In this article, we will explain how to integrate the concept of brand identity into your business routine and how to stay mindful of it when you create content, use social media or create a website.
WHAT IS BRAND IDENTITY
Brand identity is a fundamental part of a business’ path to success. It encapsulates the brand’s goals, visions and values, as well as its intended audiences and their own perceived identities. Like people who signify their identity through the clothes they wear, the music they listen to and the friends they hang out with, brands express their identity by looking, sounding and behaving in certain ways.
HOW TO DEFINE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY
There are practical steps involved in the process of building a brand identity, but first, you need to do some conceptual work. The purpose of the following tasks is to help you define your brand inside out. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to build a brand with a clear and consistent identity.
1. FIND YOUR BRAND’S VOICE
When we talk about “voice,” we mean the personality that your brand represents. Finding the right voice for your brand is a challenging mission that requires some analysis.
Try to imagine an ideal conversation with a customer, a dialogue in which everything works out just as you planned and the customer is falling in love with your brand. What is it about this conversation that is so successful? What are the emotions that you were able to evoke when engaging with that customer? What is the vocabulary that made it happen? Now take it one step further – imagine the conversation that your customer has with their own friends afterwards and how they endorse your brand to them. How do you want people to talk about you? Working through these questions will help you understand what tone, attitude and mood you want to display in your branding.
2. DEFINE YOUR CORE VALUES
If you want your branding efforts to succeed, you need to commit your business to goals other than making a profit. Not that there’s anything wrong with money. After all, that’s everyone’s end game. But brands develop a real connection with their audiences when they are able to prove that they believe in something bigger.
Highlight the added value that people get from your brand. Perhaps your business empowers them to dress their best and become more confident? Or are they supporting the environment by choosing your sustainable products? Maybe your services can guide them towards relaxation and mindfulness? Or an evening at your restaurant offers the opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends? Make a list of these core values that your brand can promote and think about how to connect them to your brand’s voice.
3. DEVELOP YOUR STORY AND YOUR VISION
People relate to human stories. Building your brand identity around a story will help you interact with your audience on a deeper level. We’re not talking about creative writing here. What you want to do is to communicate your specific perspective in an authentic and relatable manner.
There are two angles you want to incorporate into your story. The first focuses on you: What inspired you to take action and start your company? What are you hoping to achieve with it? The second aspect you want to include focuses on your target audience: Where does your brand fit into their lives? What are you offering them, and how do you envision your interactions with them? Paint a picture that is so clear that future customers can easily step into the image you’ve conjured up.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY
Once you have completed marketing research, the next step is to translate the theoretical conclusions into practical actions.
The look and feel of your website are a key component of the brand identity, and you should pay special attention to the visual dimension by following these steps:
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT DESIGN GENRE FITS BEST
Now that you have defined your customers’ personality, your tone of voice and what they believe in, it’s time to focus on the look. Would it work best with a minimalist look or a vibrant one?
2. CREATE A LOGO THAT SAYS IT ALL
Your business logo is as important to your brand identity as your business name. You want the logo to capture the essence of your brand in one memorable visual.
3. SELECT YOUR COLORS AND FONT SCHEME
Fonts and colors are basic ingredients that you add to every design dish for your brand. They are instrumental in creating the vibe that you want in your branding, which is why you must choose them with care. Graphic designer should guide you on what colours and fonts to use but should never make a decision for you.
KEY POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND
BE CONSISTENT: Consistency is extremely important in branding. If you don’t consistently employ your logo, colour palette or tone of voice, then your brand identity remains random at best.
KEEP IT SIMPLE: The goal is for your target audience to be able to recognise your brand almost intuitively. Keep the messaging simple and straightforward across all branding efforts.
MAKE SURE IT’S WORKING: The entire purpose behind branding is to help your business grow. If you’re not seeing the type of results that you were expecting, it might be smart to try something new.
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