Branding and the Mona Lisa

I know you already see her portrait because her name triggers the image in your mind almost immediately. Maybe you also think of the artist, Leonardo DaVinci, or that the Mona Lisa is on exhibit at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

That’s a lot of information to come up with by just seeing her image in your mind since the original is not right in front of you. But if you want to know more about how an upper-class merchant’s wife had her portrait painted for her 24th birthday while most portraits at that time were painted of rulers, church officials, and religious characters, you will have to read some content. And when you do, you will hopefully find some engaging copy that tells an interesting tale about her life during the Renaissance.

Maybe the stories you find will talk about all the special techniques DaVinci used to complete, or “brand,” this masterpiece, and how he was so attached to the painting, that he kept it even though he was paid for the work. Then, when he died with the painting in his possession, he had been living with the king of France, whose palace later became the Louvre Museum.

And this is how it works with branding and messaging. You have someone you trust to design a logo that represents you and your business. You choose colors equal to the energy of what you have to offer. You build a dynamic website. Together the visual theme for your business should fully encompass the mood and voice of both you and your company. These are the things people remember when they visit your website or social media pages .

But the language is equally important. Your business name should trigger the image of your logo and your branding, and your logo and branding should be supported by the written content you choose to describe what you have to offer.

You may have found yourself at some point on another website that looked great – wonderful visuals, vibrant colors, and layout. But then you started to read the content, and something was off. It didn’t quite match the message of the visual branding. You can’t explain exactly what you didn’t like, or why you couldn’t focus on the content, but you didn’t want to read any further.

Sometimes when we write about ourselves or what we do, we forget that we are not our viewers, readers, or clients. They will be looking at your presentation from a different perspective. And we can’t always write that way about ourselves. You need to have engaging, fresh copy that will hold the reader’s attention, be understandable on their level, and make them want to know more. Your ideal client should relate to your story, feel at home with your visual and written brand voice, and connect to the energy your overall branding experience provides.

When you’re ready to create content that truly collaborates with your visual brand, schedule a consult call with me so we can make that happen.