Gaining brand recognition is a primary level of positive awareness in the marketplace that most small and mid-sized businesses direct their marketing efforts towards. This brand awareness will help drive customers to choose you or your product over a competitor that they haven’t heard of.

How will your target market get to know and remember you? Your identity materials including your business stationery – letterhead, envelopes, invoices, purchase orders, business cards and brochures – are often the first exposure to your company and should reflect the image and positioning your brand has in the marketplace.

When your print communications are doing the “talking” for you, how can you be certain they are saying the right things? Each of the pieces plays a different but equally as important role in your overall communications plan. Choosing the right identity materials in style and function will depend upon the type of business you are in and is essential in building the recognition you seek.

Regardless of business or industry, all should consider the following when developing printed identity materials:

• Type – Consistent use of type from piece to piece is a powerful theme-builder. Use a mix of well-chosen typefaces for headlines, subheads and body copy. Ask your print communications professional for recommendations regarding readability.

• Color – Choosing a corporate or company color to be used on all of your print materials is a great way to boost recognition. With one color, you may want to consider using varying tint screens of that color to provide some variety.

• Paper and ink – Professionally-designed and fully-integrated, corporate communication materials come in a variety of paper stocks, colors and ink choices to ensure that your business corresponds in a coordinated and memorable way.