If you’ve ever tried to name a company, you know that this is no easy task. The logistics such as domain availability and trademark issues are nothing in comparison to the pressure to “get it right” and choose a name that perfectly reflects and defines the brand. There are a number of options businesses choose from when determining their name. Some use the founder’s name, such as Kate Spade or Kendra Scott. Some, such as General Electric, use their name to describe what they

Infographic branding guide.

Advertising 101 always stress one thing; when in doubt or lacking your creative “Ah Ha Moment,” use the classic advertising formula of babies & animals. Chances are that most commercials that make us say “oh and ah” have our furry (or sometimes non furry) friends in them. This has been an easy and useful method of advertising for decades due to its high success rate. The goal in advertising is to get the target audience to connect with the product or service, in which you wou

The Super Bowl that's coming to the Bay Area in February 2016 will not be labeled as "The Big L," afer all. The NFL on Wednesday revealed its official logo for the Super Bowl to be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. And for one year, the NFL has decided to do away with Roman numerals. Instead of the possible punchline-inspiring "Super Bowl L," the game will officially be recognized as Super Bowl 50, something the loser of the championship game will certainly come to appre

Crafting brands is what we love to do, so what happens when we get a client who doesn't give any direction or information for the brand-to-be? We have a set process where we ask many in depth questions to maiximize the information we get from clients. The better the answer, the easier it is for us to create a brand that represents everything the client wants. This isn't always the case. We understand our clients are busy - they own businesses after all - so there are sometime

Typography can say a lot about your brand. Often, it's your brand's first impression on a customer. Whether your name is displayed on a billboard, business card or website, it's communicating something about your brand. The very first visual impression prompts a consumer to form an idea of what your brand is all about. They immediately conduct a superficil evaluation of who you are and what you do. Choosing the appropriate typography to incorporate into your advertising mater

We live in an age where everything has gone digital, and let's face it makes a lot of things in our lives A LOT easier than would be otherwise. However, in a consumer driven world, brands have been using their stories to set themselves a part from competition the past few years. Why? Because it works! Brand storytelling is vital for any business because it can keep your brand afloat while your competirors sink around you. It's important to understand that while brand storytel

At SBC we specialize in restaurant branding, and the new Olive Garden logo has definitely won our seal of approval. Established in 1982, Olive Garden is a chain of fast casual dining of Italian-American cuisine, famous for its endless supply of bread sticks (and salad) during the meal and infamous for serving subpar food in cookie-cutter, generic, faux-Italian settings. There are more than 800 Olive Gardens around the world; the large majority in the U.S. but locations ranges

Do you want to come across as boring? That's an easy answer - no! The easiest fix to this is to let your personality show in your brand. Social Media: Having boring content in your social media posts can result in your platforms hearing crickets, i.e. no engagement. Don't be afraid to show off your personality in posts! Let your personality shine through your content, so your audience will see you as more personable and relatable. Isn't that the point of social media anyway?

Choosing to rebrand your business is an important decision to make. It's time consuming and can when not executed correctly can be harmful to your business. How do you know when it's time to rebrand? Consider the following: 1. If you're losing market share to the competition, chances are your brand strategies aren't effective. 2. If your brand isn't distinguishable from other brands in the market, then it's time to revamp your brand. 3. If your logo can be likened to any cart