investing in Your Brand.

Branding is so much more than paying for a logo. It is the process of cultivating a unique and consistent message to your audience and presenting it in an engaging way. It is the vibe, the values, and the goals of your business, packaged and presented to your clients clearly. It is the difference between someone stopping to consider your business and moving past it without a second thought.

Investing in a professional brand can feel like a big step, but it is so worth it. Here are five reasons we believe in professional branding as the catalyst for success in your business:

1. It is the ultimate first impression. First impressions are priceless. The impression that your audience receives in their first exposure to your business will likely determine their view of your business forever. You may only have one second to catch their eye and convince them you are worth their time. This sounds scary, but it is really a golden opportunity! A professional brand ensures that their first impression of your business is one that conveys professionalism, competency, and visual appeal that leaves them wanting to know more.

2. It provides credibility. Let’s be honest: the business world can be very competitive. Especially with social media’s influence, there are countless options at your fingertips for almost any service you can think of! If your brand is eye-catching, clear, and professional, it will be hard for a potential client to scroll past you. If your logo design and branding is done well, they have every reason to believe that you take what you do seriously and will offer excellence in other areas of your business as well.

3. It builds brand recognition. We have discussed brand recognition before – but it is so powerful! Think about some of the most recognized brands in America: Apple, Nike, and Honda. You can probably immediately picture their logo and brand identity in your head. You would recognize them easily and you have come to expect a certain standard from these companies as they have earned your trust. This is the power of professional branding!

4. It ensures consistency. When you invest in a professional brand package, the little decisions like, “which font should I use?” are taken care of. You already know the message you are conveying and the little details like graphics, fonts, and colors are already decided for you. Ultimately, you are provided with the tools to create consistency in your brand’s message and identity, which is the starting point for brand recognition.

5. It encourages confidence for you. One of the biggest benefits to investing in a professional brand is simply the confidence that it builds in you, as the business owner. You have a message you are passionate about, a logo that represents you well, and a brand that embodies who you are and where you want to go as a company. This is irreplaceable.

Plus, branding is just a lot of fun! There is nothing like curating a color scheme that resonates with you or finalizing your personal logo that you can’t wait to print on your store window. It is energizing for your business. We love hearing your vision and offering you the tools for confidence and success as we build your brand together! 

XOXO

Tami & Sheree

Kate Irmen Interiors.

My first brand client as Vivant Marketing Co. When I took the branding side out from under East to West, it was only a short time later that Kate Irmen reached out to me for help in creating a brand. & NOT just any brand - this one was full of life and energy from the very beginning!

Right away, Kate had lots of hopes and dreams, and I was excited to be along for the journey! Kate was also a client that I knew from the very first email, that SHE GOT IT. She got the purpose and importance of a brand, and she was ready to work for it. There’s truly nothing more rewarding than working with a client who gets it. It is so so fun and refreshing to make their ideas come to life.

Kate wanted a brand that was fresh, comfortable, sophisticated, airy, and inviting. Kate is an interior designer, and these brand descriptors are key for her clients to get a feel for who she is. I worked with her to develop a mood board first, and then from there came up with four logo concepts, which turned into brand concepts. Kate was so fun - she had so much joy and energy when she received each portfolio to review.

With an inviting, fresh, and airy logo in place, the color palette and font packages followed suite. Soon, we had nailed down a sub-mark, brand icon, and other supporting graphics, and social media icons came next. The brand process can be so smooth once the key elements are in place. The real fun begins when the brand starts to develop into tangible print materials - business cards, and more.

Kate Irmen Interiors is about to do big things, and I am here for it!! Currently, her website is in the works, and we are both so excited to show it to the world. Congrats Kate, on your new completed brand. It was my favorite project yet, and I can not wait to see where this new identity takes you!

XOXO,

Tami & Sheree

Integrating Your Voice Into Your Brand.

People are attracted to authenticity. It’s just a fact of life. 

Whether it be in friendship, in selecting a new hair product, or in a business transaction, we are all put at ease when we sense openness. When it comes to effective marketing and brand building, this concept stands strong. 

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As tempting as it is to keep things “professional” in your business’s social media outlets, we have found that it is much more effective to be open and real with your audience. They are drawn to your personal voice in your brand. They are human, with ups and downs in life, and they want to know that you are too. They can’t trust someone they can’t relate to, and more than that, it allows the business to feel like a real person. Like they are buying from a real person. Like they are interacting with a real person. And the best part? Because they are!

Don’t be afraid to be raw. Are you struggling with balancing work and family? Post about it and ask your clients how they balance the two together. Are you learning something new about yourself? Tell your audience about it! Did you have a major life change that you are navigating? Bring your clients along on the journey. These are the little things that allow for genuine connections between you and those on the other end of your brand.

Trust us, it’s worth it!

XOXO

Tami & Sheree

Typography Matters.

“Typography” is simply defined as “the style or appearance of printed matter.” And there is a whole design world hidden behind what is commonly known as “text” or “print.” Before the digital age, typography existed, but was limited to things like what was printed in magazines and newspaper articles, or the signage on a storefront. Now, typography has exploded into an art form that has brought web designers, graphic designers, and marketers SO MANY font and type options. 

We hear these questions a lot: why is typography so important? What purpose does it serve? These are honestly great questions, and we would love to share with you some of the key roles I see typography playing in marketing today:

• It provides tone for your brand. The font that you select is one of the surest ways to define the personality and tone of your brand. Is your message bold and playful, or more free-flowing and laid back? These ideas are expressed clearly through the font type that is chosen.

• It builds and creates brand recognition. Using consistent typography for your business is a foundational component of your brand’s recognition. Your audience will begin to associate a certain font with your product or message. Through typography, you are establishing your own unique identity on the web.

• It reflects hierarchy in your message. Practically, typography provides an excellent tool for establishing hierarchy on your website or on your product. As you use different font types and text sizes, you are guiding the reader to see the emphasis of your content. Here, we see that typography is invaluable for practical purposes, as well as creating visual appeal for your business.

• It engages the reader. Much of the value of typography comes down to its ability to engage the reader. When it is done well, it draws the attention of your audience from the first glance and holds their intrigue as they enjoy your creative message expressed through type.

At Vivant, we see the power in excellently selected and curated typography for your business. It is the heartbeat of effective marketing and branding. We believe that there are few things more satisfying than finding the font that perfectly and uniquely communicates the message of each client as their brand begins to take shape. 

XOXO,

Tami & Sheree

Kamaela's Kreamery.

The cutest ice cream trailer around. You know what I’m talking about. Two years ago, two girls had a big dream and today, that dream is a reality. Not only did I get a front row seat to their brand, but I also was able to watch their entire journey - renovating their ice cream trailer and researching the accounting and legal sides of operating and owning a small business.

Their brand came to life fairly quickly, with a font package, graphics to back up their logo, business cards, thank you cards, a watercolor trailer for stickers and t-shirts, punch cards, gift certificates, name tags, and more. I LOVED watching their brand continue to develop. They did not just stop with the logo - they had a VISION. That vision has exploded into their brand, and that brand into their personality. Kami and Mikaela are sunshine, literally, and this creates depth in their brand, breathes life in their brand.

If you see this trailer out and about, do yourself a favor and stop. Not only will you taste the most delicious ice cream like EVER, but you will also meet two ladies with huge hearts, and see a brand that has been carried out, perfected, continued to hold despite them growing and gaining momentum as a business.

Keep being you, you two. Keep slingin’ cream. Thanks so much for the honor of allowing me to help make your dream a reality!

XOXO,

Tami