@bravepublicity

Article, Branding, Business, Colors, Corporate Communications, Design, Inspiration

Article: What Your Brand Colors Say.

Posted on July 12, 2019October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Did you know, that colors have a voice of their own and they speak in diverse tones?

When it comes to colors, many people are usually inclined to choosing something they like or are comfortable with, like their favorite colors.

However, when it comes to branding for business and choosing colors for your brand identities, designs and print materials, there are certain principles that should be taken into consideration to reflect an organized entity and professionalism as a business.

This is because colors have over the years been associated with certain interpretations and meanings and there are also some rules pertaining to color application. These need to be considered, for a brand to be well positioned, attractive and still reflect its brand’s values.

Let’s begin with the basic things, we think you should know about colors.

The Color Wheel

The color wheel reflects the primary colors (any color that cannot be made from the combination of other colors), the secondary colors (colors derived from mixing two primary colors or additive primary colors in equal proportions) and tertiary colors (colors derived from the combination of a primary and secondary color in equal proportions).

The color wheel is the foundation of any brand’s color application for design, as well as its brand identity and colors choice; whether you choose to make use of primary, secondary or tertiary colors or other colors that can be derived from the combination of any of these three.
This Includes the use more or less saturation (lightness, with the combination of the white hue and any other color) or more of less value (darkness, with the combination of the black hue and any other color).

Your choice of colors should reflect your brand’s values and the kind of image it intends to project to its target audience.

This is why certain well-known global brands, as well as smaller brand have over time selected specific colors for their brand identity.
As we go through the meaning of some predominant colors, think of well-known brands and why they may have selected certain colors to represent their business.

Below are summaries of some of the most principal colors and their meanings.

The Primary Colors

Red, know to reflect: Passion, energy, love, romance, danger, style, excitement, pain, bravery, active, bold, power, ambition, youthfulness and assertiveness.

Yellow, know to reflect: Joy, cheerfulness, friendliness, intellect, energy, warmth, caution, optimism, understanding and smartness.

Blue, known to reflect: Stability, leadership, trust, responsible, truth, confidence, calmness, tranquility, affection, success, loyalty, authority, peace and sincerity.

The Secondary Colors

Orange, known to reflect: Creativity, productivity, thoughtfulness, warmth, instinct, freedom, impulse, motivation and new ideas.

Green, known to reflect: Growth, clarity, generosity, freshness, life, money, safety, healing, environment, hope, youth and nature.

Purple, know to reflect: Vision, royalty, diplomacy, fashion, dignity, passion, spirituality, luxury, wisdom, magic, plentiful and loyalty.

Other Dominant Colors

Black, known to reflect: Sophistication, power, mystery, death, grief, strength, finesse, subtlety and infinity.

White, known to reflect: Purity, cleanliness, peace, goodness, simplicity, hope, freshness, light and coolness.

Gold, known to reflect: Supremacy, royalty, creativity, warmth, loyalty, friendliness, loyalty and strength.

Silver, known to reflect: stability, authority, security, strength of character and maturity.

Color Use and Branding

After examining all of these colors and some of their generally acceptable meanings. You may be very tempted to make use of a lot of them for your brand representation. This is quite understandable, since many of them reflect some very good and desirable qualities and values.

However, this is not always the smartest route, especially when choosing colors that would in the long run reflect your brand’s values, style, creativity and organization.

Your vision and mission statement for your brand, as well as service offerings should be carefully considered before the choice of brand colors are made, such that your color choices remain pleasing to the eyes and reflect balance.

Below are some formulas that can help you decide on how you could combine certain colors, taking into consideration the color theory rules and application.

The Monochromatic Formula

This entails that the application of a single hue from the color wheel, with the combination of more or less saturation or value. Say you picked a blue hue.
You would eventually have a variety of that specific shade of blue to be applied consistently across your brand identity, designs and brand assets.

Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept, that would help with more insight.
See the image sample below for better understanding.

The Analogous Formula

This entails the application of three hues that appear next to each other on the color wheel, with the combination of more or less saturation or value of any of these hues selected.
This gives your brand a lot of creative room for color application and use for your brand identity, designs and brand assets.

Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept, that would help with more insight.
See the image sample below for better understanding.

The Complementary Formula

This entails the application of any two colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel with the combination of more or less saturation or value. Say you picked a red hue, the complimentary color for this hue on the color wheel will be the green hue.

You could decide to apply these two selected complementary colors using a specific saturation or value consistently across your brand identity, designs and brand assets.

Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept, that would help with more insight.
See image sample below for better understanding.

The Split Complementary Formula

This entails the application of any hue on the wheel and two opposite colors to it on the color wheel, with the combination of more or less saturation or value.
Say you picked the orange hue on the color wheel. The split complementary colors for orange would be the green and blue hues.

You could choose to apply these three selected hues using a specific saturation or value consistently across your brand elements, designs and brand assets.

Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept. This should help with more insight and creativity.
See image sample below for better understanding.

The Triadic Formula

This entails the application of any three (3) equally spaced hues from the color wheel, using a triangular method of selection (an equilateral triangle).

This can be a very dicey method of color application, however care must be taken to ensure that the three selections are not hard to the eyes and remain balanced.

This can be achieved by applying more or less saturation or value to the three selected colors.
Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept. This should help with more insight and creativity.

See image sample below for better understanding.

The Tetradic Formula

This entails the application of any four (4) hues from the color wheel, using a rectangular method of selection.

This also has to be selected carefully using a suitable saturation or value of the selected hues and applied across the brand identities, designs and brand assets.

Think of brands you know that may have applied this concept. This should help with more insight and creativity.
See image sample below for better understanding.

Conclusion

Even though these are great formulas that can be followed when creating designs for your brand’s assets or designing in general.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box or try something new or unique.

Remember, there is beauty in moderation and balance, but there is also a beauty that comes with variety. As long as your choice of colors are balanced and have great contrast, without being hard to the eyes. This ensures that such designs or branding efforts remain attractive, irrespective of your colors choices.

Don’t also be skeptical about nature’s inspirations.

Some of the best designs and color combinations of all time for some brands have been obtained from the natural things around us.

Also remember to generously make use of neutral colors: white, black and grey (using a saturation or value of hue that comes off as most suitable for each design) to bring balance to your all of your branding and design efforts.

We hope all of these information remains helpful in making concrete decisions about your choice of brand colors for your brand identity and design efforts.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Faith, Inspiration, Novel, Review, Women

Brave Review: Selfies with Bible Girls!

Posted on June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 by @bravepublicity

#BraveReview.
We love this amazing book by the incredible Laju Iren @lajuiren!
“Selfies With Bible Girls” is a book for all girls and women of the world!
A book for the budding woman, the single woman, the career lady, the leading woman, the single mother, the family woman and all women from all walks of life.

It is easy to sometimes view women of the Bible as those who lived in another faraway era.
So we lose sight of the meaningful lessons that can be obtained from their stories.

Laju Iren dissects this myth and gives you a sneak peak of what it means to hear out loud the hearts of these girls and women and to walk in their shoes through the lenses of their stories.

Hence you get a free selfie with the Bible Celebrities Girls of all times!

Learning about their lives, their concerns, their challenges, their failures, their triumphs and their faith in God.

You may find expressions of yourself in some of the pages of this book, even as you ponder upon and draw from the wisdom contained in their stories, as the words come alive.
These are exceptional Bible girls who lives and actions made a difference and whose legacies have stood the test of time.

“Selfies with Bible Girls” is indeed a good read for all girls and women.
Certainly one that would serve as nice present for book lovers and readers!

Thank you Laju Iren for such an exceptional book! May your books continue to inspire the world!

So, let’s take a selfie with Laju #SayCheese!
#Click #Click

Fiction, Novel, Review

Brave Review: Redemption Series

Posted on May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 by @bravepublicity

#BraveReview
We love Karen Kingsbury’s books!
Always honest and realistic about what really happens in the lives of people.

Filled with much wisdom and understanding of how God interacts with humanity on a day to day basis and how God’s Word sustains us through the good and bad times.

The “Redemption Series” is no different.
A novel series that begins with a focus on “The Baxter Family” and many other characters that would eventually come to play.

This series sheds light on some hard truths and realities of life that are present in today’s world. Love, Romance, Life, Loss, Pain, Regret, Shame, Forgiveness, Rejection, Death, Comfort, Faith and Redemption.

It is a series that would move your heart, help you revisit your personal journey and old memories of areas touched in these books. Some pages would bring lots of laughter and joy and some may move you to tears.

As each story unfolds in this series, you may find yourself soaking up each chapter speedily. At other times, you may also find yourself slowing down to think deeply about your own journey and the lives of the fictional characters before you.

As is the custom, Karen’s books are well researched and each plot, twist and turn it expressed in the most realistic manner and we know you would enjoy reading this series and the ones that follow.

We appreciate the amazing Icon karen Kingsbury for her gift of stories and books that bring joy, healing, love and faith to people all over the world!

Article, Autobiography, Boss Shoes, Business, Career, Entrepreneurship, Risk, Startups, Women

Boss Shoes – The 411 on Making the Tough Call.

Posted on May 28, 2019February 25, 2021 by @bravepublicity

So, beginning a journey into the “Boss” life isn’t something anyone just plunges into.
There is always a back story to such a decision and it can be one of the most defining stages of a person’s life.
I for one never really thought about starting something from scratch, at least not seriously and at an early stage.

Most folks would rather work for a few years, gain some momentum in the corporate world, form strong alliances, contribute some value to organizations they have an interest in, make some money and save up for resources before starting out on their own.

I could say I have done that, at least partially (maybe way too early before I was even officially a graduate) and continue to do so (save for the part of making and saving some money).

So, what made me take the entrepreneurial plunge?

Well, I think lots of reasons lead to this decision.
Now, there is a world of difference between what I studied as a Bachelor’s degree and what I currently do, but I will say my pro-bono services lead to wanting more growth and understanding to function and serve better.

I like to do excellent work and when one receives an appointment from an Alma Mater you’ve had a good track record with, it is difficult to take such a responsibility for granted.

Now, there is a world of difference between what I studied as a Bachelor’s degree and what I currently do, but I will say my pro-bono services led to wanting more growth and understanding to function and serve better.

I like to do excellent work and when one receives an appointment from an Alma Mater you’ve had a good track record with, you probably won’t take such a responsibility for granted.

So, I began to research and learn more and soon found this field to be quite interesting.
I leveraged on the first flexible year after college to take an online course that helped me better understand my role. It also led to narrowing down my job applications to specific roles.

I learnt much working for a year with two different organizations and was stretched to the limit (maybe not the limit, but stretched thinly).

Mostly because of the kind of ethics and work culture in this part of the world, many organizations tend to take advantage of employees and sometimes back them into corners. Loading up more and more responsibilities beyond their job descriptions, as was the case for me.

I think this is so because the market place has a big pool of people constantly in search of jobs, so employees are often treated badly by companies with a poor mindset, reflected in statements like, “after all, someone out there is looking for this very job you have”.

A bad mindset and thought pattern, I know.
I think many employees have somehow evolved to become insensitive to the needs of the people they bring aboard their organizations.

I honestly don’t think they set out to be this way or desire to run their companies in such a manner, but experiences (especially bad experiences) change people in leadership.

Things can definitely spin out of control in the work place if bosses do not handle some things carefully and intelligently.

I on the other hand persevered for a while, but when the work experience began to affect my health, mental well-being, my earnings and even my pro-bono services (which were beginning to experience a decline in performance), I knew it was time to go.
So, I quit.
After giving a full month’s notice.

There wasn’t much to look forward to anyway, after all, everyone I had met on my first day had either quit or had been fired and every one I was leaving behind was completely new.
Sad, but somehow, I felt more relieved and at peace with my decision.

So, doing nothing for a while got me thinking, especially with no call back on new job applications.
The ones who did call offered much less pay for more work.

I recall praying a lot to God about things as I thought to myself, what can I do with the skills I currently have?
I couldn’t have had lots of early work experiences for nothing, right?
Or a great result and degree for nothing, right?

So, I did a lot of self-examination about my skill sets, my areas of passion, things that made me restless and I even revisited those childhood dreams I had, even those I used to joke about.

With lots of guidance from God, business conferences and a church conference (one I’ll always remember as long as I live).

I was able to create a business plan, looking beyond my immediate circumstance to what could be.

Not that I had all the resources.
As a matter of fact, I think everything seemed to work against what I had envisioned, my only laptop broke down, relationships that were dear to me went south, everything seemed to go so wrong.
You could say, all hell broke loose.

It was especially hard since I was a long distance away from the comfort of home.
I couldn’t even tell my parents, my mum would only worry and I might have been forced into getting a Job I really had no passion for, maybe a steady one though.

However, deep in my heart, I knew I needed to acquire the relevant skills to succeed in the responsibilities I had and going back home was not an option.
I remember feeling very sad and broken. Lost and quite tired often, but I knew I could not give up.
I learnt to take each day at a time, being content with little, but fanning the flames of the dreams in my heart.

I still made job applications, but got nothing, even though my work experience and academic performance in college was quite outstanding.
However, my next job break would come soon from a very kind stranger at a business conference, one I reluctantly attended, as I was running out of financial resources.

So, when I got the job, I thought to myself, I’ll build this dream along side my steady work. Alas, this was not to be!

I soon found myself working long hours every day and weekends (count Sundays), experiencing long salary delays each month, losing sleep, but pouring in more work everyday round the clock, to say the least.
It soon became another terrible experience.

For someone who depended solely on her earnings and was also a long way from home, it was a hard place to be repeatedly.
I enjoyed my work, but knew I couldn’t stay, especially when I saw no prospects of growth and advancement after much efforts and investment made.

After being patient and persevering, I gave a month’s notice that brought with it a whole month’s work of campaigns that would run after I left. A bad deal yes, but for one who is grounded in doing the right thing always, I knew it was the right way to end my time there.
So once again, I walked away.

It took me some weeks to get back to a normal routine and sleep pattern without waking up early in a state of panic about work that needed to be done, as used to be the case.

So, I went back to my drawing board and decided to just focus, learn and set in place the solid structures required for my Consulting Company, Brave Publicity Ink.

Have I arrived? No.
I’m still on my way.
Do I have all the answers yet? No.

My journey is still rolling out in its early stages, but I’m willing to try my very best, put myself out there and grow something that would one day become a legacy.
A brand that would help, inspire, motivate and empower other people.
A brand that would make the world a better place.

Is “The Life of a CEO” a journey for everyone?
I don’t know.

All I know is, life is full of uncertainties and risks.

We’ve all got to make some hard decisions at different points in our lives, taking calculated risks to move forward, especially if you have a deep desire to make a difference and it remains a burning passion in your heart that you can’t shake off.

You can’t afford to sit back and mope around about how difficult things are when life throws you lemons and rocks. You’ve got to push.
Even when you feel like you’re breaking. You won’t.
You’ll be alright, eventually.

I’m a firm believer in God and my relationship with Jesus Christ is what has helped me weather the difficult times in my life and journey so far.

I know God never leaves us to hang dry, if we will choose to walk with Him and do things honestly and with integrity, even in the hard times.
I believe there is always something you have within you or around you that can make a difference, especially if you are thinking of taking the plunge too.

So, this is my journey so far.
I’m taking things one day at a time, one step at a time and celebrating the small wins, even as I get comfortable in these “Boss Shoes”.

Article by Opeolu Adeyemi.
Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!

Article, Career, Faith, Strategy, Vision

Article: The Power of Vision!

Posted on May 26, 2019October 9, 2021 by @bravepublicity

Vision is the ability to see clearly.
The ability to see beyond the immediate circumstances that surround us to what could be. It is the driving force for anything that would stand the test of time.

It fuels our passions, decisions, thoughts and actions towards the actualization of the things we deeply desire.
Vision is the force behind successful brands.
It keeps the dream alive and propels the dreamer forward in spite of obstacles and challenges.

Without vision, dreams will be lost and dreamers will give up easily at seed time, never pushing through to harvest season to see their visions come alive. Vision fuels the passion and staying power till all is fulfilled.

Vision always precedes structure and content, and the power of vision is strengthened with excellent strategy and consistent execution.

If businesses, brands and people could understand this clearly mapped out principle, then the world would become a much productive and better place.

The Strategy for Vision

Using some Biblical principles and lessons in view of vision, outlined below are some strategies and practical steps.
Principles that can be applied by anyone in the pursuit and accomplishment of their vision, goals and aspirations.

Vision

Why should you work with a strategy when you’ve got a vision?

You should because God is the Ultimate and Grand Master Strategist. His DNA flows through you and you have no choice than to function just as He does.
He set out with a strategy pattern right from the beginning, one we can all learn much from.

Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:2 says: “The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

What does this mean?
The first statement says heaven and earth were created and then the very next verse says, the earth was without form, it was empty and there was darkness.
Contradictory right? No.

God already saw what He wanted to create right from the beginning.
A complete vision, even though the reality at that moment was emptiness, darkness and the existence of nothing.

Lesson 1:

You’ve got to see the end from the beginning.

Your dreams and aspirations have to be a concluded matter in the eye of your mind.
Many times, when we have big aspirations, the reality around may look like nothing could happen, but once you are able to see and have clarity of Vision, you’ve completed the first phase of your strategy.

Structure

Between Genesis 1: 1-18, we see God get busy with putting things in place be speaking and calling forth things to ensure that there was structure in place.

Lesson 2:

Vision without structure would only make a mess.

Many people, nations and economies could learn from this.
Without proper structures in place, one would end up putting right things in wrong places.
So structure for all things is a very critical next step.

Sometimes, you may not have any resources to put structures in place, but as God’s child, you have His DNA and He is your ultimate resource. In fact, He is resource Himself.

So you speak things into existence, just like your Father in Heaven did at creation. Not just positive declarations or affirmations, but declarations of His promises from His word, the Bible.

As you speak these words, you begin to believe them and it encourages you when faced with obstacles.

Faith or a firm believe comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So you have to hear and constantly remind yourself of the truth of God’s Word about you and your future. This propels you to take actions that move you forward.

So make moves in faith, take steps.

This is important because God blesses the work of your hands and not just your words or dreams or desires.
Remember, faith without works is dead. So, make moves to put structures in place about whatever vision or dream you have in mind.

Now, “Structure” can mean different things to different people.
To one it could mean “Finance”, to another “Training” and yet to another “Skill acquisition”.

It could also mean a variety of things like getting “An Education”, “Become an Expert”, “Securing a Physical building”, “Documentations”, “Creating a website”, “Creating an Online Presence” etc.

The bottom line is, you have to be able to identify the structures you need to put in place, structures that would make what you’ve envisioned work smoothly eventually.

Order is critical to the success of any vision and without the right structures in place, trying to accomplish any vision or a goal can easily turn a great dream into something very chaotic with lots of regrets.

Content

Next, from Genesis 1:20-27, we see God begin to fix in the creatures he made into the various structures He had put in place. That’s called CONTENT.
He first created the resources and structures required for their survival, before bringing them in.

Lesson 3:

Vision and structure always precedes content.

So, how does this relate to you?

Well, as you go through your life’s journey, God will place dreams and aspirations in your heart for various purposes and industries.
You’ve got to see it first and believe it. Then work towards making it a reality, putting structures and resources in place first.

For without structures, those you bring aboard your vision could become confused about where you are headed as their leader, or what is expected of them in terms of roles and responsibilities that would help move the vision forward.
So, do things differently.

The above are strategies and life principles, that are applicable to individuals and corporations.
One provided by the Creator Himself, proven over and over again to always work and produce results.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time for some strategies!

Getting Practical with a Strategic Plan.

Taking into consideration the principle above of VISION, STRUCTURE and CONTENT.
We are sure you’ve realized that for any vision that would stand the test of time with a strong legacy, requires much depth, structures, resources and input from others or a team for success in the long run.

Every vision takes time before it becomes a true picture of itself, but the important thing is to be able to plan efficiently and pace yourself for the long haul.

This implies having a “Strategic Plan” for specific periods that must be evaluated from time to time.

A simple strategic plan should contain the following:

1. Your Vision Statement

This refers to your overall vision as a carefully articulated statement.

An example could be:
“To become Africa’s Leading Pediatric Consultant with a chain of state-of-the-art medical facilities across the African continent, offering prompt and excellent medical services to children.”

The point is, you need to identify the big picture and try to articulate this clearly as a vision statement.

2. Your Action Plan

This should be broken into short-term goals (6 months, a year) or long-term goals (5 years, 15 years or more).
Irrespective of which you choose, your action plan should capture action steps that will help in the actualization of your vision for that period of time.

Still in line with the example above, a short-term action plan for a year under a career category could be to:

“Get into Medical School” and some action steps for this particular goal could include:

*Study for 2 hours daily after each class.
*Ace all courses, especially science courses.
*Graduate with an excellent result in high school.
*Volunteer with medical related organizations during school breaks to increase my extracurricular activities via Internships and volunteer work experiences.
*Apply to win a college scholarship among the top 10 leading medical colleges in the world etc.

3. Your Key Performance Indicators

Also known as KPI’s. This means you need to identify those things that indicate that you are making good progress towards the accomplishment of the goals for your vision.

Your KPI’s using the example above could include some of the following:

* Studying and understanding better my subjects after each school day.
*Obtain an A grade in all courses especially my science courses.
*Successful internship with a medical nonprofit at the end of my summer break.
* Securing at least 5 medical school scholarship offers at the end of my school year etc.

4. Your Accountability Resources

This means identifying those things or people that will help keep you accountable for accomplishing your goals in view of the vision set.

This could include:
Family members, mentors, teachers, friends and people you can really trust.
It could also mean the use of technology and tools such as your mobile phone for keeping a schedule or setting reminders that help you stay organized and keep you on track daily.

Usually a schedule or tool that helps you identify things you need to do, friends or people that you can partners with in achieving some action step such as “studying daily” etc.

We hope you get the idea, and all of this should ultimately help you make steady progress daily.

Conclusion

Your strategic plan does not have to be detailed to the T, but should only help enhance your productivity in the accomplishment of your goals and overall vision.

It is however important to stay flexible, as sometimes our plans are influenced by external factors, changes and challenges.
In such moments, you must think productively about what can be done to move forward in accomplishing your vision, instead of staying stuck.

As long as you have the vision within your heart and believe in it, your actions, decisions and steps will automatically flow and align towards its accomplishment, until it is done.

The Brave Planner Tool

Now, if putting together a strategic plan would prove to be too much of a task for you, not to worry! We have just the right tool for you, called the “Brave Planner Tool” designed and created by Brave Publicity Ink.

This tool is available at our online store.
It is a ready-made and easy to use tool. It can be customized to help you get more organized in crafting and putting together a compelling and actionable strategy for your vision!