It’s beneficial for your business to rebrand if it’s something which is playing on your mind. But, you may not need a full one. First, you need to evaluate where the gaps in your branding are so you understand where to invest your money for the most significant impact.

Why is my brand so bright?

Your brand should be true to you.

So I guess you’re wondering why?

A year ago, I was a brand designer with brand shame. And if that isn’t an oxymoron, I don’t know what it is.

Now if you don’t know what brand shame is, then have a look at the following points and see if you can relate.

• You make an excuse for your business card when handing it over.
• You explain the state of your website before pointing people in its direction.
• You avoid directing people to your social media
• You dread sending anything with your logo on it.

What do any of these points tell people about you and your business? It makes you appear flustered, amateur, unorganized and unprofessional.

Well, this was me.

I was an addict, telling myself stories, mainlining excuses, believing my own lies. But the reality was, I was responsible and I only had myself to blame. So I did the only thing I could.

I checked into rehab. Brand Rehab that is.

Let’s go back to the branding beginning.

Let me paint the full picture from the start of how my brand came to life.

In my youth, my relationship with colour was fun and flirty, bright and innocent. Full of rainbows, Disney characters and swooning over new art supplies. (Watercolour pencils, oh my.)

Then this happened. 

I remember crying when a kid in my class ruined my yellow Crayola marker by drawing over black. I mean, yellow is the middle of the rainbow. Right? He robbed me of my rainbows.

This love of bright colours became my dirty little secret as modern colour palettes and muted tones became ‘in’.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved them also. I could see their beauty, appreciate the emotion behind them and the reason for their existence.

So I did something I thought I would never do.

I packed away my vibrant hues, ashamed. They didn’t fit into the round peg hole of modern colour acceptance. But by shunning my love of colour, I wasn’t being true to me. Colour and I were a team. We made each other happy. And certain colours connect with different human emotions, there’s researched psychology around it.

Who knew?

This psychology of colour evoking different human emotions came to light when I undertook the re-brand you see before you.

Branding is an ongoing journey

Boy did it open my eyes. It wasn’t a linear journey. More like a roller coaster, full of twists and turns, soul searching and ‘I give up’ moments. I became my own client and it gave me a taste of the fear and anxiety which I see my own clients go through. It became an internal struggle of who I am, who my clients need me to be and fighting the nagging voices.

Those voices got the loudest when I considered going back to my old brand and the ‘cool’ colours. But every time I looked at it, in all its wishy-washy glory, I could feel it’s judgement. Like a little design-demon voice in my ear. “You should be ashamed.” “How can you call yourself Preddy Creative?” “You know vanilla isn’t your flavour. Boring.”

So this is the point where I checked myself into Brand Rehab.

As you know, I needed help. Fast. So I got back to my designer roots.

It was raw. It was real. And it was time to own who I was.

I’m Rowena Preddy and I’m Preddy Creative.

Creating a brand you love

I am bold. I am confident. I know my shit. (No time for modesty.) I understand the importance of truly creative design and how it has a massive impact on your business. I have a wicked (sometimes warped and un-PC) sense of humour. I am honest and I keep it real.

OH, AND I LOVE COLOUR

So I had a further idea.

I looked at my brand values

Bold
Honest
Energetic
Creative
Confident.

Then I gave them each a colour, not based on psychology, but on how each one made me feel.

Through this whole process, there were tears and laughter and self-discovery. I got back to my roots, discovered and defined my brand values, honing them down to just five words.

The result of a unique rebrand?

Then I worked the 10 steps. (Well I lost count, but there were many)

• I designed a logo I love.
• I created a brand that consistently represents me and my business values.
• I’ve got an authentic voice online.
• AND I launched the site you see before you.

Welcome to the new look Preddy Creative.

I now have a brand which shows me for me. Do you? I’d love to hear what you think about your branding please share your thoughts below.