Millions of brands are launching every day in this fast-growing world. However, the main point is not to launch the brand but build the brand identity in this competitive world. This identity will help your brand to stand out in the market. All the brands at the top position have a great identity. However, building a brand identity takes a lot of work now. You should have proper knowledge regarding building an identity. This guide consists of all the essential factors you should know regarding building your identity in the market. Let’s have a look at the guide !!
Brand Identity Definition
Brand Identity refers to the visual components representing a brand’s unique identity in the market. These unique components make the brand recognized in the customer’s mind. Visual components consist of a variety of elements. It includes the logo, tagline, name, colour palette, typography, UI/UX, and imagery. It typically helps shape the customer’s optimistic perspective, building trust and loyalty toward the brand.
What is Brand Identity?
Brand Identity is a visual representation of your brand. It shows your brand’s values, mission, personality, and brand positioning in the market. An identity enables a trust factor and creditworthiness toward your brand in the mind of customers. To build your identity, you must adequately define your core values and market positioning. Moreover, you must ensure all the factors are based on your target audience. A brand’s identity is built upon seven key factors mentioned below. All these elements represent the intent of the brand.
7 Key Elements of Brand Identity
1. Logo: The logo is a visual representation of your brand. It lets customers recognize your brand’s associated colours, shapes, and typography. The logo is a primary identifier of your brand.
2. Color Palette: All serious brands use a specified set of colours in their logos, packaging, ads, and websites. Specific colours always associate with the brand identity and make the brand recognizable.
3. Typography: Every font has a different tone and visual representation. It is one of the leading brand identity elements. Thus, it would help if you chose the fonts associated with your brand’s identity and energy. For instance, some brands use fonts to showcase creativity. At the same time, some use standard fonts to showcase the simplicity of the brand.
4. Visual Elements: You can also add varieties of visual elements, including icons, patterns, illustrations, and photography. Using these visual elements can make your brand look more appealing. Thus, it gives a whole different identity to the brands.
5. Tone of Voice: Brands must consistently engage and communicate with their audience. It helps them better connect with the audience. The voice tone of a brand reflects the style, persona, and language of a brand.
6. Brand Messaging: Brands generally mention various slogans, taglines, and messages in their ad campaigns. These phrases are one of the essential parts of the brand’s identity. It defines the intent of the brand and becomes recognizable to the customers.
7. Packaging and Product Design: Product packaging and design are essential elements of identity. It gives customers an experience of the brand. Thus, you should thoughtfully select your brand packaging and designs.
How to Create a Brand Identity?
1. Define Your Target Audience, Value Proposition, and Competition
First, you have to define your brand’s target audience, mission, values, and USP. It will help you define your identity to showcase to the world. When you have clarity about your brand identity, only then will you be able to build your identity in the market. Thus, focus on your audience, value proposition, and competition.
While researching your audience, you must understand their needs, wants, pain points, etc. It will help you thoroughly understand all the essential factors about your audience. You need to develop your different value proposition to outstand your identity. It will differentiate you from the rest of your competitors.
You should also thoroughly define your brand’s mission and personality. It will give you a particular position in the market. Lastly, it would help if you also practised the SWOT analysis. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This practice will prepare your brand for overall development.
2. Develop Your Brand Story
When you have properly defined your brand story, it is time to reveal your brand’s history, purpose, and values in the form of a story. It would help if you narrated a brand story considering establishing an emotional connection with your audience. Stories generally help in establishing a better relationship. It makes the brand more relatable and recognizable to the audience.
3. Design Your Outstanding Visual Graphics
Once you’re done with creating all the essentials for your brand, you must create all the required visual graphics to outstand your identity in the market. You must create the Logo, present graphics & infographics, color palette theme, templates, etc. You will use all these similar graphics on your website, ads, and social handles. These visuals will make your customers recognize and identify your brand subconsciously.
4. Develop Your Tone of Voice
Now, you are ready to showcase your brand in any form. You will showcase websites and ads and share content across your social handles. The tone of voice will matter from now onwards. Simply put, how you convey your messages will define your brand personality. You have to choose the language associated with your brand personality. It will ease your brand to establish an emotional connection with your audience. Also, your brand communication will become more consistent, relevant, and clear for the audience. Overall, you developed a unique personality that stands out in the market.
5. List What You Should Avoid
There are certain things that you should avoid while building your identity. After researching various brands, we discovered that most brands must correct common mistakes. We have mentioned all the common mistakes that you should avoid.
- You should avoid using mixed messages. It will do nothing but confuse your customers.
- You should not simply copy your competitors. They have a whole different branding and frameworks. Thus, it would be better to find your own.
- Most brands fail to build their brand identity because they need consistency in their brand messages.
- Creating a successful brand identity will require you to make specific changes based on time. Thus, it would help if you walked with time and consistently developed your identity.
6. Monitor and Improve To Maintain Your Brand Identity
Like the other strategies, you must regularly monitor your identity progress. In the way of monitoring, you will find several improvements you must implement. Thus, it would help if you did not hesitate to make any required changes. Change is the demand of time, and you have to make it. Only then will you be able to sustain your brand identity.
What are Brand Identity Guidelines?
Brand identity guidelines refer to a guide. It defines all the guidelines, instructions, and rules related to the brand’s visual and verbal elements. It is a defined guide for implementing elements in your identity.
It includes the Logo Usage, Color Palette, Typography, Visual Elements, Voice Tone, Brand Messaging, Application Examples, and Usage Restrictions. These guidelines develop a concept of having similar visual elements across all the platforms. Keep consistent fonts, colours, and layouts to build your identity.
Therefore, Identity Guidelines will help your brand to set internal and externally set your brand identity. It comprises all the rules and instructions for brand marketing, advertising, and other communication touchpoints. These guides will help you build your brand identity systematically, following all the rules and regulations.
Brand Image vs Brand Identity
Brand Image and Brand Identity both sound similar. But, there is a significant difference between both terms. You can use them sparingly. In this section, we have correctly defined Brand Identity vs Brand Image.
Brand Image refers to the perception of the consumers regarding your brand. In simple terms, brand image results from the efforts put into building brand identity. The image becomes positive if their strategy succeeds.
Brand Identity refers to the visual appearance of a brand. It consists of a logo, color palette, design etc. It stands out your brand in the way you build your brand identity. The identity you build depends upon the branding elements. For instance, your brand name, logo design, crafted message, voice tone, and all other visuals.
Brand Identity Examples
Example #1: Coca-Cola
As soon as you hear Coca-Cola, its famous red color logo hits the mind of the customers. These are called real examples. Coca-Cola has shaped their identity as people have this drink while enjoying a party. Thus, any party reminds of Coca-Cola as a soft drink. It would help if you built your brand identity in this way.
Example #2: McDonald’s
Mcdonald’s is also one of the best examples of brand identity. They built their business chain of 34,480 restaurants across 119 countries globally. The brand has maintained it’s brand consistent identity of Red and Yellow colors all over the world. They also have the same tagline, “I’m lovin’ it.” These efforts have made McDonald’s branding consistent and ideal.
Final Words
Brand Identity is an essential factor in succeeding any brand. You need to follow the step-by-step plan mentioned in this guide. It will help you to stand out in the industry. We have mentioned every essential thing in this guide that will help you differentiate your brand from the competition. This article helps you find the right strategy for your brand.