smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

A well-designed brand identity can boost sales, ensuring your customers remember your business in a favourable light and come back time and again. Here are some things to consider from SmallBusiness.co.uk and Darren Evans, creative director of The Engine Room, which has been recognised by the Design Council for their creative design work with SMEs.

- Strong brands can provide the platform to 'punch above your weight' – perception is a powerful driver in marketing and it is crucial for SMEs to focus on how they want to be perceived and work to illustrate that image.

- Only one company can compete on price, and it's a dangerous game to play against larger players; the rest of the marketplace has to differentiate themselves through their communications, by engaging with their audience.

- Design can illustrate brand values that go much deeper than the printed word. It allows people to feel like they are forming their own judgement of your brand, even though you are indirectly influencing them with the design that you put forward.

- If you don’t communicate with your customers, someone else will. A clever design will increase brand awareness within your marketplace, attracting potential customers and promoting loyalty in existing ones.

- A brand delivers a cohesive, co-ordinated approach to your communications strategy both internally and externally, so you will achieve recognition as your audience becomes increasingly exposed to your brand.

- A well-known established brand is a valuable business asset and should be treated like one. It is a shrewd investment for any company looking to grow, or build the business to sell.

- According to the Design Council, every £100 a business spends on design increases turnover by £225 – a powerful business driver for an SME, and a great return on investment.

- On average, businesses can increase their market share by 6.3 per cent through design alone.

- A total of 84 per cent of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses believe that design has become more important in maintaining their competitive edge in the last decade.

The Engine Room offers a free initial consultation to introduce new clients to the possibilities of design and branding. For more information contact Darren on 0113 233 7970 or see www.engineroomdesign.com.

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