Your Business’ New Year’s Resolution

Trending this year, and over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in brand simplification and product convenience in the marketplace. With all of the new and emerging technology, it is easy to become lost amongst the clutter and noise that is so conveniently available to us 24/7, making it harder and harder for businesses to stand out and get noticed. It is no surprise that simplicity sells and in a world full of one too many options, it is up to your business to focus in on what makes it unique, which will provide consumers with the clarification and convenience that they so desperately need and crave when it comes to making purchasing decisions. This all begins with your business’ image.

Brand simplification is one of the design strategies that Thrive always recommends to our clients as a way to effectively communicate amongst the clutter and distractions. Here are some items to begin thinking about when considering simplifying your brand:

1. WHO ARE YOU? 
   First, you must specify who you are as a business and what you stand for. Now granted, this could include an assortment of things, which is fine, but when communicating to your audiences, you want to be able to sum it up in a single statement, complete with a simple brand image. Starbucks is a great example of brand simplification. When they first presented themselves to the world, their logo included the text “Starbucks – Coffee, Tea, Spices” that surrounded a very illustrative drawing of a Siren. Now, the coffee company’s logo is complete with nothing more than a digitalized tracing of the Siren with no text at all as the image has become universally self-explanatory.

 

2. WHAT CAN YOU OFFER? 
   Next, you must understand that people want to have choices, but not too many choices. Being presented with an overabundance of options diminishes the convenience culture that consumers have adopted over the years and in turn, drives them away from your business and on to the competitor’s. Simplify your offerings and simplify the decision making process. Your consumers will thank you for it!

 

3. SIMPLIFY YOUR COMMUNICATIONS. 
   Consumers don’t want to think anymore than they already have to, so cut them a break and give them what they want and need to hear. Also, it is very important to remember to initiate a conversation with them instead of just talking down to them about how wonderful and amazing your products/services are. Larger, more widely known companies are being faced with the challenge of having to overcome the boundaries of not only today’s modern marketplace, but also the boundaries of audience, category, and even country – making simple communications even more important than ever.

 

4. EVALUATE YOUR RESULTS. 
   And lastly, see if what you are doing is working. If you find that you are not being provided with the results that you want, then it may be time to revaluate, continue researching, and simplify your brand even more. Branding will forever and always be a growing and a learning process and one that will only become stronger and more defined with time and simplification.

>>>As always, we’d love to hear from you! For more information about brand simplification or questions relating to any of our web, design, and marketing services, please contact Thrive Creative Group at (931) 220-4991 or e-mail us at