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Modern consumers desire more than simply a product — they want to connect and resonate with the personality, voice, message, and aesthetics of the brands they love. Thousands of brands offer high-end products, but not all get equal recognition in the marketplace. This is where the significance of brand identity comes in.
Creating a brand is a complete journey, not just a one-off process. In addition to understanding customers’ needs, brand owners must strategize effectively to build a strong identity that resonates with their customers.
In this article, we’ll provide some actionable strategies to establish a powerful brand image that will help you stand out from the crowd.
What is Branding, Brand, and Brand Identity?
You see a swoosh, a bluebird, and a green mermaid on a white background. The very next moment your brain recalls these brand’s names — Nike, Twitter, and Starbucks. The question is how these brands are instantly recognizable by just their logos.
This is the power of brand identity. It’s not just about the visual elements; it’s about the entire branding process that makes a company a successful brand.
Consider the story of Coca-Cola: In 1985, Coca-Cola decided to stop making their classic drink, which had been around for 99 years, and introduced a new version.
The loyal fans were very upset when Coca-Cola introduced the new version. Some even protested and poured the new Coke down the drain. To understand this reaction, Coca-Cola hired a psychiatrist who noted that people exhibited signs of grief as if they had lost a loved one.
Consumers wanted assurance that the brand they had trusted for so long would still offer the original product they loved. Coca-Cola didn’t realize the deep emotional connection their loyal customers had with the brand.
This example highlights the significance of the branding process and demonstrates how a strong brand identity can profoundly affect people.
Branding is the act of influencing people’s perception of your brand’s products and services, setting it apart from competitors.
Brand represents the result of your branding efforts. It includes the feelings and beliefs you want people to have about your business. You communicate these ideas to your customers through what they see and hear from your brand.
Brand in the words of Seth Godin;
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Brand identity is the lasting message of your company that you consistently share with the target audience. It includes your brand’s name, logo, tagline, color scheme, fonts, images, and voice. These cohesive sets of elements together create a brand’s personality. It also differentiates the brand from competitors and makes a lasting impact on customers.
A well-established identity doesn’t just encourage recognition but also cultivates trust and loyalty by showcasing consistency and authenticity in all interactions.
Why is Brand Identity So Important?
Every brand aims to have meaningful connections with its customers, building a loyal customer base and increasing business revenues.
With limitless product choices in the marketplace, brand identity serves as a ticket to stand out among all. It’s important to understand that people don’t buy products they buy experiences. It is because of people’s psychology about brand products.
Consumers prefer something they can resonate with or develop an association with, and that’s what the world’s most famous brands offer them.
To establish a strong identity, consistency is essential. It’s important to maintain clear and consistent branding across all platforms, conveying the same message through both verbal and visual elements.
Consistency should be reflected in your logo, typography, colors, packaging, and messaging to strengthen your brand’s reputation and identity.
Build a Strong Brand Identity in 7 Steps
Here are the seven most effective and viable steps to make a successful brand:
1- Research Your Competition and Target Audience
Before starting any business, it’s crucial to conduct thorough market research. Understanding how to effectively market your brand and establish a unique identity is key. This includes analyzing your competitors, reviewing their branding strategies, and evaluating your product’s potential.
Building a strong brand image involves identifying the target audience. People are the ones who turn a business into a brand. It’s important to understand the needs and challenges of your target audience in any business. You can’t market a product to an office worker in the same way as you would to a college-going teenager. So it’s crucial to categorize your target audience and effectively communicate your brand message to them.
2- Determine Brand Personality
Brand personality refers to the distinct character of any company or brand. Defining it for your brand can yield impressive results. Start by focusing on your brand messaging, values, story, and mission. Ensure a consistent narration of all these branding elements across various platforms.
Defining brand personality helps establish a strong base to develop trust and genuineness. When you thoughtfully define your brand’s character, you set the basis for a captivating and unforgettable brand identity that distinguishes your business in the minds of consumers.
3- Do a Comprehensive SWOT Analysis
Have you ever come across the term SWOT? What does it mean in the branding world? SWOT analysis is a detailed process to identify and evaluate all the external and internal factors impacting the brand. SWOT encapsulates four unique quadrants:
Strengths: All positive aspects and characteristics that are beneficial for the brand over the competitors.
Weaknesses: The negative characteristics that may adversely impact your brand.
Opportunities: Market trends in your niche that provide an edge to your brand,
Threats: Factors whether external or internal that may harm your brand.
Collectively, working on all these aspects can help build strong brand resilience and brand character over time.
4- Build a Unique Visual Identity
Every brand’s visual identity is a combination of these key elements. It includes the unique brand logo, colors, font styles, typography, product packaging, and more. Different colors evoke different emotions and enhance your brand image. For instance, the green color represents health, nature, and growth.
Similarly, a unique logo, typeface, and type style are also essential in differentiating your brand from others. Make sure you’re using the same logo and typography throughout all your platforms including your website. Consider Nike’s website and ad campaigns as a reference. They use similar styles and it does wonders for the brand.
You can also create a unique visual identity for your brand by choosing the right color palettes, font styles, and tools. Here is a concise checklist to create a distinct and cohesive brand image;
- Utilize logo templates and the logo generators to produce a personalized logo.
- Select distinct typography and style that represents your brand.
- Craft custom icons and favicons for your company.
5- Define Brand Voice
Brand voice plays a significant role in increasing brand recognition and awareness. Being consistent with your pre-defined brand voice is important. A brand voice showcases your brand’s personality and decides the appropriate tone and mood of communication.
Whether, you’re using a professional, or friendly tone, ensure consistency. This results in fostering trust and reliability, offering a memorable brand experience for your customers. If you consider this task a bit difficult, you can also ask for expert corporate branding services to develop a consistent brand voice via actionable strategies.
6- Interact with Your Customers
When you start interacting with your customers, it bridges the gap between your brand and your target audience, initiating a two-way conversation. Engaging with customers transforms them from passive recipients to active participants in your brand’s community. This can establish a sense of togetherness and reinforce brand loyalty.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
Here are some effective approaches to start a positive interaction with your target people;
- Request feedback or recommendations on new products or features.
- Work together with influencers, content creators, or other brands.
- Launch user-generated content campaigns where customers share their experiences with your brand on social media accounts.
- Organize events or webinars with your audience to discuss relevant topics or showcase new products.
If you want your brand to be memorable, respond and engage with your audience. Whether through comments on social media or emails, this approach personalizes your brand and shows that you value their input. It also increases the likelihood that more people will engage with your brand.
7- Evaluate and Adapt
Building brand identity isn’t something done hastily. You need to work on various elements, evaluate your progress, and adapt to the strategies. With continuous market evolution, opting for more functional strategies is crucial. Additionally, you must ensure that your brand message resonates with your target audience.
To stay informed, use these key matrices — customer loyalty, engagement, brand awareness, and brand sentiment. This way you can track your progress, adapt brand strategies, and grow your brand.
Final Thoughts
Understanding brand identity and its significance lays a powerful foundation for the long-term success of your business. Whether you’re a startup or a well-established brand, it’s crucial to recognize that your business is not just a logo. It’s about what people perceive and feel about your brand.
To create a unique and memorable brand that connects with the audience, incorporate these seven comprehensive steps in the branding process. These steps encompass important aspects like brand mission, vision, values, brand story, and personality.
Remember, it’s never too late to start building a distinct business identity. Initiate the process, follow the right approach, and be consistent. Gradually, people will start recognizing your brand and understand your values just from your logo.