Where and how consumers interact with your brand is key to understanding what it needs to accomplish. Do you have an office or storefront? Do you use printed stationery, e-mail templates or both? Packaging, uniforms, a website, even your business cards – these are all ways consumers will interact with your brand. Think about everywhere and every way your customer encounters your business, from the store window, to the greeting they receive as they enter, to signage, delivery trucks, and the way the product is wrapped – all of these are your brand’s touchpoints.

What are the key touchpoints for your business?

Make a list of the ways people most frequently interact with your brand, then prioritize them. Be realistic: resist the temptation to design any of these touchpoints yourself. This is not your expertise. The last thing you want to do is spending money on a good designer or design firm then messing up the crucial branding consistency and effectiveness by doing certain pieces yourself. Take the time to find the right designer for your business and stick with him/her or one design firm. Don't hire someone cheap to do one thing here and there to try to save money. Most successful brands do not hire various different firms to work on one branding assignment? Quality control is so important. Too many cooks in the kitchen always ruin the brand.