There is no denying that a successful business has many essential qualities.
However, as millions of businesses all over the world are trying to stand out in their own field, creating a strong brand identity is more important than ever.
What is the purpose of brand identity?
If you’re only just starting out in the world of business, you might want to know; ‘What is brand identity?’
Brand identity is the visual elements of a brand, including colour, typography, imagery, design and logo. For physical products, brand identity can also include tangible elements like the appearance and materials used in packaging.
The main purpose of brand identity is to distinguish products and companies from one another in the marketplace, individualising them for the consumer.
It is important to note that brand identity must be consistent to build trust with customers so they recognise the brand more easily. Indeed, visual elements of a brand help it stand out.
A brand identity that is distinguishable from the competition helps to establish a desirable reputation and encourages particular emotions about a business. Because the visual and content elements of brand identity are choices made by a business owner, it is up to those in charge to make informed decisions that help to accurately portray a brand’s look and feel.
A weak brand identity is one which fails to establish a relationship with the audience as well as neglecting to mention any details about the company and the services it provides. This type of brand identity will also not convey the personality of the brand appropriately, thus failing to add value.
Alternatively, a successful brand identity is one that has a clear relationship with your brand’s values and mission. Creating a strong brand identity will help you develop an image that’s recognisable to your target audience, even if they only see a small element of it.
Great brand identity examples include Starbucks, Apple and Amazon.
Starbucks’ branding identity has been hailed universally and is recognised by people all over the world because it is built on quality, consistency, and trust. The main premise of Starbuck’s brand identity is an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, in part represented by the use of green for its logo which has associations with the environment.
Starbucks has also managed to retain a large and loyal audience by consistently displaying its brand identity across multiple stores as well as solidifying a virtual presence for themselves.
The strength of Apple’s brand identity means that it has become of the most successful and recognisable companies on the globe.
A minimalistic colour scheme consisting of whites and greys, as well as a simple logo, contribute to a sleek and innovative brand identity. It has helped Apple to establish itself as a market leader in the tech sector, successfully reaching its key demographic.
Meanwhile, Amazon prioritises expertise, service and value as part of the image it projects to the world.
The company’s brand identity is multifunctional, not only facilitating an exceptional online shopping experience but also emphasising customer satisfaction.
What is the impact of a brand’s identity?
Brands are assets that create sustainable wealth, both for companies and for society in general.
Businesses are able to successfully position themselves in relation to a target demographic through their name, logo and identity. By clearly establishing their brand’s values, personality and promise, they can elevate themselves above their competition and nurture trust with customers.
Not only that, efforts put into solidifying the brand identity of a company can lead to surges in revenue generation through more consistent sales.
This is because a solid brand identity can contribute to a positive, memorable experience for customers who are more likely to make repeat buys or recommend the company to their friends.
What are the elements of a brand’s identity?
There are many elements which makeup a brand’s identity, including logo, colour scheme, typography, tone, packaging and imagery.
Logo
Logos are visual representations of a company that neatly represent its values, mission and personality.
A logo is an integral visual element for a brand identity because it determines how a company is perceived.
Design plays a huge role in logo creation because it is constructed without the presence of text or words. Therefore, it is imperative that companies think about their logo carefully as it is crucial their target demographic associate seeing it with the business and its services.
Colours
A colour scheme is another critical element of a brand’s identity. Not only can colours help customers differentiate one company from another, but they can also heavily influence their opinion of a brand.
Colour psychology is a reason why organisations need to be aware of what they want their brand to be associated with before choosing one, or more, that complements the message they want to send out.
They should also be careful of closely mimicking the colour scheme of a competitor because this could lead to a legal dispute down the line.
Typography
Typography is another element that comes under the umbrella of a brand’s identity.
It refers to a company’s choice of typeface and font, and has a huge impact on the way consumers perceive your brand.
Choosing a font that encapsulates the essence of the brand sets the tone for what customers can expect.
Tone of voice
An underestimated element of brand identity is voice and tone, which together conveys its mood and overall personality. This is essentially how a company sounds to the consumer, which can range from projecting a humorous personality to a more informative one.
Tone needs to be considered carefully because a brand’s voice needs to be consistent across the business.
Packaging
Depending on the type of company, packaging can also form an element of a brand’s identity. This is relevant to businesses that make physical products. For them to ensure consistency, packaging should align with their identity. This means incorporating the brand’s logo, colours, voice and typeface so that customers can easily recognise it.
Images
Finally, imagery is also incredibly important when it comes to brand identity. These visual design elements can include photographs, iconography, patterns and illustrations. Using relevant imagery can help locate the brand in a certain niche and appeal to a key demographic.
Overall, each of these elements can help a business stand out in distinctive way, particularly if they’re combined in a clever and compelling way.
What are the key factors to consider when developing a brand identity?
While many businesses refrain from learning how to create a brand identity out of fear, the steps are actually straightforward.
In fact, creating a brand identity is easier than ever with so many resources available.
To develop a brand identity, a company should prioritise clarifying the values it embodies, its mission, and where it wants to position itself in the marketplace.
Choosing a name is a vital part of this process as it is one of the most important factors that makes a company recognisable. You should also ensure you have created logos and slogans as well as deciding on a colour scheme and font.
When developing a brand identity strategy, it is important to always do so with a target audience in mind. It should be informed by extensive market research too, the findings from which might influence how you devise said strategy.
It is also never a good idea to rush the process; instead, make one solid strategy and stick to it.
You should also consider doing a test run to ensure the brand will be successful when it is officially launched.
Having to go back to the drawing board every so often means your brand loses credibility in the eyes of your customers, and it also wastes valuable company time and effort in the process.
While it is easy to get excited once your brand identity has been established, you will also need to write brand guidelines for future reference.
This should include details of how your company will be launched to the public as well as a style guide that can be referred to by staff.
What are the benefits of branding and identity?
The advantages of having a strong brand identity include having the power to influence customers’ decisions such moulding their perception of the company.
As brand identity is also crucial in establishing a company’s presence, it can help expand its influence on a global scale, thus increasing customer loyalty and boosting revenue.
Above all, brand identity helps safeguard businesses from their competitors.
Why is it important to protect brand identity?
There is a plethora of businesses competing with each other by creating a unique brand identity.
However, this trend has coincided with a surge in the volume of cybercriminals and fraudsters on a quest to steal a company’s brand identity in order to replicate it.
Thankfully, there are a myriad of ways for companies to protect their brand identity, including registering a domain name, protecting the brand with a trademark, and monitoring the brand across online platforms.
It is essential to protect brand identity because it fosters a good relationship between customers and the company. It also strengthens a company’s position in the global marketplace, allowing them to recruit high-quality employees who trust the brand’s mission.
Brand identity is also inexorably connected to an organisation’s reputation because it projects a good impression of the company’s values, mission and vision. This means that companies have a say in the way that customers are perceiving them as they have the authority and power to construct their own identity.
Moreover, protecting brand identity is also a good way to hold a place in the mind of your customer. On top of this, if efforts are being put into products and services, but a solid brand identity has not been established, the company will struggle to meet its objectives.
Keen to help your business?
Developing a solid brand identity does not need to be a complicated process, especially if you call on the help of the team at Rapid Agency.
From audits and development, to identity, strategy, and rebranding, with our wide array of branding services, you are fully supported to reach your goals.
Whether you are just starting out, or are on a mission to elevate an existing brand, we are dedicated to working closely with you to help you realise your vision.
Why not reach out to our expert team of creatives and strategists today and start work on a visual brand that engages your target audience?