Building a brand’s identity is no easy feat. There are multiple aspects to consider, including when you need to really invest in it.
This blog post will answer the following questions:
- What is brand identity design?
- Why is designing your brand identity needed?
- When to invest in your brand identity?
What Is Brand Identity?
Brand identity is the collection of all elements and aspects that a company creates to portray the right image to its consumer. You may have heard of brand image and branding, but despite the fact that these terms are commonly used interchangeably, brand identity is actually different.
Brand identity is not only defined by a company’s color, logo, and design. Your company’s brand design and identity are made up of all the tangible characteristics that your customers notice. Your brand’s story, values, mission, and vision are all parts that are communicated visually through your brand identity system.
Here are the eight core elements of a brand identity:
- Business Name
- Business Story
- Tone of Voice
- Typography
- Colors
- Brand Mark and Logos
- Images and Illustrations
- Iconography and UI assets
These are assets that your company can utilize in marketing campaigns on your website, email, social media, and/or content marketing. Your branded materials could be arranged in a brand guidelines document or made available through collaborative Digital Asset Management (D.A.M.) platforms like BrandFolder or Frontify.
Why Do You Need a Brand Identity?
- Awareness: With a strong brand identity, people will easily recognize your company’s brand.
- Differentiation: If you have a strong brand identity, you’ll be able to set your brand apart from the competition by associating a superior performance feature of your brand with several customer benefits.
- Recall/Remember: Brand identity will greatly influence the likelihood of a customer remembering your brand when they need a product or service within your niche. To put it another way, it will help your brand become more memorable.
- Creates Trust: A solid brand identity system — in addition to exceptional services and products — can help your brand to become established in the eyes of consumers, which can greatly increase trust and credibility.
- Stability: A great brand identity design will enable a company to target a specific audience and develop a steady market by demonstrating its integrity and consistency. The market’s stability translates to the business’s stability.
When To Invest in Your Brand Identity
1. Once You Have a Clear Brand Strategy
The most important thing to have before investing in brand identity is a clear concept of how you want your customers to view your brand and what sets it apart from the competitors.
2. Launching a New Product or Service
Securing a strong brand identity is as important as launching a new product or service from your company. Your brand identity will help customers remember your brand when they come across new products and services, and it will help them distinguish your brand from your competitors.
3. Rebranding a Product or Service
Your efforts in rebranding a product or service will not be wasted if you have a great brand identity design. It will help you maintain your established brand even if you are rebranding a new product or service. The last thing you want is to have customers believe they are being offered a product from a separate company.
Conclusion
In this digital age, having a catchy brand name, creating a unique logo and design, and providing exceptional products and services are not enough to ensure a company’s success.
Having a strong brand identity system will complement your efforts and attract more of the correct clients and customers, allowing your business to grow.
