logos

It seems today like gourmet coffee is just another part of life. It's something that is consumed as readily by Americans almost as much as air, water and food. Today, coffee comes in just about any flavor, roast, or serving style imaginable and plenty of busy coffee lovers even pay a little extra (and wait up to five minutes!) for single cup of coffee.

Often when consumers and business people think about promotional products, free giveaways are what come to mind.

Many experts today say that brands aren’t just logos or catchy monikers that become household names and that brand identity is all about the right messaging. But in an increasingly competitive — and digital — world, there is one thing smart businesses can count on to build their brands’ longevity: the customer experience.

If you keep a close eye on marketing, you know that rebranding has been a prominent strategy over the last two years. From all the evidence we've seen, rebranding is not just a recent trend. Likewise, with so many different types of businesses retooling their marketing strategies, it's pretty clear also that this approach is not going away.

It's probably true that entrepreneurs think differently, which is why they can invent things or discover new approaches. But how do they think?

When you think about the most iconic logos out there, typically those of Coke, Target, Nike and UPS will come to mind, as do the golden arches of McDonald’s and the mermaid of Starbucks. One reason is that vast amounts of money are spent to make these logos ubiquitous. Large corporations have the financial power to place billboards, buy television spots and buy Internet ads, while also featuring signage bearing the brands at the retail locations where they are sold.

What do the colors of a brand, logo and business say? What kind of messaging do brand colors convey to current customers, future customers and would-be customers? And what do they say about what a company stands for?