You have your mission statement written, and the perfect tagline all picked out. Most people’s first step to building your company’s visual identity and brand is the selection of your company logo. This important visual image projects to the world what your company represents, and needs to function well in different contexts; website, letterhead, business cards, signage & advertising. A well-designed logo can establish the first crucial impression of your business and even build customer loyalty.

The colors chosen for your logo can convey more than you may think. Certain colors have instant recognition in people, and can even evoke an emotional response. Alina Wheeler author of Designing Brand Identity offers this advice “Color is used to evoke emotion, express personality, and stimulate brand association…The ultimate goal is to own a color, a color that facilitates recognition and builds brand equity.” Think of the big brands that are immediately recognizable by their brand color. Coca-Cola owns the color red, McDonald’s golden arches, Home Depot hangs their tool belt off the color orange, UPS even replaced their company name with the logo color in their ad campaign ‘What can brown do for you?’. The colors you choose do matter because colors have meaning. There are many sources on the web that specialize in color theory, here are a few that are specific to logo color selection – A Guide to Choosing Colors for Your Brand & Brand Identity: The Importance of Color.

While your logo is the building block of your brand, your brand is not just your logo. Your brand is the culmination of the sum of things your business represents. Including your logo, your corporate colors, your office space, employees, company values and associations, your marketing material and much more.

Let’s focus on marketing material. Vision dominates all other senses. People are 65% more likely to remember your brand if you show it to them visually than through any other method. A unified look to your logo and company colors that are used as building blocks in all of your marketing material can help identify you in a competitive market. The imagery used for your marketing is also key. If you are in the food business it is important that the food represented on your menu board, window graphics, and print ads look scrumptious and good enough to eat. It is worth it to hire a professional photographer that is experienced in composition, lighting, and product styling. Of course, accurate color representation in the printing of your marketing material and signage is critical.

Using creative promotional products can be like a silent salesperson for your business. Company refrigerator magnets, coasters, and bumper stickers are easily passed out, mailed and distributed. If you are throwing an event, hand out gifts that have your company logo on them. Adding a car magnet or vinyl logo to your vehicle is an affordable moving billboard that can reach thousands of people. The more areas you drive to around town, the more eyes that will see your message. Whatever you pick, all should bear your logo and contact information.

Remember your brand will develop over time as your company grows. A strong brand connects with your prospective clients and solidifies relationships with your existing clients. The avenues you take to promote your company are integral to how your brand will ultimately be perceived.