by Brandon Kellum
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In this months Lesson Learned we’re going to go back to basics with band branding. So before you even play a note, here’s a few things to consider.
Name
- Easy to say
- Easy to spell
- Easy to remember
I was once promoting a tour where one of the support bands had a name with at least 20 consonants but not one vowel. I must of typed the name a hundred times and had to look at it each time before I did. I Still don’t know how to say or spell it and couldn’t even begin to tell you what it means.
Logo
- Consistent font
- Consistent color
- Consistent usage
With a logo you’re going for something that looks good on a flier, website and merch. You want everything down to the shape and color to make it easy to pick out of a crowd. McDonalds isn’t the best fast food joint but everyone can see those Golden Arches from a mile away.
Online Presence
- Consistent URLs/Hashtags
- Consistent visuals
- Consistent voice
Your online presence is an extension of you. It should be easy to find, genuine and provide your followers valuable content. When someone sees it, it should be recognizably you. If you have to tag on “official”, “band” or some other flavor of that, you may end up getting lost in the search results.
Final Product
- Know your audience
- Know what need you fill
- Know your story
Whether your final product be a performance, album or video you need to make sure it lands. Who is it for, why should people chose yours over all the other options, and what’s the story behind it. If it’s just a copy of its influence, it’s sure to be forgotten.
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Brandon Kellum is the vocalist of the hardcore punk band, American Standards. You may think of the band next time you look down at the old porcelain throne. You can listen to the American Standards new song “Phantom Limb” now on all streaming services and catch Brandon hosting BREAK STUFF Nü Metal Night May 31st, 2019 at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, AZ.
