It makes me want to scream! There's a process to developing a business. But nearly every client I've had does it backwards. Problem is that they're married to the business, can't let go of any part of it and can't stand anyone telling them, especially consultants who have just walked into the door, telling them what to do with the business they have worked on for months or years. I know because I use to be one of them.
Let's look at some examples from personal experience.
#1. COLOR: My clients are attracted to a clean light look.
I worked with a baker who insisted his logo be simple and clean using light pastel blue and green. Problem is he couldn't identify who his customers were much less know what they wanted.
After some research we discovered that the actual demographic when considering look took a backseat to psychographics. Nearly all well financed and researched similar businesses (this is a shortcut to expensive research and testing) focused on earth tones in the rich orange, red and yellow spectrum. This psychographic color pattern has been known to create a warm freshly-baked feeling and induce spending in most humans, globally. The same goes for most coffee shops. Check out a Starbucks next time you're in or take a peak at McDonald's web site for the preponderance of red, yellow, orange and brown.
We put this to the test at the Indonique Tea & Chai Cafe in New Orleans. Customers were asked what scone they liked best in one trial and what chai was preferred in another. There were two options in each trial. One used an edgy black and steel looking packaging design, the other had a rustic earth tone and ethnic feel. In both trials, the customer was tasting the same exact scone and chai. But in each trial, the earth toned packaging was preferred 90% of the time. Humans are just wired that way.
There are numerous points to consider when creating your image. In addition to color, shape, font, spacing, placement, music selection and more count. Seek professional help early and plan before you spend.
Check back tomorrow for frustration #2. Music Selection
