The components of a financial marketing branding
In this article, I want to address the elements of financial marketing branding. This topic isn’t about building brand awareness, but the steps needed to create the proper brand. A brand that represents your firm in a way the expresses who you are while connecting with prospects. Now, I have often expressed that a brand is more than your logo or image. It is the combination of those components and the messaging. With that in mind, let’s look at the various elements that come together in a successful brand.
What you see in your financial marketing branding
First of all, there is your logo. This graphic is the first impression your firm makes on a potential client in financial marketing branding. However, a logo isn’t just a simple icon with your name attached. These are several factors that work in unison to evoke a positive response successfully.
Color
Your corporate color can cause strong reactions in viewers, and you must choose it wisely. Color or combinations of color are some of the most powerful influencers in a designer’s toolbox because it works subconsciously. It can cause a viewer to react poorly without knowing why. Discuss what your color choices mean to people to select the best for your firm and remember that every color has positive and negative aspects.
Font
Just as with color, the font you use effects how your logo is perceived. You need to decide if you want a modern, approachable or traditional feel to the font. If you are working with a professional designer, they can help guide you in your choice.
Icon
The icon is the graphic that works with the font. These elements can be abstract or figurative. As with the first two elements, you need to design the icon carefully. When the correct shape is employed, it will attract your best potential clients. Generally, geometric and sharp shapes are more appealing to men, and organic, free-flowing shapes are more attractive to women. Knowing your audience is critical in financial marketing branding.
Image
Your company image is what you present in your marketing material. It consists of the website, lead generation material, and sales collateral. Although separate parts of your sales and marketing program, they must be uniform – more on that later. The elements that maintain that consistency are the layout of the piece, whether you use photos, illustrations, or both, and always using the same font and color harmony.
What you say in your financial marketing branding
Of course, your brand’s visuals send a message, but on a more subtle level than the copy in your lead generation and sales material. While there are several message development techniques you should use, you need to cover the main categories.
Value Proposition
First is the value proposition, which is your tagline or slogan that quickly tells someone about your firm. It should evoke a positive feeling about your company more than just stating what you do to establish your financial marketing branding.
Company Statements
Next are company messages. This copy covers your overall services and benefits that you offer every client.
Target Messages
Finally, there is target messaging that speaks specifically to the needs of individual client groups.
Managing your financial marketing branding
As promised, here is the part about maintaining uniformity in your financial marketing branding. When you maintain consistency throughout the various parts of your program, you build brand recognition. In order to achieve this constant brand, you need to develop a branding guide to be used by anyone who works on your material.
About the Author
Paul Kowalski (or Pappy as he is called around the office) spent over two decades working at other agencies before opening Conach Marketing Group in 2008. The early part of his career was working with Fortune 500 clients at different agencies. However, working with smaller clients was his preference. This choice was because of the impact on a client’s business growth and forming closer, personal relationships.
About Conach
When he was creating Conach, his goal was to bring those Fortune 500 strategies along with years of B2B marketing experience to small business marketing clients. As a result of focusing on business to business marketing, Conach specializes in construction marketing, financial marketing, and industrial marketing. Even though we are in Mid-Michigan, Conach provides marketing services to clients across the country.
For more information, visit conachmarketing.com or contact us or call 989.401.3202.