GET THE LOOK

Build a brand that builds a following

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

People love swag, whether it’s a sweatshirt from their favorite brewery or a promotional tote bag from a local fundraiser. And as a small business owner, you can get in on the action by creating a well-designed logo and branded products that your customers will love and want to tote around town. So, make sure your logo design will look great on apparel, drinkware, tote bags, pens, stickers and more. Whether you’re selling water bottles or giving out free pens, you’ll score some low-cost advertising for yourbusiness and earn plenty of appreciation from your clientele.

Start with a stand-out logo.

Fitness Camp 10X specializes in weight lifting and strength training…so it makes sense that their palette includes a strong, bold color, like red. Plus, the colors they’ve chosen create high contrast in any combination -perfect for grabbing the attention of passersby and making an eye-catching statement on anything from stickers to sweatshirts.

Thanks to thick lettering and fluid design, Fitness Camp 10X’s logo feels fast, modern and sleek…perfect for a gym that specializes in strength training. Fonts with sharp angles like theirs are guaranteed to grab the attention of potential customers, and our experts at 99designs by Vista note that these extra-sharp angles feel rebellious and pair well with dark colors. Plus, something to keep in mind if you’re planning to add your branding to wearable items.

VistaPrint Tip

Every color carries a unique meaning…so when you choose the palette for your small business, make sure your brand colors are sending the right message. Check out 99designs by Vista’s Psychology of Color guide for more info.

Promote your brand on must-have products.

When you’re creating a logo for your small business, remember that you’ll be using it across many different products and mediums. The logo for Fitness Camp 10X works especially well for wearable items because the icon design is so adaptable. The stylized ‘X’ makes a striking statement by itself or with the full business name, and it stands out whether printed in red or black. So, even if the complete business name isn’t present, the icon and color palette tie it all together.

Once you have your logo, decide what kind of merchandise you want to display it on. Fitness Camp 10X uses their logo on branded tote bags, drinkware, pens, stickers and sweatshirts. This is a greatmix of high-value and low-cost products that customers are sure to love and get lots of use from.

Create a customer community.

When you have a brand that people will want to represent, you’ll immediately gain some word-of-mouth advertising. 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over any other form of advertising…and if someone is wearing your logo, it’s instantly clear that they support and recommend your business.

You can sell your branded merchandise at your shop or eatery, but a great way to ensure people get their hands on your swag is by giving it away. When it comes to lower-cost items, like pens and stickers, encourage customers to take a few on their way out…you never know where they’ll end up and who will see them. Try bundling a selection of merchandise to award to a lucky customer -you can surprise your unsuspecting one-hundredth client of the week or run a giveaway on your favorite social channel.

Social media is a great tool for generating word-of-mouth marketing and interacting with your community. Incentivize customers to follow you for promotions, news and giveaways, and encourage your followers to tag you in their posts to build awareness beyond your own network.

VistaPrint Tip

Create a stand-out social post for your giveaway with VistaCreate. Choose from thousands of templates for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more, then customize with your logo and brand colors.

The finished look

Here’s a closer look at everything Fitness Camp 10X uses to build brand awareness with their impactful logo design.

  1. Water bottles. Keep clients hydrated during (and after!) their workout with a fun freebie.
  2. Tote bags. Customers do the heavy lifting by toting Fitness Camp 10X’s brand around town.
  3. Pens. Once they’ve signed their membership agreement, encourage clients to keep the pen…you never know where it will end up!
  4. Sweatshirts. An oversized logo treatment turns a basic black sweatshirt into a stand-out brand builder.
  5. Stickers. Add your logo to anything with a branded sticker.

Meet the designer

Banggayogia from 99designs by Vista created this logo for Fitness Camp 10X, inspired by what other gyms were doing for their branding. “By looking at other people’s logo design references and studying their history, you’ll get ideas to make a logo that’s different.”

Banggayogia specializes in logo design,and does a lot of sketchingand creative exploration when she starts a new project. Check out their portfolio if you’re interested in working together to create a look for your small business, or discover more designers at 99designs by Vista.