Course Content
1. Introduction to Visual Identity and Branding
General Overview & Theoretical Framework of Visual Identity and Branding: Branding is the marketing practice of actively shaping your brand. That’s the basic definition, but there is so much more that goes into it. Branding is what your business needs to break through the clutter and grab your ideal customer’s attention. It’s what transforms first-time buyers into lifetime customers and turns an indifferent audience into brand evangelists. It’s what you need to stand out, make an impact and take your business to the next level
2. Introduction to Graphic Design
General Overview & Theoretical Framework of Graphic Design: Graphic design plays a vital role in the modern marketing environment and creates a competitive edge for companies and organizations. You only have to think about brands that have conquered their graphic design such as Apple, Tesla, and Coca- Cola, to know the power of design. Not all of us are Apple or Tesla. So what? We can learn from them. We can learn how to join up all the elements of our brand from the best design we can afford. From branding to graphic design can be used by any business organisation to communicate concepts and ideas visually. In a changing world where business is done online, and on the street, great design can set even a small business apart from a major brand. You only have to look at Instagram to see the creativity pouring out of small artisan businesses setting out their stall of products and services to create their following. Every company today needs the services of a graphic designer not only to create impressive marketing materials like brochures, posters, websites, and social media designs but also to effectively communicate the message to the target audience. So, even if you’re not Apple (and let’s face it who is?) let’s brush up on the role graphic designing plays in digital marketing. Graphic design is more than just aesthetics — it’s a form of communication between your business and your audience. Businesses use graphics in every stage of the marketing funnel to inform, engage, and eventually persuade prospective customers to make a purchase or take the desired action. A flyer design can inform local audiences about an upcoming workshop. An attractive email series can upsell new services to current customers. A well-crafted sales page can effectively announce your new product release.
3. Introduction to e-mail Branding (Newsletter)
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4. Introduction to Video Animation
General Overview & Theoretical Framework of Video Animation: Animated video is an engaging instrument that can help you tell your story more comprehensively. Here’s some statistics that will make you want to use more video in your marketing: Including video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80%; After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online; 1/3 of all online activity is spent watching video; 50% of executives look for further information after seeing a product/service in a video; YouTube users watch over 3 billion hours of video per month, according to YouTube.
5. Introduction to Podcasting Online
General Overview & Theoretical Framework of Podcasting Online
6. Conclusion
There you have it! The steps to a successful content creation and management process. It requires consistency and a holistic approach. It’s easy to get lost with the myriad of steps and factors you need to consider before you can actually start creating your own content. But with this content creation guide, you can get a head start in generating valuable and engaging content that your audience will love and can help you grow your brand and business. Being authentic and relatable with your audience through honest content helps the reader to connect with your product/service, but also with your brand and its values. Content creation does not stop when you press publish. You should also set time aside to analyse the data that you have available and strive for improvements and optimisation on your work. Ultimately, the true secret to successful content creation is simply experience. The more you do it, the more benefits you’ll see, and the better you’ll become. That said, educating yourself on how to work better, smarter, and more efficiently will only help you get to expert level faster.
1.2 The importance of visual identity and branding
Branding is important because it:
♦ Helps you stand out from the competition. It doesn’t matter what kind of company you have, what industry you’re in, or what type of customer you’re after—if you’re in business, you’ve got some serious competition. Branding helps you establish the ways in which you’re different, special, and unique. And it shows your customers why they should work with you instead of your competitors.
♦ Builds brand recognition. If you want to build a successful brand, you need to be recognisable. The right branding (including designing an impactful logo, website, and other brand assets) helps you carve out a distinct style, and it increases your brand recognition in the market.
♦ Creates a consistent brand experience for your customers. In order for your business to succeed, you need to provide a consistent experience for your customers however they interact with your brand—whether that’s through your website, at an in-person event or by following your social media accounts. Branding allows you to control how people perceive and experience your brand—and you can ensure that perception and experience stays consistent across all your brand touchstones.
♦ Sparks a connection with your audience and turns that audience into loyal customers. The most successful businesses are the ones that foster an emotional connection with their audience. That emotional connection is what transforms a prospect into a customer and a customer into a brand enthusiast. And how do you create and build that connection? Branding. Different branding strategies (like packing an emotional punch with your brand voice or leveraging color psychology when designing your logo) can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level and create a sense of loyalty to your brand.
How can it be done?
How can you develop a strong visual identity?
Companies, organisations, even freelancers, tend to use different tools to create and shape a brand. For example, branding can be achieved through:
♦ Brand definition: purpose, values, promise
♦ Brand positioning statement
♦ Brand identity: name, tone of voice, visual identity design (which includes the logo design, color palette, typographies…)
♦ Advertising and communications: TV, radio, magazines, outdoor ads, website, mobile apps
♦ Sponsoring and partnerships
♦ Product and packaging design In-store experience
♦ Workspace experience and management style Customer service
♦ Pricing strategy
Know who you are!
Before you know what tangible elements you want to make up your visual identity, you need to know who you are as a brand.
♦ Who you are as a brand is made up of a few key elements:
♦ Your mission (what’s your “why?”)
♦ Your values (what beliefs drive your company?)
♦ Your brand personality (if your brand was a person, what kind of personality would they have?)
♦ Your unique positioning (how do you differentiate yourself from the competition?)
♦ Your brand voice (if your brand was a person, how would it communicate?)
These elements are what define your brand, and before you start building your visual identity, it’s important you have a clear understanding of each.
If you’re having trouble figuring out who exactly you are, don’t sweat it. Sometimes, all you need is a simple brainstorm to help you get clarity on who you are as a brand.
Ask yourself:
♦ Why did we start this business/organisation?
♦ What are the beliefs and values that are important to us as a company/organisation?
♦ What do we do better than anyone else? What makes us special?
♦ If we could describe our brand in three words, what would they be?
♦ What are the three words we would want our customers to use to describe us?
Once you’ve locked in who you are as a brand, it’s time to build the visual identity that will bring your brand to life and show who you are to the people who matter most: your customers.