Branding is essential for a business’s success. Without a unique and powerful identity, your company fades from memory, sales suffer and employees look elsewhere for gainful employment that satisfies their need to belong to something spectacular. Crafting a solid brand identity in your office helps retain staff and customers while proudly speaking to the world about your company.
How do you create a brand identity in your office to reflect your story to visitors, clients and your team? Learn to tailor your space into a creative and productive vision of your business today and in the future.
Why Is Branding Important for Your Office and Employees?
Studies indicate that branding is vital for small businesses to become successful in their sectors and memorable to their clients. It helps you stand out from the competition. It creates an identity your clients relate to and support and ensures your company has a future growth plan.
Your office and employees are essential players in the brand identity. They will only buy into the company themselves if they feel supported by it. The office is where that relationship is built and expanded.
The Science of Branding Elements
Maximize how your office appearance and design contribute to your brand voice to help your company thrive. Consider how the colors, furniture, lights, equipment, logo and staff connect to promote your brand. Successful branding increases your business equity. You must capture your story in your office design.
Here’s how:
Colors Speak
Brand colors speak to your audience. You should consider the psychology of colors and what people associate with them when deciding on a palette that best represents your business.
Most brands decorate their office spaces by using the colors of their business brand. Green can symbolize generosity and nature, as well as luck and prosperity. White and gray state sophistication and innovation.
Whichever colors you choose, they are the palette your office should reflect. If you have an international company with offices in various countries, consider the impact various hues have there.
Color makes your brand memorable. Studies show that brand color contributes 80% to recognition and sales. Using secondary shades for your office’s walls, furniture, floors and artwork can be a tasteful statement of your business.
You may not have the luxury of painting the walls if you’re renting. However, you can use your brand colors to accentuate a neutral palette in other ways. Pick a color scheme of four to five complementary shades to guide your selections of drapery, frames, upholstery and carpets to help introduce your brand’s color to your office space. Every bit helps, whether you’re there for a few weeks or several years.
Design Features
What you choose to add to your office space establishes your identity. For example, adding a specific water cooler or coffee machine says something about your brand. The style of furniture, plants, decorations and seating contribute to how people perceive your company.
Imagine sitting for hours at a local bank in the most uncomfortable chairs known to man. When you leave, you won’t resonate with the brand — other than to recall how much it pained you. On the other hand, you won’t mind having to spend several hours at an office with comfortable seating, luxurious upholstery and great hospitality. Offerings such as a coffee bar or snack basket will help you remember them fondly.
Likewise, if you can renovate and reconstruct your office space, you should avoid adding meaningless architectural features. Your office space’s design features tell your brand story, so don’t crowd it with meaningless elements.
It’s far better to follow clean lines, ensure ample space and save unique ideas for the reception, boardroom or cafeteria.
Brand Story and Logo
Adding your brand name or logo can remind staff and customers of your story and why your business exists. Think of your favorite eatery that creates a base with secondary colors and great furniture before adding the branding and logo to the space.
Steal a page from its book. Create an office that tells your brand story to join the ranks of the nearly 1,400 active unicorn companies in existence today and elevate your business further. Whether you have it printed on a central wall or add it in little hints throughout your office, your brand speaks. Use your logo in unexpected places like stationary, complimentary water bottles and quotes that lead customers up the stairs to the second floor.
Display your logo proudly, accentuating it with professional lighting and attention to detail. Check for elements that may detract from your brand story. Avoid overcrowding spaces, broken furniture, cracks and other flaw-type elements.
Lighting Lessons
Dark spaces aren’t inviting unless they are part of your brand identity — such as with a cybersecurity company. Ensure your office is well-lit with functional and aesthetic lighting. This presents the brand in the best light possible.
Replace faulty lighting — ensure lights don’t flash or flicker on and off. Unless you own a nightclub, poor lighting adds little to your space.
Use lighting to define specific areas in the office. If your brand aligns with the idea of sustainability, choose solar lights and other energy-efficient options.
Personalized Spaces
Encourage your staff to bring their lives into the brand voice. Employees expand on the brand tone and message by adding personal items like photos, motivations and memorabilia to the space.
Your business exists because of people who bring exceptional talent and unique personalities. That special connection makes them as much a part of your business and brand voice as the furniture and wall paint swatches.
Strong leaders let their employees contribute to the business by bringing some of their lives to work. Feeling comfortable with sharing helps workers buy and sell the brand since they invest in it.
The personal touch of the business, staff and images all contribute to success, much like personalized emails that help boost sales and click-through rates. Customers appreciate attention to their needs, and the look and feel of your office contribute to this.
Employee Dress Code
Involve employees in designing uniform or dress standards for work as a prime method of expanding the brand image. Clothing that’s comfortable and stylish forms as much part of the office branding as your logo.
Using uniforms that enable employees to be efficient and comfortable represents your company more positively. People with similar work appearances also represent your business’s unified brand.
Create an Effective Brand Identity
Your business success matters, and so does creating a powerful brand. It’s more than a slogan or logo — it’s an atmosphere and location that resonates with your employees and customers. Branding the office space is the best way to showcase your story and values.
Creative office branding creates business equity and awareness. It generates robust campaigning that money can’t buy and helps your company stand out from the rest.
Jack Shaw, editor of Modded and author of numerous articles on business success and self-improvement, seeks to inspire readers with his practical tips and strategies for growth. His writings can be found on HellaWealth, USCCG and more.
Colorful office stock image by G-Stock Studio/Shutterstock
