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As CEO of Integrity Billing, the greatest asset we have is our brand. After our first collaboration with a professional branding firm, designRoom, we were given a Brand Guidelines book; it is our Bible for anything branding. We use Brand Guidelines. They are rules for daily usage of the Integrity Billing brand. A brand without guidelines has no integrity.

A brand without a logo has no face. The brand has to be managed and communicated consistently to all audiences. We have Brand Police who are rigid yet flexible. The Integrity Billing identity system and the standards for its application are designed to create a strong and memorable position in the marketplace. Our logo is considered a wordmark, which means our name is also our primary logo image – with add-ons. The dots over the I’s and crosses over the t’s are a purposeful play on the phrase “dot all the I’s and cross all the t’s”. It’s a visual way to say that Integrity Billing makes every effort to care for every detail, even minor ones; and our approach will often deliver additional reimbursements.

The lower-case letter forms are friendly, approachable and engaging while the mark itself is simple and bold.

Our tagline, Expect more communicates on a variety of levels. Telling customers what they can expect from Integrity Billing; hinting at a higher level of service, accuracy, integrity (of course). It is general enough to invite questions, yet specific enough to directly answer questions about services, expertise, honesty and thoroughness.

Examples of Brand Guidelines help us to use our identity and image properly and consistently are as follows:

Logo – when is it used? Make sure the proper proportions and sizes, clear space and multiple file formats. I’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.

Color Palette – For print and digital our Primary Colors are Cool Gray and candy apple red.

Tagline usage – Define the tagline, key messaging and exactly when, where and how to use it. Our tagline is “Expect more”.

Image Strategy – Examples of image style and subject matter that help define the brand.

designRoom also presented the following in our Brand Guidelines;

• Brand History/Story
• Mission, Vision and Value Statements
• Copy Writing Style
• Editorial Guidelines
• Logo Orientation – Our Logo is a Wordmark
• Clearspace and Minimum Size
• Explaining Color Reproduction
• One Color Logo
• Logo on a Background
• Incorrect Logo Usage
• Logo Typeface and our name in Text
• Corporate typefaces

Now that we have Brand Guidelines, I wonder how we survived without them. It’s the gift that keeps giving. designRoom can be found at designRoom.com. I highly recommend them. Pretty cool stuff, huh?

Is your mouse uncomfortable to use, but you can’t switch to using your laptop’s trackpad instead because it’s even more cumbersome for you? Then it’s time for you to buy a new mouse. But with so many brands and models out there for you to choose from, you may find it difficult and overwhelming to choose the right mouse for you. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind before you buy a new mouse.

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The weather is finally breaking in the northeast. Over the weekend, I was out and about and ran into some veterans collecting donations as Memorial Day is approaching. I always make a donation, for it is their sacrifices that allow me to live a life of freedom today! I did not have any cash and told them I would be back. When I came out of the store they were gone. I felt terrible that I missed the opportunity to donate and thank them for their service. I walked out into the parking lot and found them loading their car. I gratefully handed them my donation and said, “thank you for your service, it is your service that allows me to live a free life today.” They said wait! Let us give you a poppy. Being a heroin addict in recovery I said “that’s ok, don’t worry about it.” They insisted and I did not want to dishonor their tradition. It is a pretty flower after all, even if it’s meaning is very different to me. Read more