How good design can be your competitive advantage

Fall is here! It’s hard to believe it’s already September, the summer was busy with client projects and a few small vacations sprinkled throughout. Fall also means a busy tradeshow season coming up with Pack Expo in October and MinnPack/MD&M in November. Here’s a little teaser as well, I’ve signed on to be a speaker again this year at MinnPack/MD&M on November 2nd. I’ll be speaking about how incorporating sustainability into your marketing materials can showcase your brand’s identity and values in a positive light and increase customer loyalty. Click here to get your pass to Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis and join me at this fun and informative event. It would be great to have your support and see some familiar faces!

Speaking of design, I have some curated content for you this month. I just read this article and it’s such a succinct way to explain how valuable branding is to business that I wanted to share it. The Value of Design in Business is an interview by Andrew Engel (CEO of VNZO, a local design firm) with Chris Do, Founder and CEO of the agency, Blind, who also created The futur, an education-based business for creatives as his way of giving back to the design community. I’m a fan of his work and mission.

Chris Do explains how design adds value and can “level up” a business. He gives examples of brands getting it right – outperforming competitors by over 200% on the stock exchange – and explains how a brand is not just a logo or visual identity, but that it is the feeling the consumer has about a brand at each touchpoint. Things like going the extra mile and excellent user/customer experience comes into play here as well. It got me thinking about my business and how I can apply these principles myself.

Take a few minutes to learn more about the value of branding and design, and how it can set your business apart from the competition: https://vnzo.co/business-design-importance/

And if you are interested to hear about current design trends, here’s another article published by Adobe Express with expert tips from Chris Do: https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/graphic-design-trends

What can help you “level up” your brand? A brand audit.

If you are wondering if your business might benefit from a brand audit, reach out and book a call with me. I would love to do a deep dive with you and find out what differentiates your business in the marketplace and how we can best convey that to customers.