An Airline Hides its Logo: How not to Manage a Brand in Crisis

By Montrie Rucker AdamsOctober 31, 2013 Blog branding, British Airways, communications, crisis communications plan, crisis management, logo, Thai Airways

In September, when a Thai Airways plane skidded off the runway in San Francisco, the airline responded by covering their logo on the damaged plane, standard practice in the industry. On first glance, this practice seems like the right thing to do, distancing the brand from the accident and allaying flyers’ fears. Continue reading An Airline Hides its Logo: How not to Manage a Brand in Crisis

Should You Trademark Your Name, Logo or Tagline? [Video]

By Montrie Rucker AdamsNovember 14, 2012 Blog branding, copyright, logo, patent, registered trademark, tagline, trademark, uspto

I recently went through the process of trademarking our logo and tagline. It was a very tedious process! First we had to perform research to determine if there was already another company with our name and/or tagline. If so, there were several ways it could have been handled. One was to write a cease and desist letter. What ever the process, don’t consider trademarking unless you have legal counsel.

A trademark is a brand name. As defined by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), a trademark or service mark includes any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used or intended to be used to identify and distinguish the goods/services of one seller or provider from those of others, and to indicate the source of the goods/services.

Although federal registration of a mark is not mandatory, it has several advantages. Three include: notice to the public of the registrant’s claim of ownership of the mark, legal presumption of ownership nationwide, and exclusive right to use the mark on or in connection with the goods/services listed in the registration.

The USPTO offers an online “Basic Facts” publication to assist the business owner in the registration process. It provides recommendations and step-by-step procedures on how to trademark your information. If you don’t know where to start, this is a great resource for download and review.

To get you started, the USPTO has developed several helpful videos.

Introduction to the USPTO and Trademark Basics

http://youtu.be/o4zwq6MEaKw

More videos listed here – http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/TMIN.jsp

Brand Your Company/Yourself

By Montrie Rucker AdamsNovember 5, 2012 Blog be more visible, branding, facebook, logo, tagline, twitter, website

A brand is who you are. It’s your statement. When you have a specific brand, it tells how you are different from your competitors. You could distinguish yourself by your low (or high) prices, impeccable service or the specialized products you offer. Your brand is your business at its core.

There are companies that specialize in helping other companies with branding. Following are a few ways you can begin to brand your company, however, do keep in mind that your brand is much more than a logo or tagline.

Design a creative logo. If you’re having a problem designing your own, consult a graphic designer. Short on cash? Try your local college or university’s art department. There are also websites that offer logos.
Create a memorable tagline. We created two – “making you more visible” and “never let them forget you.” Try to convey what your business does in seven or fewer words. Taglines create a simple and easy way to remember you. They also help to further explain what your company does – which you may not be able to do with just the name of your business.
Create your colors. Stick with them for a least a few years. Pepsi will always be red, white and blue. You know UPS because of their brown truck. They even have a commercial: “What can brown do for you?” It’s their brand. You know it when you see it. It’s universal around the world. Create your memorable brand so that you can be more visible.
Create a catchy outgoing phone message. Let them know all about you when they call. Instead of, “I’m away from my desk, please leave a message,” why not, “We’re the number one company in America that does what we do, and the winner of the 2010 We’re the Best Award.”
Create a website. You can create many sites without professional help. There are free templates and programs out there, so do your research. Ask other business associates how they developed their websites. If professional help is needed, seek a web designer. Every business needs a website. Start one now.
Design a business Facebook page and set up a Twitter account. Even if you have a website, a business Facebook page and Twitter can help keep your clients informed in real time. Many receive more views and can be more interactive and readily updateble than traditional websites. It’s OK to have all three.

If you need assistance in branding your business, call Visibility Marketing Inc. – we can certainly assist you on how to “be more visible.”

Branding: “The Color Purple”

By Montrie Rucker AdamsNovember 2, 2012 Blog branding, business identity, color codes, colors attributions, logo, palettes

Symbolizing magic and mystery, the color purple is the color of good judgment. People seeking spiritual fulfillment or who surround themselves with purple will have peace of mind. It’s also a good color used in meditation and in some cultures, signify royalty.

I can’t remember when I didn’t love purple. I recently found an autograph book from my elementary graduation. Favorite color? I wrote purple.

Since I love purple, why wouldn’t I use it in branding my business? Some people give me the curious eye when they see it. Purple computer bag, purple ink pens, purple business envelopes … purple, purple, purple. Believe me, when I leave a meeting or conference – people will know I was there because of the purple I left behind! Now, I don’t overdo it (at least I don’t think I do). I try to keep it simple but it’s enough for people to remember.

Your logo color scheme and even the colors in your website plays a significant role in branding your business identity.

Some of the basic color attributions and their meanings used in the U.S. are:

White – Pure. Clean. Youthful. It’s a neutral color that can imply purity in fashion and sterilization in the medical profession.
Black – Power. Elegant. Secretive. The color black can target your high-end market or be used in youth marketing to add mystery to your image.
Brown – Reliability. Stability. Friendship. The color brown is also associated with items that are natural or organic.
Red – Passion. Excitement. Danger. Red is the color of attention, causing the blood pressure and heart rate to rise. Use red to inject excitement into your brand.
Orange – Vibrant. Energy. Play. Add some fun to your company if you want to create a playful environment for your customers.
Yellow – Happy. Warm. Alert. Yellow can be an attractor for your business with a relaxed feeling.
Green – Natural. Healthy. Plentiful. To create a calming effect or growth image choose green. Go green go.
Purple – Royalty. Wise. Celebration. Maybe add some purple tones to your look for your premium service business.
Blue – Loyal. Peaceful. Trustworthy. Blue is the most popular and neutral color on a global scale.

Keep in mind that certain color combinations hold a specific meaning to different cultures and even holidays. For example, orange and black is associated with Halloween and red and green are associated with Christmas.

If you want varying degrees of a color, for example a lighter shade of green or a darker shade of blue, ask your graphic designer to show you some color code combinations. Color palettes are a great way to select your branding colors.

And, once you finalize your colors – keep them. You don’t want to change often or even yearly. It will take a while for people to “recognize” you by your color(s) and once they do – you don’t want to change it.

So, go ahead, pick your favorite color(s). Just make sure it is symbolic of your company and the image you want to project.