The Canadian Tire triangle, the Nike swoosh, McDonalds’ Golden Arches, the simple blue font of Bell – we all recognize those logos as soon as we see them, no matter if it’s in ad, part of a minor soccer team’s uniform or on social media. That level of consistency helps organizations deliver their message, values, and identity to the market.

Logos are the most visible way a brand is represented. And even if your organization doesn’t have that kind of national or international reach, your brand is essential to letting your customers know who you are and what you do.

Logos and taglines need to be consistent to be useful. Having well-documented “rules” for how to use them ensure your brand can be recognized everywhere. A great way to make this easy is to develop a Brand Guideline Manual that details how to use fonts, colours and logos across all marketing channels and touch points. By adhering to these guidelines, your brand becomes more recognizable and builds trust between you and your customers. And don’t forget to deputize a corporate Brand Police force to enforce it!

However, there are times when it’s ok to ‘break the rules’ of your brand. In fact, by breaking them you actually draw more attention to your brand and its identity. A perfect example of this is when you want to highlight or draw attention to a particular cause, event or experience. For example, do you notice anything different about our logo today?

Changing things up like this once and awhile can keep your brand fresh, relevant and interesting. If you want to learn more about the power of branding and how make it a powerful part of your organization, contact O’Blueprint Agencies. In the meantime, have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!