Why You Need More Than A Cookie Cutter Service
So you think using templated logos will help your business?
Recently, someone reached out to me saying they wanted to work on strategy and website. They had worked with someone else before and and invested a lot of energy and resources for it, but it didn't bring them the results they were hoping for. When they showed me their logo, I felt a little uneasy because it looked familiar. And truth be told, after a quick research, I found the original logo template. Turns out the people they hired just bought the template, tweaked it a little bit and submitted it as their new logo.
Templated logos don't mean anything for the business, they are just an image or a typeface. There's nothing behind the design.
It always frustrates me whenever I hear stories like these from my community, friends, and clients. I've been in the brand and design industry for almost 10 years, both as an in-house designer, freelancer, and independent business owner. And throughout all these years, I still see many freelancers offering branding services that are templated. While on the other hand, many business owners also buy into the cookie-cutter services presented by agencies and freelancers, thinking that these services will grow their brand and business.
Branding shouldn’t just look pretty, it should engage your audience and align with your overall business development strategy.
Your brand is a powerful tool that can grow your business. Branding shouldn’t just look pretty, it should engage your audience and align with your overall business development strategy. That's why templated designs won't work, because templated designs were never made to uniquely and specifically align with your business and brand strategy. Templates are not something people build to cater to your needs and help you get to your goals.
How you can avoid the cookie cutter trap
As business owners and thought leaders, there are several questions you can ask to avoid the trap of cookie cutter services. These questions can help you dig deeper and spot the potential 'red flags' that point to creating a brand that just visually look good, instead of building a brand and business with a strategy that encapsulates your business goals.
Here are questions you can start with:
What's their process like?
How involved will they be? How will they build your logo and other elements of your visual identity? If the process is based on a self-filled out questionnaire, that means there is little conversation and collaboration. When you want to build a solid strategy for your brand and business, you have to be involved and discuss the different aspects of your business in depth.
Do they ask about your vision and goals?
It's not possible to create a strategy without first knowing where you want to go. Are they interested to know where you want to be 3 years from now? 10 years from now? Do they invite you to discuss about how and what it will take to get you to those goals? These fundamental questions are key to setting the foundation of your brand and business.
Do they ask about your business?
Helping you build a brand that aligns with your business goals includes understanding the way you run your business and your process behind-the-scenes. Your strategy should not only help you build a brand experience, but streamline the way you run your business moving forward.
Do they ask about who you're trying to target?
If they focus too much on colors, fonts, and Pinterest boards, that puts the branding on the business owner. This approach is based on feelings, instead of really aligning the brand with the customers, so the brand can connect and build relationships with the customers. You want to build a brand and business that is centered on solving your customer's needs and connecting with them in a meaningful way. To do this, you have to identify who you're trying to target.
A self-filled out questionnaire won't answer your business problems. It doesn't take into consideration how the brand impacts your business. A designer that wasn't involved in the process won't be able to create a visual identity and website that you feel connected to as the business owner. They will give you deliverables without a strategy at its foundation—a strategy that aligns your goals, business, and brand with your customers.
I believe entrepreneurs deserve to have a brand that generates revenue and grows with them so they can focus on their areas of expertise. As a business owner, you deserve to have customers who are raving about your products and services. You deserve to launch your dream projects and impact your community. But to get there, you need more than a cookie cutter service.
I believe in an intentional process, so you can build a thoughtful and strategic website and brand presence. I'm here to be more than just someone you hire to design logos for your business, but I'm here as your business partner. With me, you will get the tools to actually grow your business. You will walk away with a brand kit that you will know how to use. We'll streamline your brand and strategically map out how you can communicate your brand to your customers, so you can build long-lasting relationships with your tribe.
Achieving the business and impact you’ve dreamt up for years takes a powerful brand, aligned vision, and someone in your corner who sees where you’re going and can build out the steps to make it happen.