Industry giants like Coca-Cola continue to invest heavily in their brand identity, and small businesses can also drive growth by adopting similar strategies that don’t cost as much.
Brand-building is especially important because 82% of investors value brand strength, and you don’t have to be a large company to successfully do it.
In this interview, Langton Creative Group President David Langton shares with DesignRush key branding lessons from big brands like McDonald’s that small businesses should know to achieve growth.
Who Is David Langton?
David is focused on providing expert advice to leaders and marketing executives of growing businesses. He has over 25 years of experience as a business and creative team leader and has worked with leading advocacy-driven organizations, leading communication projects for Fortune 500 companies such as Deloitte, Pfizer, and Northwell Health.
Branding is deeply intertwined with graphic design, as visual elements are essential in conveying a brand's identity and values to its audience.
David thinks that although what we see often determines how we feel about many things, the practice of visual art — graphic design — is often neglected or relegated to a lower level.
“When you make a sloppy appearance, you send a signal that you don’t really care about your audience.
Consider the ‘bathroom’ rule. Whenever you go to a restroom in a restaurant that is dirty and not cared for, you begin to reflect on what that says about how this restaurant cares about its customers, and whether the kitchen and everything else is clean. It’s a slippery slope,” he explains.
Maintaining a healthy visual identity by taking good care of consumer-facing tools is crucial in successful branding, and David couldn’t stress this enough:
“Everything you do and say is part of what makes your brand; it’s how people perceive you. A strong brand reinforces an organization’s mission, vision, and character.”
Your brand’s visual elements should properly align with your business. Watch our clip below to find out what the key elements of visual identity design are:
I was curious to hear from David about how he thinks brands can balance creativity with effective communication in their visual design projects.
He believes that visual communication campaigns should be clear and to the point.
“We often start with something that is too complicated and spend time running through multiple versions to cut back the copy and streamline the content to get to the essence.
We are guided by the question, ‘What does your audience really need to know right now?’ and balance that with ‘What do we really need to tell them?’” he points out.
This balancing act seems easier said than done, but by integrating the appropriate strategies for your brand, you can achieve a relatable and sustainable visual identity.
Key Elements of an Effective Visual Communication Strategy
Understanding the foundational elements that drive visual communication is key to building a cohesive and impactful brand.
But where do you begin?
“A brand should start by defining its vision to guide its communication,” David says.
He explains that Langton Creative Group has a process where they workshop a specific vision to help the organization align, as well as measure the effectiveness of its relevant communication efforts.
“Then, we create a brand guidebook that defines how the visual elements — the logo, typography, colors, and layouts are to be used. It includes your brand story and captures the attitude, tone, and point of view you want to express to your audience,” he shares.
David highlights that sample communication prototypes with examples of best practices for visual and language usage will strengthen a brand even more.
“It should include a letter from leadership endorsing the standards and giving the communication team the power to enforce brand standards throughout the organization,” he concludes.
Effective communication within the organization is also essential in being able to build a successful brand.
Communispond President Scott D'Amico discusses how great communication will become the most powerful skill this year in a DesignRush podcast. Watch our video below to learn more:
For businesses looking to enhance their visual branding and communication efforts, David provides four key questions to consider:
- Does your brand reflect the qualities you want to communicate to the world?
- First, what are you doing in the marketplace?
- Do you uphold standards of quality in the work you do?
- Do your leaders and the people who work for the organization act truthfully and consistently?
“Ultimately, a good brand will reflect the qualities of the organization — so you must start by assuring the organization is on the right footing,” he says.
Sometimes, a brand needs more than just minor adjustments; it requires a comprehensive rebranding to stay relevant and effective in a changing market.
David shares the indicators that will let you know that your brand needs to be enhanced or refreshed:
- Readability: The logo looks nice but is hard to read, especially on screens and in small sizes.
- Heritage: Consider a refresh to build on a strong history and maintain a connection with existing supporters.
- Concept: Make sure the idea behind your logo is still relevant; if you need to keep explaining it, it may need a redesign.
- Lost in space: Your logo should stand out and make you feel proud when seen alongside competitors.
If you are looking for a partner to help enhance your brand and improve customer loyalty, our DeisgnRush's listing of top branding agencies is a great place to start.
Avoid Creating a ‘Kitchen Sink’ Logo
David believes that logos need to be simple and easy to reproduce, advising to avoid a “kitchen sink” logo, or packing too many elements in the design that only dilutes a brand’s visual identity.
“This is when you throw everything you can think of into the visual brand. It has so many different references that it no longer has a single focus. When you stand for everything, you end up being about nothing,” he explains.
Instead, he says that logos should work as a distinct reflection of an organization.
“The logo doesn’t bring meaning; it captures the meaning of the organization through its marketing, actions, performance, and people,” he points out, providing Nike’s logo as an example of how a simple symbol can be empowered by strong branding and company values.
David shared with me their case study on Deloitte and how Langton Creative Group helped the company effectively communicate its complex services and thought leadership to its audience through a descriptive video that resonated with business leaders:
“Deloitte’s Business Chemistry program uses personality intelligence studies to create better working relationships for team building and successful management.
When you know how to work with people who have different learning styles, you can vastly improve productivity. We worked with Kim Christfort at Deloitte to create an engaging way to introduce the program to their clients,” David explains.
He also adds that the video design uses music to express four personality types, starting with clashing instruments that transform into a symphony.
What Can You Learn From Big Brands?
David advises starting with consistent communication methods, choosing a color palette and typeface, and hiring a designer for your websites, business cards, and letterheads.
He also mentions three guidelines that will help small businesses build a more cohesive branding:
- Think like a franchise to improve efficiency and consistency by setting standards for every task.
- Consider how your businesses could run without you by creating guidelines.
- Focus on what the business needs, not personal preferences.
“At McDonald’s, there is a method for making French fries and a checklist for cleaning up and opening and closing the restaurant. Policies and processes are written down and updated when a better method is discovered.
It’s about efficiency and consistency. You have to think about how your business could run without you. What instructions and guidelines would you provide?
By thinking about your business as a franchise, you remove your ego and focus on what the business should be doing. And that’s how you establish a better brand,” he concludes.
Small businesses should invest their time and resources in branding to build a strong visual identity and consistent communication strategy.
By adopting the principles used by successful franchises, you, too, can establish clear standards and guidelines that ensure efficiency and consistency.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
