Your Brand is Not a Pretty Picture | Jessica Adanich | 1183

If you think branding starts and ends with a logo, we need to talk.

In this conversation, I dug into what really makes a brand work and spoiler alert, it has very little to do with what you personally like. We talked about why branding gets messy, where business owners go wrong, and how to build something that actually connects with the people you want to serve.

I sat down with Jessica Adanich, an award winning designer, brand strategist, and founder of DesignProd Studio. She helps businesses turn half formed ideas into brands that are ready to stand up in the real world, not just look good on a screen.

Here are a few takeaways you can use right away:

• Your brand starts with your audience, not your taste Jessica nailed this. If you do not know who you are talking to, every design choice is just a guess. The goal is not to please yourself. It is to connect with the people you want to attract.

• AI is a tool, not the answer AI can help you get unstuck, spot patterns, or gather insight. It cannot replace talking to real customers or making smart judgment calls. Think toolbox, not magic wand.

• Consistency beats creativity when it comes to trust You might feel repetitive showing up with the same look and message. Your audience feels reassured. Brands stick because they are familiar, not because they constantly reinvent themselves.

• A good logo has to work in the real world If it only looks good in color, at full size, on your laptop, it is not a logo. It is artwork. Your brand assets should hold up everywhere, including black and white and low tech situations.

If your brand feels a little fuzzy right now, that is not a failure. It is a sign you are ready to clarify what you stand for and who you serve.

About Jessica

Jessica Adanich is an alumna of the Cleveland Institute of Art where she studied industrial design, graphic design, sculpture and glass. She spent her early career working with renowned brands such as Vitamix® and Hasbro NERF®. She spent the next six years leading the design and marketing department of Mace® Brand. As a seasoned professional, Jessica yearned for a creative agency of her own. DesignPod Studio was born in Cleveland in the fall of 2018. Jessica moved to Tampa Bay in October 2019 to be closer to the ocean she loves, where she leads DesignPod Studio as well as her shark conservation endeavor Fuzzy Sharks that creates artwork to educate individuals on shark conservation.

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