4 minute read
NetWorks Issue 17: The Design Issue
What’s Your Story?
Judith O’Leary, Founder & MD of Represent discusses why Good Design is central to effective marketing for SMEs
In an era where consumer attention spans are fleeting, good design is necessary to achieve brand differentiation and customer engagement. It isn’t just how it looks; good design embodies brand values, communicates its positioning, and influences consumer perceptions. For SME Owners and marketing professionals seeking to capture and retain their market share, investing in good design is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Surrounded by strong visuals, customers are more discerning than ever. They don’t just want a product or a service; they seek an experience that reflects their values – and design is central to this.
Why Invest in Design?
Good design is essentially effective communication. It is the visual storytelling that hooks your audience before a single word is read. David Airey, a renowned graphic designer and logo design expert, states, “Design isn’t just what it looks like. Design is how it works.” It conveys purpose and intent and can elicit emotions that resonate with a brand’s values.
Design goes beyond the logo and typeface, it is central to all your customer interactions, including your website. A design considered online customer journey, with clear calls to action with ensure effective lead generation and lower bounce rates thereby converting customer visits into purchases.
Learning from Heritage Brands – The Case of Golden Syrup
Even established brands need to revitalise their design strategies to stay relevant. Tate and Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a quintessential brand brimming with heritage, recently underwent a logo and packaging revamp not to replace tradition but to attract a modern audience, exemplifying the fine line between innovation and preservation.
By honouring its rich history while subtly incorporating contemporary elements, Golden Syrup showed how a good design could accentuate brand values and appeal to new generations. It also generated significant PR coverage – a win-win for the design team.
The Represent Approach to Design-Led Marketing
My company Represent recently underwent a new logo and website revamp reinforcing we don’t just sell design – we live by it. Timed to coincide with the launch of our Dublin office, we wanted to demonstrate our investment in the business and attract the type of clients we want to work with.
For our clients, design plays an important part of our integrated marketing approach. For our client Chippendale International School of Furniture, we worked with the owners to update its branding and website to mirror the craftsmanship it is renowned for. Through thoughtful and design-led marketing materials, including logo, website and photography, the school now stands out in a crowded sector, speaking directly to an audience that appreciates refinement. This has significantly increased the school’s profile with the owner recently featuring in the fashion brand Uniqlo launch campaign for the opening of their new Edinburgh store.
Similarly, for Irish jewellery designer, Inner Island, Represent worked with owner Gemma O’Leary, to create a brand look and feel that reflected her jewellery premium design-led, handcrafted positioning. Every aspect of the design from the typography to photography to its visual spacing mirrors the artistry of the pieces as can be seen on these pages.
For our clients, our success lies in our ability to intertwine brand ethos with design innovation, creating clear, engaging, and purposeful designs that drive business growth and brand recognition.
Tips for Reviewing Your Brand’s Design
For brands considering their design impact, here’s where to start:
1. Assess Your Visuals: Do your current visuals align with the image you want to project? If not, it’s time for a review.
2. User Experience Audit: Analyse your website and marketing materials from a user flow perspective. Is the path to conversion as seamless as it should be? This is something we do for clients on an ongoing basis.
3. Storytelling Consistency: Ensure your design tells your brand’s story coherently across all platforms.
4. Feedback and Data: Use customer feedback and Google analytics to understand what’s working and not.
Design revision leads to rejuvenation. It allows you to re-engage with your audience, reiterate your brand promise, and redefine your market position. It is not, and never should be, a decorative afterthought; it’s a marketing priority that warrants ongoing attention and investment.
GOOD DESIGN IS ESSENTIALLY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. IT IS THE VISUAL STORYTELLING THAT HOOKS YOUR AUDIENCE BEFORE A SINGLE WORD IS READ.
Represent is an award-winning integrated PR & digital marketing agency focused on driving growth across SMEs in Ireland and the UK. If you are considering a brand or website revamp contract Represent to discuss your requirements.
Get 15% off the incredible Inner Island jewellery with code BITA15
