How to create a cohesive brand when you want to do ALL the things

June 18, 2021

I see you, multi-passionate entrepreneur! You’re out there doing #allthethings because you love #allthethings. And you’re certainly not alone in that game! So often, I hear from boss ladies with big dreams of adding to their businesses; whether they’re exploring a new talent or adding a new level of service, I know so many dreamers who are itching to fit all their many passions into their business in some way or another. Their biggest roadblock? They don’t quite see how they can create a cohesive brand when they want to chase a million different directions through their products or services.

And I totally get it, friend. It can be a challenge to create one, unified brand when you feel pulled every which way. But I’m here to tell you today that, with some strategic planning and intentional examination, you absolutely can create a cohesive brand that accurately represents the products, services, and ideas you long to pursue through your work.

Curious about how the heck to do it? Keep on reading to discover the secret, friend!

CREATING A COHESIVE BRAND WHEN YOU’RE MULTI-PASSIONATE

Friend, take a look at this hypothetical scenario with me for just a moment (it might even sound a bit familiar to you!). Let’s say…

  • You’re a wedding photographer who has been in business for a few years.
  • You’ve honed your craft diligently.
  • You’re ready to pour into others in your industry through actionable education, coaching, or mentoring.

Let’s say you’re interested in offering an online workshop, in-person mentoring, and educational downloads as part of your educational venture. As you dive into this process, you’ll find that you’re actually now speaking to two totally different audiences, striving to connect with both brides-to-be AND fellow wedding photographers.

So… what’s the best way to craft a cohesive brand that represents these two audiences—and these two totally different offerings—well?

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BRAND UNIFIED AS YOUR BUSINESS EXPANDS

Whenever my branding clients and I come to this crossroads, we’ll sit down and strategically analyze their goals, their audience(s), and their vision for this new addition to their business. We typically find that the best option would be to craft a brand around their name, personality, or personal story. Oftentimes, this makes more sense than attempting to fit their newest offering into their old way of marketing their work.

For example, let’s look at photographers who have successfully branched into education and still maintain their wedding workload well. You’ll typically see that they’ve built their brand around their experience, as well as their own personal identity. They’ve become the face of their own brand, giving all their offerings the space to organically settle into place under one overarching umbrella. Essentially, they’ve created a parent brand around who they are and their experience in their industry. This gives them the ability to offer new products or services as extensions of the one parent brand.

So what happens when clients come to me with ALL the ideas they passionately dream about incorporating into their businesses? First, we’ll eliminate any ideas that either (a) don’t truly fit into their long-term vision for their brand or (b) don’t marry with the Why behind their work. From there, we strategically craft one parent brand that places them as the face of it all; they become the center of one overarching brand, which can then branch out into any products or services they desire.

How? Because the brand is, first and foremost, built around my client! With their personal story and experience at the center, all their big ideas are able to fall seamlessly into place. The only requirement is that those ideas align with their parent brand and mesh with its long-term vision. 😉

CREATING ONE PARENT BRAND FOR ALL YOUR OFFERS

Friend, the next time you’re tempted to incorporate #allthethings into your existing brand, take a breath and follow these steps:

First, ask yourself whether this new idea, product, or service is an organic extension of your existing brand and business. If not, then ask yourself if you think this dream would have more space to thrive as a separate company on its own. Take the Illume Retreat—my intimate, restful retreat for creative entrepreneurs—as an example! That endeavor has more space to flourish as its own separate entity than under the b is for bonnie umbrella. It’s not meant to be the “b is for bonnie retreat”, after all!

If you find that this dream can realistically only thrive under the umbrella of your current brand, then it’s time to explore the idea of crafting a parent brand with a unified, overarching presence to cover this wonderful new dream of yours. Personally, I chose to unify my mentoring and branding services under the b is for bonnie brand—which is a parent brand built around my own story and experience—rather than start a separate mentoring business. My mentoring experience plays off of my experience as a brand designer and strategist for hundreds of creatives, as well as the experience I’ve gleaned during the past almost-decade I’ve worked in this industry. To separate those two services wouldn’t make much long-term sense in my book.

Crafting a creative business is a truly multifaceted process, so why shouldn’t our products and services reflect that, too? Your brand doesn’t have to be one-dimensional to be successful. However, it DOES have to be cohesive and strategic to avoid confusing your ideal audience or building a reputation as the gal who’s just trying to do it all (but not too well!).

DREAMING OF CREATING ONE, COHESIVE BRAND FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Are you striving to craft a parent brand that unifies your big dreams and ideas in one cohesive, thoughtful way? Then let’s chat, sweet friend! I specialize in crafting elevated visual brands that enable you to connect authentically with your ideal clients. I’m currently booking projects with late Summer and Fall 2021 start dates, and it would be an absolute joy to work with you! Get in touch to schedule your free consultation call today.

Book your free consultation!

  1. […] How to Create a Cohesive Brand When You Have Multiple Business Ventures {B is for Bonnie Design} […]

  2. […] How to Create a Cohesive Brand When You Have Multiple Business Ventures {B is for Bonnie Design} […]

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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