It’s a given that promotional products work, but did you know that they may even work better than digital ads? Let’s look at the evidence in numbers.

A single promotional bag generates around 5,700 impressions. 85% of consumers also remember the company more because of a t-shirt or a hat.

This means nothing still beats a physical product when it comes to increasing brand awareness and brand visibility.

These numbers say something about the effectiveness of a promotional product, but it doesn’t include the quality of those products. 

If you’re planning to print logo images of your company, make sure you choose the right method. You’ll get more out of your investment by ensuring the quality. Read on to know the steps on how to do it right.

1. Prepare the Logo File

You must first have the logo file prepared. It should be compatible with the method of printing you want, which we’ll discuss later.

Your logo should have vector graphics. This will make it easier for you to scale it up or down depending on the material you want it printed on. This allows you to print it on small products like mugs or big marketing materials like banners without it losing quality.

Make sure it doesn’t have a background, too, not even a white background. It should be transparent. If it has a white background, the printed logo will have a white rectangular frame.

As for the colors, consider the product you want to print it on, too. For colorful bottles, consider putting a monotone logo, for instance. 

2. Choose a Logo Printing Method

Once you have your print logo file ready, choose how you want to print it on your marketing product of choice. The right method will also depend on the material. We’ll explain it more below.

Heat Transfer

In this method, you print the image on a sublimation transfer film. This then utilizes the heat from a heat press to transfer the design to another object. Note that the result looks glossy with bright colors.

This method is great for t-shirts, mugs, bags, and more. In general, you can use this method for fabric, plastic, and ceramic materials.

Silkscreen Printing

Silkscreen printing has been in use for over a century. Even today, it remains an effective method of printing.

It’s a popular method for printing on t-shirts. But you can also use this method to print on wood, paper, ceramic, and other materials. You can also use it to print your logo on suitcases, umbrellas, and other objects with flat surfaces.

The printing process involves a screen, a sheet of plastic with cut-outs, and a squeegee. You place the screen on top of the object, then place the sheet of plastic, and then use a squeegee to coat the screen with ink. This “prints” the image on the sheet of plastic onto the object.

Laser Engraving

As this method’s name implies, it uses a laser to engrave words or images onto materials like wood and metal. For metal products, you have to use the cool laser type and the heat laser for non-metal objects.

It’s easy, fast, and it allows you to create beautiful images on a variety of objects. If you use it on glass, it can create beautiful artworks without breaking the material.

The best thing about this method, though, is that it’s one of the cheapest methods there is.

Embroidery

You don’t have to do actual embroidery in this method; you leave this process to the machines. They “print” any image on the object using needles, threads, and a machine that does embroidery. This leaves a 3D and textured print.

As you can guess, this method is only good for promotional products made of fabric. It’s great for hats, bags, t-shirts, and so on. You can even create a different lanyard option using this method.

3. Buy the Needed Materials

For the printing method you choose, you must buy the corresponding equipment. You’ll need a laser engraving machine, for instance, whose costs depend on the size, power, and capacity.

You will also have to take these into account when buying the right equipment.

You’ll also have to prepare the materials you want your printed logo on. Make sure that the products are also compatible with the printing method of your choice.

Silkscreen printing is inexpensive for the most part, but for the other printing methods, you’ll have to shell out a huge amount of money for the equipment alone. Then you have to account for the manpower, materials, and such.

Get a Printing Company to Print Logo Images

For a hassle-free printing, send your logo to a printing company instead. They will already have the equipment and the knowledge on how to do it right. It not only saves you time but money as well.

First, look for a reputable company who does the printing method you desire and who can print on your chosen product. Most of the time, you can source the marketing product from them, as well. This saves you the extra step of finding a different supplier.

Coordinate with the company to learn what file type they need to print your company logo on products for marketing. For the most part, they’ll ask for an EPS file. However, they may also ask for it in PNG or PDF for test runs.

Speaking of test runs, this is a crucial step when speaking with printing companies. You must have mockups first to see if it looks good and for your suppliers to confirm all the details before they mass print your order.

Get High-Quality Prints of Your Logo

Whichever method you choose and whether you want to do it yourself or let a professional handle it, remember to prioritize the quality over costs. While it’s important to stick to your budget, choose a method that will give you the best results.

Your print logo is a visual representation of your brand; if it looks bad, you risk getting the same image, too.

Why stop here? Don’t hesitate to learn more about marketing by reading our other articles and guides today.

There comes a time during every successful company’s lifetime that they start to consider building a rebranding strategy.

Maybe the logo just doesn’t properly express your business’s ideals anymore. After all, you’ve grown! 

With that growth has come several different products and avenues that your company takes to maximize efficiency, and your current logo just doesn’t cover all those bases.

OR maybe your company has taken a complete 180º turn from the plan it originally had and found a more meaningful and fulfilling niche it’s serving to.

Whatever the case may be, rebranding can be an exciting-yet-scary time for your business. There may be the pressure to “get it right this time” or fear of clients not adjusting to your new logo.

Below are 7 items you need to have in your rebranding strategy to make it a successful endeavor!

7 Items to Include in Your Rebranding Strategy

Capture the essence of your company’s mission with these 7 ideas and reap the benefits for years to come!

Define the “Why” of Your Rebrand

Let’s face it: the idea of rebranding your company didn’t pop up in your head as an “oooh, that might be fun!” scenario. There’re a few reasons that you’re considering revamping your look.

If you’re looking to keep up with the Goliaths in your market, a rebrand can give you the look and feel of a company that stands just as tall as those industry giants.

Are you merging with another company? Time to update your logo and reflect the exciting news that two groundbreaking companies are joining forces to save the world!

Maybe you simply feel like you’ve outgrown your old (maybe boring?) company logo and want a new logo to get you recharged and ready to take on the next decade as your company’s leader.

Whatever the reason, it’s important that you’re honest with yourself on the true reason(s) for the rebrand. That way, your marketing team can capture the contrast in the new logo and build the right marketing strategy to push it out.

Take this CBD beginners guide, for example. This company wraps its branding around the up-and-coming industry that their products reside in.

Assess Your Company and Its Customers

Of course, you’re hoping that the rebrand helps catch the eyes of new leads, but you also need to ensure the new look won’t compromise your current batch of clients.

After all, they’re the ones that’ve been with you since the beginning, they believed in your company and are the reason you’re as successful as you are!

Once you have the “why” of your rebranding need, it’s time to assess your company’s current situation and see what needs to be improved on to reach that goal.

If the “why” is a new product that you’re launching, assess what your company needs to adjust to prepare for the launch.

After your self-assessment, it’s time to gather the feedback that truly matters… your client’s feedback. They’ll give you a firm understanding of your current brand from their eyes, and what needs to be improved.

Perception is reality, so if your client focus groups have a collective view on your branding that doesn’t line up with the new product, it HAS to be changed.

If you’re not sure what branding would look like with the new product, gather a focus group of people you’d deem as those in your new target market and consider their feedback as well.

Identify the “Disconnect”

After you’ve heard the feedback of your clients and target market, it’s time to see how your company measures up to their ideals.

The reason you’re considering a rebrand is because you know SOMETHING isn’t working, you just may not know what that is yet.

Finding the disconnect between your current brand/logo and your target market is a crucial step to the remarketing process. What needs to stand out more? which pieces of your marketing are failing?

Lucky for you, failure is an opportunity for learning! Even the big companies like Apple and Nike identify holes in their branding each day; it’s all part of building a consistent brand.

Recognizing the previous faults of your old logo will help you easily apply what you’ve learned to the brand-new logo that you roll out!

Give Your New Brand a Holistic Background

Even though it’s fun to create and launch a new logo, it’s not a decision that should just be made by pulling pieces of paper out of a hat. 

The new brand that you create needs definition and a background story behind it. 

Your story can have many things behind it: your company’s values, motivations, projects, products, origin, future goals, and mission statements, to name several. 

All these features to your story will give clients and business partners a firm understanding of what your company stands for and why they should trust you with their business. 

Try to define as many details of your new brand as possible: if you chose light blue and yellow as your new colors…. why? Describe what the significance of those two colors and how it applies to your corporate mission.

The depth of your new brand will show customers the amount of thought you put into every decision. Each move you make for your company is done with precision and care, why should your new marketing strategy be any different?

Give Your New Brand a “Test Run”

Remember those client/target customer focus groups from before?

You asked them for their thoughts on your old brand, now it’s time to ask for their feedback on your new look!

Witnessing their initial reactions to your new brand will give you an idea of the reaction you’d see during your launch. Not satisfied with their reaction? Ask them what tweaks they would suggest making to it.

Every rebranding presents kinks and adjustments that need to be made, this test run will allow you to fix those prior to the actual launch. Also, your client’s feedback may have an idea that you can easily include prior to the launch.

Little improvements can make a huge difference in how your new brand is perceived once it hits the open market for the very first time.

Spread the New Brand Across the Board

Alright! You now have a new-and-improved brand with a story that rivals the Harry Potter series… now it’s time to flaunt it!

Put the new logo on every flyer, social media profile picture, website space, and signage piece that you can get your hands on. Place the new mission statement on every bio and website subtitle within reach.

Heck, deck your employees out in swag with the new logo all over it… they’ll love it!

Make sure your employees are up to speed on the new brand’s logo, motto, color scheme, etc. More importantly, be sure to explain the story and thought process of the new brand to them so they can spread the word on the new venture.

Stand with Your New Brand

Be prepared for the long haul with your new brand. Push it out whenever you’re given the opportunity, and back it up whenever you’re questioned on it.

The only thing more important to a brand’s image than its depth, is its consistency. You could have the best logo in the corporate world, but if you never push it out, how will new markets ever find it?

The focus is to “steady the marketing ship” when the times get tough. Even when you’re not seeing great returns or copious amounts of consumer interaction, stand strong and continue to promote your brand. 

Companies that promote themselves on a consistent basis stay at the top of their customers’ and prospects’ minds. The pay-off is well worth the time and money investment.

This new brand is your baby, take it with you wherever you go and shout it from the mountaintops!

Get Started with Your New Logo Today!

Now that you have the step-by-step process laid out for your rebranding strategy, it’s time to start coming up with ideas for your new logo!

You can find inspiration for the new design almost anywhere and apply it to a symbol that will be loved by you and your customers for years to come.

Use the Onlinelogomaker.com logo maker to start brainstorming for your new brand’s aesthetic. 

This offers you an uncomplicated way of customizing logo ideas to your preference and allows you to save all projects for you to edit later.

Are you setting up a new business?

Every new business begins with creating a brand.

This brand acts as the overall personality of your business and allows you to stand out in the market. The brand in which your company creates is the way that your audience will perceive you.

Are you a modern and cutting-edge business that relates to millennials? Or do you opt for a classic, straightforward design that identifies with a more senior audience?

Without establishing a solid, consistent brand for your business, your target audience is far less likely to identify and interact with your brand.

If you’re starting a new business, you’re going to want to ensure that you read this. We’re outlining a guide fit with five essential tips for starting a brand from scratch.

1. Identify Your Target Market

First things first, you’re going to want to target exactly who you are looking to market your product toward.

Ask yourself who you want to sell your product, idea or service to. In asking yourself this, be sure to consider age, gender, socioeconomic status and even the location of this audience.

Without a thorough understanding of who exactly your audience is, your brand will fail to connect with them. And, without a solid connection, your audience is less likely to interact with your business.

This audience is the basic platform for who you will build your brand upon.

2. Create a Logo

Next, you’re going to want to create a logo to represent your brand.

Whether you’re a small business or a large, multi-faceted business, creating an effective logo is one of the most important steps in establishing your brand.

Think of your logo as the face of your brand. After all, your logo is often the first taste of the brand that your clientele is able to see.

Taking this into consideration, you will want to ensure that your logo is attractive and appealing to your target audience.

If you have identified your target market as millennials, opt for a brand that is unique and cutting edge. This automatically sends a message to your audience that your brand is not only current, but also unique in comparison to the other established brands.

Fortunately, there are online services that allow you to create a logo in a way that is simple yet still professional.

3. Understand Your Competitors

In creating your brand, it’s essential to understand who your competitors are and what their brand is.

Evaluate your competitors brand and determine ways in which you’d like your brand to differ. Ask yourself how your competitor’s brand is falling short and how you can prevent that in your own brand.

It’s also important to note that you will likely share a target audience. That being said, study how they interact with their audience and establish the areas that need work. If you’re going to interact with the same audience, you need to ensure that your brand is offering them someone that no other brand is.

In order to best stand out from the competition, you first need to understand exactly how your competition operates.

4. Choose Your Brand Personality

When it comes to the personality of your brand, it’s helpful to humanize your brand. In doing so, think of your brand as a human and what you’d like their personality to be like.

You can begin by asking yourself what sort of human characteristics you would like your brand to possess. So, what is the overall character and nature of your brand?

For example, a comedic brand that is looking to sell online merchandise may look to have a brand personality that is pessimistic and sarcastic. On the other hand, a financial brand that provides online financial services may look to have a brand that is friendly and honest.

Remember, in order to resonate with your target audience, you must possess similar values and characteristics. In fact, 64 percent of consumers report that having a shared set of values with their brand is what allows them to have a trusted relationship with that brand.

It’s also important to determine how you expect your brand to identify with your audience. Ask yourself these questions:

• How do you want your brand to make your audience feel?
• Do you want your brand to make your audience laugh?
• Do you want your brand to resonate emotionally with your audience?

Determining the personality of your brand will determine which sort of people choose to interact with your business.

5. Hire Professionals

Sure, hiring professionals may appear to be a costly investment at first.

However, it’s important to think of this as a serious and worthwhile investment in your business.

In creating a successful brand, there are multiple hats that need to be worn. And, for entrepreneurs, it’s important to acknowledge the limitations of your expertise. While you may excel in establishing creative solutions, you may need help in the graphic design or marketing departments.

You may consider hiring multiple in-house departments or, instead, choose to outsource these projects. Today, there are countless freelancers that are searching for work in multiple departments.

The Essential Guide to Starting a Brand

If you’re considering starting a business, it’s important to begin by creating a brand.

Your brand is the face of your business and sets a precedent for what your audience can expect from your business.

But, starting a brand that is effective and resonates with your audience is not always easy. In fact, only six out of ten marketers believe that their brand aligns well with their overall business plan.

Fortunately, there are steps any business can take to create an effective brand from the start. From identifying your target market and creating a logo to fabricating a brand personality and enlisting the help of professionals, these tips are sure to keep your business on the right path.

For more tips on brands, logos, and design, be sure to visit our blog!

With every PowerPoint presentation, you put your brand on the line.

What? PowerPoint? Really?

It’s true. It’s easy to forget that PowerPoint presentations are also a form of marketing. Not only do you want to educate your audience, you want to increase brand awareness with every slide.

That’s why it’s important to show your logo in the most effective way possible.

But how do you do this without being too pushy?

Read on to find out more.

Is Your Logo the Right Fit for Your Brand?

If your logo doesn’t translate well across your marketing materials, that’s a sign that you may need to go back to the drawing board – literally.

One of the basic principles of successful logo design is adaptability. Ask yourself: How well does your logo adapt to brochures, social media, TV commercials, and informational marketing materials like PowerPoint presentations?

A strong logo should maintain its integrity when it’s shrunk down for business cards or blown up for billboards.

The same applies to your PowerPoint presentations. If your logo still distracts despite being minimized, transparent, or animated, you may want to rethink your logo design altogether.

Focus groups and A/B testing can reveal whether or not your logo successfully adapts across all marketing material.

How to Brand Your PowerPoint Presentations

After fine tuning your logo, your next step is to ‘brand’ your presentations.

But what does ‘branding’ a presentation even mean?

For starters, it doesn’t mean plastering your logo all over your slides. It means working in tandem with other elements to successfully reflect a brand’s message. You can’t successfully integrate a logo without the right accompanying font, color scheme, tagline, slide border design, and media.

You’ll want to find a way to integrate these branding elements without coming across as pushy.

How to Master the Art of Subtlety

Informational marketing, in particular, must put authoritative information front and center. This includes your data, statistics, charts, results, case studies, and company forecasts.

One way to subtly integrate your logo is to tweak its opaqueness to create a more transparent look. This is ideal for introductory slides, conclusions, and slides with testimonials, mission statements, and company history.

Ideally, only your introductory and conclusion slide should prominently feature your logo.

Show Your Logo ‘In Action’

If you’re including professional photos in your slides, make sure your logo is visible on employee uniforms, equipment, company vehicles, packaging, and work environments. This is a great way to show your logo ‘in action.’

Ask yourself how you want people to feel about your brand and put that feeling to work in your presentation.

If you’re an organic garden company promoting your new plant food, you may want to include a picture of a customer using your name-brand plant food.

Likewise, if you run a factory, make sure your company logo is visible on your workers’ attire.

Integrate Digital Media

You’ve heard time and time again that content is king, but don’t forget that video is the king of content. Still, more than 70% of consumers prefer video and almost 60% of executives prefer watching video.

As content preferences continue to evolve, it’s vital to read more on how to improve your PowerPoint presentations. That’s why more companies are integrating digital media into their slides.

But how do you include digital media without pushing your brand too hard? Branded company videos.

Make sure all your company videos begin and end with your logo. Preferably, animate your logo to grab your audience from the start. You may want to consider an original instrumental to accompany your animated logo as well.

Integrate Social Media

Another way to subtly show your logo is to embed social media content into your slides.

Content can include:

• Twitter polls
• Popular Tweets
• YouTube videos
• Facebook posts
• Instagram photos
• Hashtag campaigns
• Snapchat snaps

Embedding your branded social media content is a clever way to integrate your logo without going overboard.

Let this also be a reminder to brand your social media accounts ASAP! Embedding branded social media content allows online audiences to share your slides with colleagues. This is a subtle way to increase brand awareness without being pushy.

De-Clutter your presentation

It’s easy to go a little overboard with your graphics, pictures, media, graphs, and yes, your logo.

After completing your slides, make sure there isn’t too much media plastered on each slide. If your slide already has a branded video, you don’t need to add more photos or graphics.

Avoid overlapping your logo with graphics and using background wallpaper with your repeating logo. You want your presentation to look as clean and professional as possible.

Don’t worry about whether or not your audience remembers your logo. If your mission, content, and brand design are consistent and strong, your audience will have no problem making a positive connection with your logo.

Day of the Presentation

It’s finally presentation day!

Your presentation is complete. Here are a few tricks to help your audience remember your logo.

As mentioned earlier in this article, your introductory slide should prominently feature your logo. Make sure your presentation is fired up and ready to go several minutes before the presentation starts. This will give attendees funneling in an opportunity to see your logo before the presentation starts.

The same applies to your conclusion slide.

After your presentation is over, don’t immediately shut off your presentation. Let the conclusion slide stay up on the screen until you’re finished mingling with attendees.

Remember, your company’s logo is the first and last thing your presentation attendees should see.

Your Next Step

Your next step is to put these new principles into practice.

Remember the following:

• Choose a logo that speaks to your brand
• Choose subtlety over flash
• Show your logo in action
• Use digital and social media
• De-clutter your slides
• Highlight your intro and conclusion slides

Most importantly, never stop improving your presentations. Remember to bookmark this article for future reference and check back often for more tips and tricks on mastering your logo.