For playful brands, balancing “fun” and “professional” is imperative to business success.  While too much “professional” may dumb down a playful brand’s refreshing zing, excess silliness risks diminishing business expertise.  With these three best practices, keep your playful brand rockin’ and rollin’ — without losing credibility or customers.

Best Practice #1: Get graphic!

Playful visual accents are a fantastic way to brand professional content.  Especially if you are targeting an adult audience, consider using fun aesthetic touches — in combination with sophisticated language and an effective layout — to add a spirited spin on your content in a tasteful way. Check out Slack, Hubspot, and Asana — all playful brands that target adult audiences — to see professional content mixed with delightful visuals.

Best Practice #2: Embrace word play.

Playful language — particularly in titles or section headers — is a great way to keep your brand light-hearted.  Catch your consumer’s eye with subtle puns and intriguing verbs, and swap out traditional button text for enthusiastic phrases, such as “Tell Me More” or “Yes, Please!”

Best Practice #3: Sprinkle, don’t splash.

Don’t underestimate how far a healthy combination of colorful graphics and catchy puns will go! When it comes to playful branding, less is often more. Don’t drown potential consumers in waves of jokes, informal jargon, or overbearing graphics – sprinkle in your playful accents so your audience knows that – while your brand is fun and light-hearted – your product and expertise are incomparable. Try these Branding Best Practices out and see if they don’t make a big difference with your business! Looking for branding help? Schedule a free consultation today.