When it comes to branding, especially if your business is multi-faceted, coming up with your brand identification, product and service offering, tag line and other marketing messaging, may take some time. Moving forward without carefully refining your message will actually cost you more both in terms of time and money. If the process is finalized prematurely, the result will be that marketing materials, signs, window lettering, etc. that were produced prematurely will need to be changed once the brand development is truly complete.

The old adage “measure twice, cut once” is also true when it comes to branding. While businesses often expand and add new or refined products and services, the resulting changes to marketing materials and signage need to be carefully orchestrated. The existing brand identification, if properly developed, should be overarching enough to allow for the integration of an expanded product or service offering with few, if any, changes.

To avoid costly changes to overhead and storefront signage make sure you spend the time necessary to design and develop signage that won’t require frequent or costly refinements. In the example above the business owner failed to realize that the “Sunset” aspect of his previously developed branding was significant in the minds of his customers despite his premature re branding efforts.