So much of branding has to do with communication.

In fact, while I often tell people that I majored in graphic design in college, my real degree was in “Visual Communication Design.”

Because the visuals in every design are always communicating something to people.

That’s why it’s important to make sure that the design of your brand is saying the right things to potential clients and customers.

And that’s why we’ve been spending so much time on this “groundwork” stage of the branding process. Through your future goals, mission statement, client profile, and the 5 adjectives you’ll come up with to summarize your brand in today’s action step, you’re determining what needs to be communicated.

This post is part of Elle & Company’s 4-week Brand Challenge. Click here to see more details, sign up, and access the free workbook.

We’re on Day 4 of the Brand Challenge, and you might be surprised that we still haven’t jumped into any of the major visuals like fonts, colors, and logos.

I promise we’ll get to those soon!

But branding (and design, in general) is about much more than making things look good.

The purpose of branding is to catch the attention of potential clients and customers and build trust with them so that they’ll purchase your products and book your services.

In order to do that, you have to know:

1. Whether your current brand is effective

2. Where your business is headed

3. The mission of your business

4. And what type of clients you want to be working with

You’ve conducted a brand evaluation, set business goals, and written your mission statement in Days 1-3 of this challenge.

And today, you’re going to zero in on the type of clients and customers you want to be working with.

This post is part of Elle & Company’s 4-week Brand Challenge. Click here to see more details, sign up, and access the free workbook.

You wouldn’t drive across the country from California to New York without a map. And you shouldn’t operate your business without a mission statement.

A mission statement gives you a framework for evaluating opportunities and deciding whether they fit your core business model and strategy.

It can help you define your business and establish your brand, and it can help you (and your employees, contractors, etc.) focus their efforts and suggest ideas that fit with what you’re trying to do.

But what does your mission statement have to do with your branding?

This post is part of Elle & Company’s 4-week Brand Challenge. Click here to see more details, sign up, and access the free workbook.

Big decisions require future planning.

You wouldn’t major in political science if you eventually want to become an art professor.
You wouldn’t sell your van and buy a 2-door sedan if you’re expecting your fourth child.

You have to consider where you want to be in order to put the steps in place to get there.

The same is true for your brand.

This post is part of Elle & Company’s 4-week Brand Challenge. Click here to see more details, sign up, and access the free workbook.

My husband and I just finished renovating an old 1930’s bungalow in our small South Carolina town.

I remember the first time I laid eyes on it. It was dirty and dingy with dark paint, busted windows, and a caved-in kitchen floor. I hardly wanted to set foot in it, let alone live in it.

But beyond the grime, there were remnants of what the house looked like in its glory days. Large trim, built-in bookshelves, original hardwood floors, french doors. I knew that with a little creativity and a lot of elbow grease, we could restore the house to its former beauty.

We put an offer on the house early last year (the same day we brought our son home from the hospital) and excitedly started dreaming up plans for the renovation.

But before we were able to dive into the demo, we had to take an inventory of all the work that needed to be done.

The same is true when you “renovate” and revamp the design of your brand.

Before you can dive into the obvious details like fonts and colors, you have to evaluate what is and isn’t working with your current brand.