begin to relate to you ~ they feel comfortable with you and feel like they are your friend.

Once it's working, don't change it. Just ask GAP. *wink*

The Chosen One...

This dog - recently renamed Coco - is an image I have often used to represent cmh design. He was one of my first Wee Ones and there is just something about him that I love. I am sentimental about him, of course, being one of the first; but there is something else... I think it's his eyes.

Many of my first Wee Ones were made with felt eyes to insure that they were baby-safe. (I still offer that option, by the way, in place of plastic safety eyes.) Beyond the safety factor there is just something that is so soulful in his eyes. He looks like he really needs a hug ~ and is ready to give one back. :)

I have made many incarnations of Coco (clones actually) but I am working on a totally new version. I'm designing a new logo (it is time to brand) and Coco is playing an integral part.

Stay tuned. :)