When I decided to start this blog,  I was looking for a name that would represent my focus on exploring creative marketing techniques to promote and grow the careers and businesses of designers and design companies.  Most of what I've written thus far has been about  getting clients, maximizing website visitors, implementing social networking and utilizing SEO marketing techniques. The name Branded Designers was chosen to represent my commitment to finding the most effective marketing techniques that will contribute to defining and growing designers and young design companies brands.

 A brand as defined by Wikipedia is "a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to a company, product or service. A brand serves to create associations and expectations among products made by a producer. A brand often includes an explicit logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols and sound which may be developed to represent implicit values, ideas, and even personality. The key objective is to create a relationship of trust."  In layman terms  "A brand is a person's gut feeling about your product or your service or your small business." Noted Brain B of Little Engine's Blog.

Now why is this important to a designer's livelihood and success going forward?  One reason is competition.  As we enter into this global economy where more and more designers are leaving the corporate environment and are starting their own businesses. It's becoming increasingly important to identify yourself as an expert that can deliver exceptional service that will command professional respect and client loyalty. That being said, a branded designer is a creative professional or design company who has successfully created a ‘feeling' or reputation in the eyes of the general public, clients and colleagues that is viewed favorably and has a strong positive impact on the social and financial bottom lines of their businesses.

In summary, the goal of the Branded Designers blog is to assist in the growth of the designer or design companies seeking to become branded; to research and discuss tools and internet marketing techniques, like inbound marketing through social networking and the blogosphere, like methods to improve website conversion rates, like evaluating methods and rules of  engagement of customers and clients.  My hope is to develop a resource that will truly help with the success and continued growth of the designer entrepreneur.

Here's a great slide show on branding and it's Importance going forward: