In the beauty industry, looks matter. And when it comes to your beauty brand, it’s important that everything looks the part. From your brand to your products and packaging, it all matters.
Want to make the right impression with your beauty business? Get clued up and nail the look with 23 brand, design and packaging books every beauty brand should read.
1. Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick, Alexandra Watkins
In this fascinating and engaging read, Alexandra Watkins details exactly what’s in a name, how to choose one that sticks and how to make a lasting impression.
2. Brand Bible: The Complete Guide to Building, Designing and Sustaining Brands, Debbie Millman
If you’re interested in the history of branding, then this is the guide for you. Taking you through the evolution of brand and design trends over time, you will learn a lot about brand development and ensuring your brand has the right attributes for success.
3. Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller
Brands with a good story connect with people. You can consider this book an instruction manual in building a story around your brand and give them a reason to care.
4. Building Brand Authenticity: 7 Habits of Iconic Brands, Michael Beverland
How do successful brands earn their success? Michael Beverland’s book details the key habits that help develop brand authenticity, using many real-life examples that can help you focus on strengthening your own brand.
5. Branded Beauty: How Marketing Changed the Way We Look, Mark Tungate
For a fascinating insight into marketing, branding and the beauty industry, look no further than Mark Tungate’s intelligently written book. Packed with interviews with industry experts and featuring all kinds of iconic beauty brands as case studies, you can learn a lot about developing your brand in today’s industry.
6. Colour Stories: Behind the Scenes of America’s Billion-Dollar Beauty Industry, Mary Lisa Gavenas
What makes a product send beauty lovers flocking to the beauty counters? What makes a shade a ‘must-have’? This book takes an insightful look at nine months behind the scenes in the run-up to the launch of a season’s ‘colour stories’.
7. Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team, Alina Wheeler
Brand identity is important to your beauty brand – and this book can guide you through it. Written to help everyone from managers to designers build a strong brand identity, this is full of best practice to help you create a brand to be proud of.
8. Designing Sustainable Packaging, Scott Boylston
Although published in 2009, Scott Bolyston’s book is still relevant now, delving into both the theory and practical sides of eco-friendly packaging. If you want to get your brand off to the best sustainable start, you’ll want this guide by your side.
9. Logo Design Love: A Guide To Creating Iconic Brand Identities, David Airey
Want to learn more about logo design in an easily digestible way? David Airey’s guide will help you do just that. Featuring insights into the process of logo design and excellent case studies to enhance your logo knowledge.
10. Brand Spaces, Sven Ehmann and Sofia Borges
You can take your brand as far as you want it to go, including your physical location. Brand Spaces details the importance of your brand’s physical presence and the connection it makes with consumers – a must-read for any beauty brand wanting to stand out.
11. Build Your Beauty Brand: Find Your Niche, Captivate Your Clients, And Grow The Salon Business Of Your Dreams, Holly I. Hall
Beauty should be fun, and this wonderful, friendly guide is ideal for those who are new in the industry to go learn what they need to go out there and build a fantastic salon business.
12. The Package Design Book, Julius Wiedemann
If you need packaging inspiration, this is where you’ll find it. Featuring examples from all kinds of industries, you’re sure to find some ideas to help you create your own iconic packaging.
13. Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, Simon Garfield
Fonts are a key part of branding, helping build up that recognisable identity. Read about some fascinating insights into the world of fonts in this enjoyable read.
14. How Brands Become Icons, Douglas B. Holt
A successful brand resonates with consumers, building a reputation based on more than just what they’re selling. Get to understand how brands become icons with tips you can bring to your own brand.
15. Aesthetic Sustainability: Product Design and Sustainable Usage, Kristine H. Harper
Sustainability is an important topic for the beauty industry, and this book about sustainable product design could help influence your own strategies.
16. ECO Packaging Now, Toby Ibbotson and Peng Chong
Sustainable packaging doesn’t have to be dull, and that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this guide to modern, eco-friendly packaging.
17. Packaging Design: Successful Product Branding From Concept to Shelf, Marianne R. Klimchuk and Sandra A. Krasovec
Want to design products that fly off the shelves? This packaging bible will guide you through the entire packaging process, with contemporary topics like sustainability and social responsibility included in this popular guide.
18. Branding: In Five and a Half Steps, Michael Johnson
Learn the basics of branding with the help of detailed visuals and case studies that can help you become a branding expert.
19. The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design, Marty Neumeier
Learn about both strategic and creative approaches to brand-building in this detailed, informative guide in this well-written, engaging read.
20. Myths of Branding: A Brand is Just a Logo, and Other Popular Misconceptions, Andy Milligan and Simon Bailey
Forget what you thought you knew about branding, this book is here to put all of those myths to bed so that you can focus on building a strong brand identity.
21. The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Robin Williams
You don’t have to be a designer to learn a thing or two about design, and this light-hearted book will fill you in on some secrets to help you master the basics.
22. Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits, Debbie Millman
Delve into a deep discussion on branding that will help you understand buying behaviour to help you establish a more appealing brand.
23. How to Style Your Brand: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Distinctive Brand Identity, Fiona Humberstone
Your beauty brand should stand out, and this guide to styling your brand can help you understand the principles behind a strong, stylish brand.
For a beauty brand, your brand identity is everything, and working with branding gurus can help you say what you want to say to establish a successful brand from the outset.
Check out our work with Avon here and start your branding journey with Brand Imaging and let us help you deliver your vision