Up till now, the biggest regret I have as far as my business is that I did not invest in branding, a logo, and marketing material when I was starting MCP Actions.

MCP Actions was born as a spin off of my product photography and photo editing business Multiple Choices Photography, LLC.  MCP Actions eventually replaced what Multiple Choices Photography did completely.  The name MCP Actions just sort of happened.  I started making and selling actions in 2006 on a very small scale.  My name was long so people would abbreviate it – hence the MCP.  I originally chose the name Multiple Choices as I have twins (multiples) and since I offered a few different services.

The name MCP Actions (or MCP as many use to identify me) now is known.  It is “out there” from the marketing, the blog, and the customers who have come to love my products.  At this point it is too late, at least in my opinion to switch.  It has evolved into a brand.  This is not bad per say, but hindsight, I would have prepared better.

Now for the logo…  What does that mcp (with the c as a copyright sign mean)?  Why that logo?  Do you want the truth?

I was cheap!  There I said it.  I thought, “I use Photoshop” so I will make one myself.  BIG MISTAKE.  I had NO idea what I was doing.  I used black and white, usually with a deep red behind it.  Why? No reason.  That is the problem.  There was no reason for why it was done.  There always should be a reason for why your logo is what it is and says what it says.  But now my logo is known.  And it is TOO LATE.  Had I set aside up to a few thousand dollars (yes you read that right) and invested up front with a graphic design firm, I would be much happier with my logo today.  But once your logo becomes part of your brand, it is hard to just switch.  Some companies do it – some are successful at it.  Some are not.

I am debating now, while working on a new web site, do I change it now?  And if so, by how much.  I have been struggling with this for over a year.  If I had a new logo, every video, every banner, everything would need to be changed or it would not be consistent.

Tough call.  Then again if just subtle changes were made maybe I could start fresh from here on.  But is subtle enough?  This was a logo I made.  I had no business making it.  I am not a graphics designer.

Why did I write this post?  To URGE YOU to learn from my mistake.  Even if you need to take out a loan, make sure you do not just whip up a logo one night or hire the cheapest company or cookie cutter logo you can find. Don’t name your company on a whim. INVEST IN YOUR BRAND.  It follows you and grows with you.  And once people know it, you cannot just switch or take it back, not easily anyway.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under Business Tips, MCP Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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