Page 61 - Duct Tape Marketing

Chapter 4

Wake Up the Senses with an
Image to Match Your Message

When it comes to your business, a properly executed identity can
set the expectation for your client or potential client’s experience
with your firm. I don’t want to overdo this notion; this is nothing like
“creating the optimum brand experience” or other mumbo jumbo that
you might read in a branding book. I just want to communicate that
the little things are big when it comes to small business, and while you
don’t need to spend a fortune on an identity consultant, you should
take the time to get the details of your image right.

First impressions are vital, and when it comes to making them,
the eyes are the first participants. The eyes consume vast amounts
of information and relay it to the brain unconsciously, as Malcolm
Gladwell has shown in his fascinating book Blink. It’s this process
that allows humans to (right or wrong) make snap judgments about
whether something appeals to them or not. In many cases, this snap
judgment is all that your firm will ever receive.

For the small business, the visual aspects of the firm are rarely
given the attention they deserve. Intentionally choosing and defining
your company’s “sense of style” in a way that helps to support all of
your marketing messages and introduce your firm to potential clients
ensures that you make the right first impression. You should invest
wisely in the creation of compelling identity elements that effectively
wake the senses of your ideal client and communicate that your brand

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