Taking a look at how to begin the process of building a distinctive brand for your small creative business.

I’ll share what I’ve learned, give you some of the questions to answer, and share a couple of resources that might help you get clearer on how you can begin to create a distinctive brand and become a destination brand for your right customer or client.

Like other creatives doing business, I thought for a long time branding was about the visuals, the logo, colors, fonts, images, and so on. But those things are only part of a brand.

Your brand is what people say about your business. What you can do is intentionally try and influence that. Also, it just doesn’t make sense to try and do the same as everybody else.

3 tips to create a distinctive brand

The tips below can be used in any order that works for you. Some might suggest you start by getting real clarity on what sets your business apart, but I find that getting clarity is a fluid process that I get stuck and overwhelmed by. To unlock my creative block, I usually go back to going through my magazines to find images and words that inspire me to move forward.

So, approach the tips in whatever order works for you.

What is your business really about (besides money)?

I find this is by far the hardest thing to get clarity around, and it might take you a while to work out. This is about the essence of your business. Doing this work may be the stuff of nightmares if you’re multi-passionate and creative, but it is truly a confidence-building process.

Clarity questions to help you:

• What is it really your business is about? Why? Ask why 5 times and see if that brings new clarity.
  

• What is something that makes your business just a little different than the other businesses in your niche? Can you pinpoint 3 things that make your business different?

Note: this is about your business, however small or non-existing it might be, and less about you. I find it gets overwhelming if I have to answer what makes ME different or better than others. See if you can separate the two.

Suggestions:

Your creative process? Maybe it’s the specific type of customers you take on. Or maybe it’s that humor is a big part of your communication.

It can also be that you mix 2 job titles you don’t see often, like website- and creativity coach. :)

Maybe it’s that you help a certain group of people with a product or service they can’t get anywhere else in the way you create it.

Find your brand words

Pick 1-3 words that represent how you want your business to be seen. Really pick the words apart, and write out what exactly they mean to you.

When re-designing the website for anbimode.dk , the words we talked about were quality, natural materials, and exclusive.

Then we talked in detail about what they mean to us- With “quality” what came up, was that we aim for quality in the materials of the clothes, the fit, and how they're made. Quality in help and guidance for the customers to find something they feel good in, quality in the product images, and overall aesthetics.

Quality is very much part of the Anbi brand, a clothes shop that has been on the Skanderbord High Street for 50 years. Putting words to what we might feel is obvious can create surprising clarity.

Another example is, if you choose a word like sustainable, have a good deep dive into what that actually means and how that would look visually. Sustainability is a buzzword right now, but it’s complicated and there’s a lot involved before a brand is truly sustainable, in an environmentally friendly way.

Create a Mood Board

Mood boarding is such a powerful creative tool for bringing clarity into your life. You can use mood boards for brand clarity, website clarity, your personal style, kitchen revamp, you name it.

How I use a mood board for getting clearer on my business and how I want my website to look, is by collecting images, bits of wood, and linen samples from notperfectlinen, and cutting out words that sum up the feeling and direction I want to go in.

It’s very much a trial and error process, and how it feels is the guide for when it’s right or wrong.

I have been creating mood boards and vision boards since I was a teenager, as I have always loved magazines and visual storytelling. Also, it’s good to get stuck in, using my hands to create a tactile mood board. You can create stellar online mood boards too in Canva or somewhere.

It’s a different process to collect items from charity shops, or from the back of the cupboard than creating a mood board online. Oftentimes I find the process itself brings new ideas and clarity to other thoughts or projects.

Have a go at creating a tactile mood board and enjoy the process. It doesn’t matter if it takes a while or if you keep having to redo it.

There is no one-size-fits-all in business.

In case you’re stuck, I hope these tips will get you a little closer to clarity. This is super hard stuff and something a lot of businesses don’t take the time to do.

Remember, if you’re stuck and want my help with a brainstorming session, you can book one here.

Brand resources

Thebrand-stylist.com by Fiona Humberstone

I’m a big fan of Fiona’s, I have her 2 beautiful books, and you’ll find heaps of brand resources on her website. I love her belief in creating destination brands instead of hustling.

How to create a mood board as a business tool by Gudy Herder

I recently took Gudy’s Domestika course on mood boarding, and I found it inspiring. Also funny to take a course in something I’ve been doing for 30 years. But there’s always something to learn.