8 Common Branding Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them
Complete actionable steps to avoid common branding mistakes with this guide for small business owners
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BRANDING & DESIGN FOR THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY
Logos and brand identities crafted with wild intention.
I'm Krista. A brand identity designer, avid backpacker, former ultra runner, and dedicated alpine hammock napper. I'm passionate about helping businesses in the outdoor industry create brands that are a powerful force for education, conservation, health, activity, and wellness.
I help small businesses and funded startups build a clear and intentional plan to bring their brand and identity to life in a way that’s grounded in Who They Are, What They Do, Who They Help, and Why It Matters.
After our journey together you’ll have a logo to be proud of, but in the end you’ll also have so much more....
A clear and meaningful direction for your brand.
WORK
Curious to see how I help businesses build intentional and meaningful brand identities?
Take a quick peek in this short video as I walk you through the process step by step.
The goal in life is not to attain some imaginary ideal. It is to find and fully use our own gifts.
-Gay Hendricks, PHD. The Big Leap
Aligning my passion for the outdoors, health, and fitness with my desire to help companies in the outdoor space survive and thrive is my absolute favorite work! If you are an outdoor, health, or fitness company I would love to work with you! Let’s chat.
Photography by nic photo-nic.co.uk
Brand Identity Design
The Visual Expression of Your Brand
I work with you to establish the visual expression of your brand. Whether you are starting from the beginning, looking for a refresh/refinement of your current logo, or scrapping the old for a shiny new mark, your identity will be designed with meaning and intention. There are various levels of brand identity and deliverables based on your needs and budget. Design deliverables can be as basic as a single logo or as comprehensive as full brand development including asset development and the workshop.
Brand Identity Elements
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Logo
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Typography
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Color Palette
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Illustration assets or Patterns
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Graphic Styles or Theme
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Tagline Message
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Brand Guide
Brand Workshops
The Strategic Foundation for Your Brand
My stress-free and explorative workshops are the thing that sets my work apart from other designers. When you engage in a brand strategy workshop you are setting the foundation for all your branding decisions from positioning, creative and design, to messaging, customer service, and internal culture. I offer two levels of workshop depending on your business structure and needs. Workshops are an optional but preferred first step to brand identity design and are highly recommended for a meaningful outcome. Workshop deliverables are useful since they provide a map for creative consistency in your marketing plan.
Brand Strategy Elements
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Brand Vision, Mission, and Values
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Brand Personality
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Brand Positioning
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Competitors/Category
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Customer Persona(s)
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Impact/Motivation Elements of Value
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Brand Workbook
SERVICES
I’m Krista.
Here’s a little piece of my personal history...
I pursue my passions in design not just because I want to, but because it’s the only way I know how to live. One of my passions is branding - both strategy and visual identity design. I've been helping entrepreneurs and small businesses invent, reinforce, and evolve their branding for over two decades. Much of my design work has centered around my love for the outdoors, the community it builds, and the people. Combining my passion for design with my passion for the outdoors has been my superpower.
Who I Help
Do any of these sound like you?
You’re a funded startup that needs a solid brand foundation not only to woo your investors but to help motivate your internal team to get you to the next level. You need a new or "newish" logo/identity and a way to share your brand internally so that your entire team understands its essence.
Your small business has become established in your industry or community but you are finding your logo is outdated and your business has hit a plateau. You're not connecting with your ideal client and you feel your business needs a refresh.
What clients are saying about the Brand Explorer Workshop...
This is way, way, way, beyond value expected. The meticulous planning coupled with the easy flow and the jam structure made it easy to focus on the tasks and it felt like we were having a conversation rather than completing work deliverables.
~ Dave Saunders, PAVA
Discover Your Brand’s “Secret Sauce”
A brand archetype is essentially a shorthand way of connecting with your ideal customer. By leveraging the power of your brand's archetype, you can craft more meaningful marketing messages and develop a creative strategy that speaks directly to the psychological needs and desires of your target audience.
Take The Archetype Quiz to Reveal Your Brand’s Personality!
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