Branding Your Business With Intention

Graphics For Maplewild-4

An Interview with Tara Cochran of Olive Fox Brand Strategy + Design

Tara is the strategist + designer behind Olive Fox Design. “I have always felt the most inspired when creativity came with a solid structure. After years of being an auditor, I found my perfect fit in the artistic world with brand strategy + design. This is a space where I am able to use my brain split between creativity and analysis. My extensive background in accounting infuses a bit of nerdery, data-obsession, and color-coded spreadsheets to deliver a unique brand identity and strategy to all of my entrepreneur and small-business clients.”

What does branding mean?

A: I like to use a three-part formula- Brand = Clarity + Personality + Connection.

Clarity – the strategy for your brand

Your Business purpose, ideal audience, vision, values, goals, + story.

Personality – adds the consistency.

Includes your use of photography, designed details (where my creative skills shine), + brand voice.

Connection – touchpoints for your brand .

This can include marketing and messaging (where Kayla shines) and often includes a website, social, and any print collateral. It also encompasses the customer journey, which is so often left out. Think: on-boarding, work, customer gifts.

As you can see, branding + strategy is infused in EVERY bit of your business. Essentially, your brand becomes your ambassador, salesperson, and communications director.

Tara Cochran

I love the word INFUSED. Such a great descriptor for branding. Now that we’ve talked about what branding is. Let’s talk about what it is NOT. I want to run through just a few misconceptions about branding.

What are a few common misconceptions about branding?

A: It is only your logo or design elements. These are certainly key elements, but as we talked about your brand is SO much more.

It’s something you can check off. Your brand is an extension of your business and will constantly be evolving as your business does. You can have those foundational elements that will become an integral part of your brand (values, maybe a logo or icon) but then other bits will always be shifting (website, social media).

Can you tell me what you think makes a brand “noteworthy”?

A: One that is rooted in strategy. This sets your brand up for success because you are attracting the right people and reflecting a message custom to YOU/ YOUR BUSINESS. Not hoping on whatever the latest trend is.

Why should a small business pay for professional branding?

A: Since your brand encompasses so much of your business, it’s important that it is portraying what you think it is. 

Other reasons:

  • Staying in your zone of genius – save yourself time and money.
  • Fully documented/developed – making sure you have guidelines and all of the aspects you need to DIY other parts of your business.
  • Professionally designed in the right programs – you can trademark and register something created custom for you.
  • A good designer will also perform a competitive analysis for you that will give you great insight into how your business is unique and will standout in your market.

I know this is a question that will get asked, so can you cover: How much can we expect to pay for branding services?

You’ll see a range, for custom strategy Based Designers that work with small businesses the investment typically is about $1,000 on the low end and gets up to $15k+

When you are seeking out a brand strategist + designer look at their portfolio and past work, but also take note of their deliverables and timelines. You want to make sure you receive a comprehensive brand guideline and rights to the IP.

Tara, let’s chat about those tight budgets: Is there anything they can do for free to improve their brand design and strategy?

A: Yes! Just like with anything in the business world you can typically find a DIY solution, it is a trade-off between your time and money making ability at that point.

I recommend ALWAYS starting with each of the items in clarity and getting those all solidified. This will be a deep dive where you write down everything from your brand values to developing your customer avatar.

From there then dive into the second part of the formula – personality.

Let clarity be your driver for the decisions you can google different brand voice tones, or read photographers articles on filters and what they reflect. 

In fact, I have a free handout that will help with your search for clarity in your brand.

Once you’ve got those building blocks, then building out your brand connection items will be much easier. You’ll have your logo, photography, voice/copy ready to plug into social media and your website. Don’t forget about your clients and how you want to shape their experience. Little details like a welcome package or how to book calls are an extension of your brand.

Pre-made logos templates – Etsy, Creative Market, Canva all have a very low-cost way to get a logo. This is a great option if you are new in business and discovering your way. Again – make sure you’ve done the clarity homework on your brand so you are not just picking a template you like but one that will attract your people! Keep in mind there will inherently be limitations of these templates and anyone else in your industry could also be using this and you are not building a unique image- so long term these are not an ideal solution.

Last question before we wrap up and do a few closing thoughts: I think continuing education is so crucial to the success of any business.

Are there any books or blogs you would recommend about branding?

Books

 Donald Miller Building a Story Brand . This is a very popular book amongst strategy-based designers for good reason.

How to Style Your Brand, by Fiona Humberstonethis is a beautiful book that will help you connect the foundational elements into design and personality elements

Blogs

Follow your favorite brand designers, if they are like me they have a value for sharing knowledge and educating so our websites are packed with tools/ resource sections and helpful articles

Design Tech

Adobe is the powerhouse.

Canva is makes it easy for building out your connection items but can leave you with limitations of ownership if using to design your base elements (like a logo)

Closing Thoughts

We talked about branding, what makes a brand truly noteworthy, hopefully broke barriers on your thought processes when it comes to branding, gave you reasons why you should work on your branding with a professional, the price point on that as well as things you can do on your own at home to raise your business to the next level. Tara is leaving some amazing resources for you to tap into – with that being said, if you want to get in touch with her, head to her website or chat with her on Instagram!

See you next time!

Listen to the Full Episode

More Coffee Less Drama Podcast by Kayla

About the Host

Kayla Fujinaka has a unique blend of creativity, analytical thinking and an eye for business practicality that makes her a valuable asset to any business seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

She created this podcast to cut through the noise and drama that often surrounds the marketing world. Join in and listen as she breaks down complex concepts into actionable steps, all while keeping the atmosphere light and enjoyable. Think of it as your weekly dose of marketing advice with a side of humor and, of course, plenty of coffee.