Help is here for local, small to medium businesses and organisations looking to create a lasting brand that helps them stand out in a crowded market.

Experienced local business woman and brand brain, Janelle Gerrard, has repurposed her business as part of her crusade against what she sees as increasing scourge of bland and mediocre branding.

Janelle said Stand Out Brand will help create and maintain a rock star brand that is authentic and works to support the objectives of a business or organisation.

“We are living in a sea of same; every website looks the same,” Janelle said.

“Small businesses can’t afford to look like everyone else in today’s highly competitive, online business environment.

“It seems like businesses are fearful of looking different, but the problem is then they don’t stand out from competitors.”

Janelle brings three decades of experience working in branding, design, advertising and marketing for some of Australia’s leading agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather, Young & Rubicam as well as her previous business Design Change. She has worked with large companies including Amex, P&O, Oroton, Revlon, Oral-B, Sydney Olympic Games, Braun, and Rentokil right through to multiple small and micro businesses. She sees herself as a tribal elder who has seen every branding fad and trend come and go.

“Sadly some small businesses are wounded by big agency’s costs or, at the other end of the spectrum, owners waste time doing their own branding or get inexperienced people to have a go at a nice logo,” Janelle said.

“My passion is helping small to medium businesses to have a great brand without breaking the bank.

“As an SME, Stand Out Brand knows what fellow SMEs need.

“Many businesses are confused about what a brand is and waste money on trendy or inappropriate branding that doesn’t work or stand the test of time.

“Do it properly at the start and your brand becomes an asset rather than a continual, ineffective burden on the budget.”

She said a brand is much more than a logo. It is how people perceive a business; the feelings and emotions that are evoked. A discovery of unique differences and a combination of elements need to work together to create a brand. The Stand Out Brand team delivers four key services to help businesses to defy ordinary – brand design, brand review, brand storm (to generate marketing ideas) and brand workshops.

“I use tools that help businesses quickly get to the core of their brand and decipher what makes them different from their competition,” Janelle said.

“I have a team of experts from writers to video makers to traditional and digital marketers whom I work with as needed to create stand out brands.

“We work best with businesses that have an entrepreneurial mindset and embrace bold ideas to defy ordinary.

“Working on branding should be fun, not stressful.”

Local business people also know Janelle as the Co -founder of micro business networking organisation, Lone Rangers, as well as the Editor of The Networker.

For a limited time Stand out Brand is offering a free 45-minute brand appraisal.

IMAGE | Founder of Stand Out Brand, Janelle Gerrard.