My younger son asked me if I’d help him get ready for prom. I, of course, said “sure!” With a teen, it’s not always clear what his expectations are. And whether I would come close to the unestablished standard.
I asked him what he’d like from me (see, I’ve learned from previous occurrences): I needed to hear the parameters. He said, “I need help finding some clothes to go with my dates dress”. He then established:
- I don’t want to look like everyone else
- I don’t want to rent; I want to buy
- I don’t want to match too closely to her
- It needs to look like “me”
I knew exactly what he meant. It’s what we produce daily for our clients.
- A unique color palette that differentiates them
- They know what they’d like; they just want some creativity
- It needs to look like their brand
We call this a Color Suit. Or a Color Suite. What’s the qualities of a great color suite?
- Think like a man’s suit ensemble. The suit may be fairly neutral, but the shirt adds depth with the tie adding “pop”. Think 60%, 30%, 10%
- Most brands need 2-3 colors. Primary (suit), Secondary (shirt), Tertiary (tie; optional)
- The combination needs to feel unique
- The colors have to coordinate together
- It has to feel female or male; old or young, depending on the brand
- The combination must feel like the overall brand personality
My son said I was successful making him feel good at the Prom. It’s almost like I do this for a living. I love what I do. As a branding guy… but as a Dad too!
