What’s Brand Identity? And How to Create One
Every facet of your company is encompassed and reflected in your brand. A brand identity isn’t just a logo; it is your company's voice, values, mission, and how people feel when interacting with your product or service. Done right, your brand can be the most important asset on your balance sheet.
A positive brand identity primes the customer to perceive your company as more valuable, appreciate your excellence, and desire it.
Here are five tips that foster brand identity creation:
Designs
Brand visuals represent what makes you unique and establish a market position. The goal is to be recognizable, convey the overall message, and foster a feeling. Identity design sets the initial tone for your brand.
Brand identity design encompasses your:
Logos, colors, and designs
Packaging
Photography
Business cards
Uniforms
Website
Any other visual representations
The design represents every function of the company, so its creation includes:
Market research of your audience, competition, and value proposition
Design of the logo, its template, and a brand guide that specifies specific fonts, colors, and usage
Develop the language and its tone for advertisements and social media
Monitoring of your brand to ensure the identity is maintained
Mission
A brand reflects a purpose, audience, and objectives, necessitating an action-oriented mission statement that tells its readers the impact your company wants to make and what it does. As the company evolves, the mission statement will evolve with it.
When creating your mission statement, consider the following:
Why do you exist?
What is your purpose?
How can this all be said to create an emotional connection?
Vision
A vision is a strategic direction and the aspirational nature of your brand as you see it now. It is a guidepost for the brand and your company. To develop your brand vision:
Define: Think of multiple elements that define your vision and then choose the core elements while leaving the rest as brand extensions. Those core elements define the company as you move the vision forward.
Stay aspirational: Don’t let yourself be constrained by the brand vision. Remember, a vision is forward-looking and encompasses current and future strategies. Don’t be shocked if the vision expands or changes later.
Use it: A brand vision doesn’t just define how an external audience sees you; it also represents what everyone in the company aspires to be. Use its essence and foster the vision inside the company.
Values
We all have values and know what we stand for, but what does your company stand for? Are there ideals that guide the company’s actions, like diversity, transparency, or social responsibility? Communicating these values forms a core component of the brand’s identity.
Have honest values and implement them throughout your brand strategy. If your company values embrace ecological responsibility, tell customers how you use responsible materials or encourage employees to recycle in the office.
Voice
Your brand voice sets the tone for how your audience hears you; that voice must fit the company and what suits your market segment. It can be humorous, authoritative, sarcastic, professional, or whatever resonates best with your customer.
Brand voice defines the personality of all your communications, and it may evolve as the company goes through changes and adapts to new market expectations.
When you consider your voice, think about your past content and narrow it down to the pieces that best represent what is unique to you. Group the elements with a similar feel and then describe that voice in three words. If your brand is a person, how would you describe it?
Your brand identity sets the stage for an audience to perceive your value and engage with your company. It will define you to an external audience and internal stakeholders and encompass every aspect of your company. Brand identity will become one of your most valuable assets and must constantly be considered and evolving to fit your company.
