Whether a new brand or an established one, creating a strong Brand Identity is an asset for us all. It is noted that 13% of customers pay more for brands with a positive identity. Therefore, we need to put a great deal into making it suitable for our company.
While creating a brand identity is not difficult, some key aspects need to be defined. After defining these aspects only, we can create an identity powerful enough to spread our business. Additionally, we need to highlight ethical and emotional aspects along with the worldly ones in our brand identity.
In this how to create a brand identity guide, we have discussed what these key components are and how we use them.
What is the Brand Identity?
Brand identity means how people look at our brand, how they talk and feel about it. It is the ideas or thoughts that our brand represents. Therefore, it is the first thing our customers face when dealing with our brand.
As a result, people form opinions about our brand’s product and services by analyzing what our brand identity is. Additionally, as the attention span is just 7 seconds, we need to create a unique brand identity in people’s eyes. This way, we can capture them at the first look.
Creating a brand identity not only brings new customers but also makes our existing customers feel they belong. Thus, brand identity is also the emotions and ideas of our brand.
Brand identity is applicable in every aspect, from producing the products to selling them in the market. Here we have mentioned some basic elements of a brand identity.
- Logos
- Typography
- Web design
- Slogan
- Iconography
- Packaging
- Video and Image
Why Create a Strong Brand Identity?
A strong brand identity creation helps our customers associate with our brand better. Therefore, brand identity development requires creating a style that meets the goals of the organization.
Every company wants to create a special image in the minds of its consumers. Further, it wants to differentiate itself from its competitors. Brand identity is what helps us do it.
There are several more reasons for creating a brand identity. Below mentioned are a few of them to convince us why creating a brand identity is important.
- Brand identity helps us build relationships with our customers. It keeps the customers loyal towards the company which leads to long-term benefits.
- Having a strong brand identity gives the company hold over its price. Consumers will be willing to pay more only when they trust our brand identity.
- It also shows credibility for our company. The more experience the company has, the more likely it is to have a strong brand identity.
- Unique and creative brand identity will make us stand out in the marketplace.
Read More: Inbound vs Outbound Marketing
Key Components of Strong Brand Identity Development
Before beginning with brand identity creation, we need to know the key components of a strong brand identity. A strong brand identity is much more than just a logo; it needs to represent our brand holistically. We want our brand to reach everyone’s hearts through the brand identity.
The key components are-
1. Logo And Graphics
A logo is the graphic symbol of our brand. In other words, it is the face of our brand, and most people remember it by the logo. Therefore, we must design a perfectly representative logo before developing a brand identity.
We need to decide a lot of things while designing a logo, whether to keep it only pictorial or include words too. Which colors would make it more attractive and memorable?
Now, before deciding these questions, there is one more crucial factor we need to keep in mind. The logo we design should fit right into our brand. Anyone looking at that logo should be able to connect with our brand at once.
2. Purpose And Values
Before we create a brand identity for us, we need to define ‘Who we are?’ and ‘Why we exist?’. It is important because without knowing about our brand or our company, how can we establish it in the market?
Further, people connect better with brands with a definite purpose of following and some values they uphold. Also, upholding our values will depict us as a trustworthy brand to the world.
In brief, our purpose and values give us the base for our brand identity.
3. Position Among the Competitors
Now what we need is a USP. The sole reason for creating a product or a brand is to drive its sales more than any other competitor. Therefore, we need to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.
Having even one feature or value that makes us different from our competitors will position us differently. Even Coca-Cola and Pepsi have very similar products but remain differentiated.
This differentiation needs to be at the core of our identity branding to steer it in the right direction.
How to create a strong brand identity?
We have figured out why creating a brand identity is essential for a business.
Let’s look at how to create a brand identity. Here are the steps for brand identity creation.
1. Define Your Brand Purpose.
Before brand identity creation, it is important to define the purpose of our brand. The brand purpose acts as the biggest factor in shaping our brand’s Identity. It will tell what our brand stands for and how it is different from the competitors.
Also, our brand’s purpose must answer all the questions about which our consumers are concerned. Some questions where we can start are – why our brand exists in the market? How is it different from our competitors? What values does the product add to the lives of our customers? Etc.
Further, it is seen those customers are more loyal towards brands that add value to their lives. Finally, the brand purpose will also guide our logos, taglines or slogans, etc.
2. Strategize Your Identity Branding
Strategizing our identity branding means deciding how to represent the company in the eyes of the people. Strategizing is an important step before starting designing to be clear about how we want the brand to look.
The first step in strategizing is market research. Doing market research will help us in understanding how other brands are putting themselves out in the market. Further, it will help in thinking of unique ideas to look different from those competitors.
Then, strategizing involves finalizing the target audience for our company. We need to plan to keep in mind what our customers might like. The audience might not perceive the colors, images, slogans, taglines, etc. when all put together in the desired way.
Thus, doing proper strategizing is a step that you cannot escape.
3. Design Your Brand Identity
Once we have strategized what your brand identity will look like, it is time to convert the written-down strategy into a concise, visual form.
The brand identity can be put down as numbers or in word format as suitable for the company. Then, after we revise designs, we get the final product to represent our brand.
Therefore, designing is a defining step to determine how well our brand identity is created. This step takes the longest in creating a brand identity and cannot be done with haste.
4. Apply Identity Branding
Till now, we have established the brand identity. Therefore, it is time to apply identity branding in the real world.
Before applying identity branding, we need to ensure that the logos speak a language similar to the company’s goals.
Then comes Advertising. Advertising helps reach a wider range of audiences. Thus, it is an efficient way to bring our brand to notice of a larger audience.
Another way of connecting with people is through social media. Especially in today’s time, when social media has grown so powerful, not putting our brand identity on social media isn’t a great idea.
5. Review
After all the steps we have followed above, it is now time to review the brand identity response given by people. Reviewing means updating and correcting the Identity when and however needed in the future.
It takes a lot of time and effort to establish the created brand identity in the customers’ eyes. Therefore, we mustn’t let our efforts go to waste even in the future. It is where reviewing helps us.
We can use Google Analytics, surveys, social media platform discussions, etc., to judge how the brand identity has impacted people. It also gives us a chance to connect directly with our customers and get their feedback.
Ending Notes
The largest companies steadily invest in their brand identities even today. It is because it helps us yield better customer relations and, thus, sales.
Taking note of the above-mentioned key factors has made it easy to create a strong brand identity for us.
