Often you must have come across visiting cards that look fancy and attractive. But do they really replicate the identity of the brand they represent? Well, not always. Not all fancy looking designs represent the brand the way it needs to. Using bright, gaudy colours may just seek attention but not serve the purpose. A visiting card is not only an individual’s identity but also represents the designation of an individual representing a brand or an organisation. Hence, it is important for one to choose the apt visiting card design. Visiting card design is often adapted referring to the stationary of a brand like a letterhead, envelops, etc. These designs are created bearing in mind the brand image. Since a visiting card represents not only an individual but also an organisation or a brand, they include corporate colours, corporate fonts etc. which is unlike a leaflet design. In a leaflet design, the layout depends on the communication message to be delivered.
Many marketing research companies conduct numerous research studies only to design a logo that will be a brand identity and will be the most visible element across all the stationery and collaterals. Marketing research companies conduct an in-depth study of a brand and the key elements that are vital for logo design. But in past few years, the Indian advertising industry has witnessed a considerable deterioration in the quality of logo designs and stationery designs created. The reason behind this is the shift of clients to the designing studios or DTP operators. Not everyone can understand the importance of a logo or brand stationery and so can’t do justice to the brand while designing them.
Shifting to these substitutes might cost less but the quality is also lost. Approaching these substitutes not necessarily be a wrong option but it is important for a client to understand the importance of its brand identity. The stationery designed by an agency is always backed with a rationale to validate the designs which might not be the case with substitutes. After all, knowing the software is all the way a different thing than having an eye for a brand’s stationery design. The stationery defines a thought but an attractive design cannot always do that. So approaching the right option is as vital as strategizing a marketing plan, because after all designing a brand identity is a part of advertising.