Ditch Cookie-Cutter Branding And Do THIS Instead
Today I’m talking about DITCHING cookie-cutter branding to get the brand package you love instead! It’s a subject I am definitely passionate about, if you can’t tell, so listen (or read) up, because I’m giving practical advice and actionable steps you can take TODAY – and maybe a few of my hot takes!
Speaking of NOT wanting cookie-cutter branding… If you need a little help deciding what type of branding package option is right for you, and steps to get it in your hands, grab the Brand Budget Builder linked in the show notes.
What I Mean By Cookie Cutter Branding
To start us off on the right foot, let’s define what I mean by cookie-cutter branding:
Cookie cutter branding is that $100 logo that you and anyone else can find on the internet. It’s not specific to your brand, and it doesn’t have your industry or your ideal audience in mind.
It can be found on one of those “quick graphics” sites, and it’s probably not made in vector form (we’ll talk more about that in a bit…)
Now, this is not the WORST purchase ever, so if this is already you, don’t worry.
It’s never too late to do a brand redesign, and you can do that now or make plans for it in the near future. I just know that, in my experience, a cookie-cutter logo that you found on the internet is not what you’d want to keep forever or use for a long period of time.
^^And you probably already know that if you’re here listening to (or reading) this!
MY HOT TAKES: 6 Things To Keep In Mind Before Purchasing A Cookie-Cutter Brand
Maybe you’re on the fence about what kind of brand package to purchase, and you’ve been eyeing those “kind of cute but not really what you want”, oh-so-cheap logo options.
If so, here are some things to think about first (and a few of my hot takes):
No. 1: Playing Damage Control
It’s really hard to get rid of a logo once you start using it. It lives on and ON, especially on the internet.
If you send it to vendors or other teams, it’s also really hard to play damage control and get people to use the right one – not the old one.
Not that it can’t be done, but just know this is an issue when you use ANY logo, and if you’re not really in love with the cookie-cutter one you’re thinking about purchasing, this is your sign to just NOT and wait.
No. 2: Wanting To Change Right Away
It’s a lot easier to use a logo you love from the start and KEEP it, not wishing you could change it later. If you feel rushed to get a logo now, and end up making a purchase because of that, you might regret it sooner rather than later.
I know it’s not an easy decision, but rushing to get something so-so is going to only make you wish you were able to get what you REALLY wanted, faster.
It’s like, as soon as you get the logo and slap it on things, you’ll want to turn around and get a newer, shinier, better one. If this sounds like you, you might want to put on the breaks.
No. 3: Seeing It Around (and it’s not yours)
If you purchase a cookie-cutter logo, you might see it in other places… oops.
Case in point: Anyone can go online to order some pre-made yard signs, you know, the ones you see on corners that people put out to advertise?
I see a certain one all over my town and I myself can literally go and order the same ones with my company name on them.
I don’t know about you, but I like to be different.
Even if I offer the same things as other companies in my industry, I don’t want anyone else to be able to go online, find my logo or branded items like signage, and use it as their own.
No. 4: Logos Are NOT Brand Packages
This one is a definite point of confusion. When it comes to logos and brand packages, they are two different things.
Logos are just an image that represents your brand, but that’s it, they’re just image files.
A brand package, however, includes much more than that, and is usually a well-rounded representation of your brand.
With a brand package, you’ll have your logo sets, typography choices, custom color palette, graphics, icons, patterns, your style guide and anything else that comes with your brand package or anything extra that you add on (depending on the designer).
When you purchase a cookie-cutter logo, you’re usually not getting a full-on brand package that includes all of the supporting elements, so that is the big difference here.
If you currently do not have the rest of your package (like fonts, colors and style guide especially) to tell you and others what and how the rest of the creative for your brand should look, your brand is going to be lacking in some pretty important elements, and will end up looking inconsistent.
This is a major difference in a cookie-cutter logo versus a custom or semi-custom brand package from a designer.
(BTW: If you’re new and haven’t listened to any of my episodes before, brand consistency is HUGE.)
No. 5: Image Files Are NOT Vector Files
If you’ve never heard the term “vector” before, it is just a fancy way of saying the image can scale to any size without being altered, especially in quality.
For example, when you take a photo and blow it up, it can become pixelated. The same concept applies to any kind of graphics or branding if the original file was not created as a vector file.
I wouldn’t say this is a black and white, case shut type of deal, but a LOT of the time, the types of logos that you can purchase for $100 are not vector files, and/or, the vector files are not provided to you as part of your package – you only receive the image files (like jpeg, png, etc.)
Additionally, they’re made a certain size when you purchase them, and they’re not scalable past a certain point.
This becomes an issue for branding and marketing purposes, because it’s hard to use those files for printing and even some digital applications, especially in large scale or in great detail, because the files themselves are limited.
I’ve personally worked with logos that were not vector to begin with, and I had to work around it because the client wanted to produce certain materials for their brand.
The lesson here is that the types of files you get when you purchase ANY package is something to keep in mind when researching potential designers and brand packages.
No. 6: Is Patience Your Virtue?
I think half the time, or more than that, in my experience, logos are purchased out of this “dire need” to have a logo rather than wait to purchase the one you actually really, really want.
You feel like, in order to have a company, you NEED a logo – but, as a brand designer, I’m telling you, that’s not necessarily true.
Sure, it might make you feel good to show off a logo.
Sure, it might make sense to have one for your website or social media.
But you don’t NEED it in order to just. get. started.
You don’t even NEED it to make a sale.
You could get by with just a text-based logo for a time.
You can have your company name, and your products or services established well before you purchase your branding package.
You can work on your brand messaging, such as your purpose, vision, values, tagline, brand personality and even your ideal audience WELL before you need to have a logo.
You can even try your hand at picking your color palette and typography BEFORE you ever meet with a brand designer.
In fact, I think that your offerings and your messaging are some of the most important things you can establish for your brand early on – even if they change later – because those things will help your future brand designer create a brand identity that you love and your ideal audience can’t ignore.
I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it: There is more to a brand than just a logo, so you DO have permission to slow down and figure these other things out before you grab the first cookie-cutter logo that you think “will do for now”.
Options Instead Of The Cookie-Cutter Logo
Now, you might be slightly annoyed with me and I get it.
You wanted to hear that a cookie-cutter logo was okay to purchase to start.
You probably wanted to hear that you NEED a logo in order to sell anything.
Maybe you don’t want to wait, or maybe you’re fine with waiting but are unsure of what to do next.
Well, there are generally two options when it comes to professional brand design: A fully custom brand package, or a semi-custom brand package.
I wanted to explain the difference between the two, in case you were curious, and to hopefully help you out if you’re stuck on deciding what option is best.
Custom Brand Packages
A custom brand is created completely from scratch by your designer. There is nothing cookie-cutter about it, and it’s unique to you.
With a custom brand, you work with your designer from start to finish, and have the ability to give your feedback every step of the way.
You get the opportunity to create something for your brand, with only your brand in mind.
This option takes a decent amount of time to develop, and it usually has a more in-depth ideation and brainstorming process over that of a premade or semi-custom brand kit.
Custom branding packages are a great idea if you have the time and the budget, and you’re solidified in your brand offerings, audience and messaging.
Semi-Custom Brand Packages
Semi-custom branding packages are somewhat customizable, and usually limited or exclusive.
The options vary depending on the designer and the package, but generally, this means you can customize the name, the color palette, the typography and even have your choice of some of the supporting graphics or patterns.
Whatever comes with the package of your choice, there are options to customize it to your brand and your needs.
With the way I personally structure my semi-custom brand packages, my goal is that you as the client are able to customize and pick so much that it’s not recognizable to another client that purchased the same brand.
What helps this even further is that, with my semi-custom brands and others out there that I’ve seen, you can’t just buy them from anywhere, and the designer only sells a handful of them (like 2 or 3), and then discontinues them.
With this option, you as the customer are able to get the most out of your investment, AND the designer is able to provide a bit of a custom experience, and a lot of value to you as the client, for their time.
Semi-custom brand packages are a great option if you’re just starting out, or if you’re tighter on the budget side but still want something professional, unique and tailored to your brand.
4 Things To Do In The Meantime
After hearing all of this so far, where do you stand? Do you need to wait or are you ready to purchase today?
If you’re not ready to purchase a branding package quite yet, there are 3 things you can do in the meantime:
- Create some standards, like your own style guide – check the show notes for a video to Create A Style Guide With Me
- Grab the Brand Habits Stack and create systems, like a file system
- Get my Brand Budget Builder to help you decide what option you want to go with, and what you need to do to get it.
Maybe I’m not the only brand designer that says this, but: You don’t NEED a logo RIGHT AWAY to have a company or sell products or services.
Of course it’s beneficial and necessary at a certain point, but you don’t absolutely need one to get started.
I err on the side of waiting and getting the one you really want, over being impatient and getting one that doesn’t really fit your ideal audience or your brand.
Again, it’s much easier to wait and get what you really want, than have to change everything later because you purchased a logo you never wanted in the first place.