Type and text tips for a top-notch brand

It seems as though a lot of people think it does not matter which font your designer chooses with your branding. Well, what kind of expert would I be if I told you that was true? There are tons of tiny details in the font you choose with any body of text that can make a BIG difference in how your brand is reflected. So I'm going to give you some tips to watch for when having someone design your ads or other marketing materials. I will also give you a quick course in the different styles of fonts and what they mean for your brand.

Sans vs. Serif

Lets start with the basics and a couple terms that people who don't work with typography everyday can easily get confused.
There are four main types of fonts: Serif, Sans-serif, Script, and Novelty. Script fonts often look like cursive or hand-written. Novelty fonts are basically any font that does not fit in any of the first three categories. The most commonly used of these are Serif and Sans-serif, but what are they and what's the difference?

This image illustrates the difference between the two. As you can see, there are little notches on the ends of the strokes on the top word. These things are called serifs and they are on a lot of the most used and the oldest fonts like Times and Baskerville. The bottom word has more uniform sized lines where the widths don't vary, this is called sans-serif. The term sans directly translates to "without". So, sans-serif = "without" serif.

Now that we've got that all cleared up here are some tips for the proper use of each type style:

Large amounts of text

When you have large amounts of text in paragraph form it is imperative to consider readability. Certain fonts just make it very difficult for readers to follow. Serif and sans-serif fonts are the ideal typestyles here. It is absolutely never acceptable to use script and novelty fonts for larger amounts of text! These fonts are very difficult to read and should only be used in small amounts – no exceptions. When considering how wide columns of text should be, the rule of thumb is to allow 10-14 words per line. Any longer and the reader may have trouble moving their eyes from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. Too short and your paragraphs will seem long and overwhelming.

So when can I use script and novelty fonts?

I advise limiting your use of script and novelty fonts to short pieces of text like headings and logo use. These fonts often have nice qualities that are very particular to the style of a brand. Script fonts are often wispy and and curly and have nice feminine qualities. They work well for brands of female targeted products, but beware of using them for holiday advertisements since they get overly used by other brands.

What does your typestyle say about your brand?

So which font is right for your brand? Good question. Depending on how the font is used and treated by your designer almost any type style can emit different emotions. The safest routes are these... Serif fonts have a look of old fashion. They give the viewer a sense of reliability in the brand. Sans-serif fonts are often more rectangular and sturdy-looking. This means they represent being strong. However, if you use a lighter weight sans-serif font you can get an opposite result. Sans-serif fonts also work great for giving a very contemporary, sleek, and modern look. As mentioned earlier, script fonts have great feminine qualities. They work well for a softer feel and representing attention to detail. The toughest typestyle to talk about is novelty fonts because they come in all shapes and sizes. My only suggestion here is to use them sparingly.

Still have questions? Don't fret. Shoot me an email or visit my website to learn more. Comment with any questions you might have an I will gladly answer.

As always, #BeAmbitious.

Will your brand be 'scary' this Halloween?

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. It's the start of the holidays, the ides of football season, and all the sweet candy you could wish for is going on sale. (My personal favorite is Reese's peanut butter cups.) My least favorite part of this holiday is all of the poorly executed advertisements by local small businesses. One of the best ways to be effective with your advertisement is to be relevant to current events, and holidays fall in that category. Holidays are your chance to do unique things with your marketing and advertising. Halloween in particular is a great opportunity to make your ads 'scary' this season while still being effective? I'm glad you asked...

Narrow your focus.

I always see small businesses trying to make up ground with larger companies by offering the world to their customers. You give away your product like a last ditch effort from Groupon. (I'll talk about the fails of Groupon in a later post.) What you should be doing is focusing on one promotion and making it a good one. Don't sell yourself short. Your products are good and you just need to advertise THAT. Sure you can take a little percentage off, or some other promotion. Just be sure to focus your advertising on your product, not your price. A consistent, well thought out plan is the key here.

Don't be cheesy.

It seems everyone wants to use crazy colors and sunbursts and huge letters in their ads this time of year. Dial it back a notch and make your ads simple. They should be clear and to the point with an easy to understand message. Go ahead and be ominous and use some cool imagery of skeletons and pumpkins but keep it to a minimum. Just consider the last advertisement you remember and I bet you it was very clean and simple.

Be scary.

Lastly, be scary. By that I mean do something that might not have ever been done before in advertising. Try something new, take a risk. Use guerrilla marketing tactics to surprise your audience. Perhaps try using a social media campaign that you've been wanting to try. #BeScary. Maybe have a sale with the lights off or wait around the corner in a costume with a free sample of your product. Just be sure to be professional.

Let me here what your plans are for your branding these holidays. Leave a comment or email me with your questions.

As always #BeAmbitious.