Brand Identity Essentials: What’s Behind the Perfect Brand
When you think of branding it’s easy just to imagine a logo.
But brand identity is a lot more than that. It is about distilling the ethos of your business into an array of material that allows your customers to build an emotional connection. It encompasses everything from packaging and typography, to your copy and unique messaging into a complete package. This is what makes up your brand identity.
This is what remains in customer’s minds long after they have made their purchase or used your services. It’s no easy feat to create the perfect brand identity. There’s a lot that goes into making the perfect brand — much more than you probably realised. That’s why we are giving you the lowdown to creating the perfect brand.
What’s in a Name?
It’s true that every brand begins with a great name. Picking the wrong one can sink your business before its already begun. When choosing a brand name you need to keep in mind what your business stands for, and that your name will become the touchstone for all your brand identity materials. There’s no point in choosing a cutesy name for a rugged brand unless you are making a very specific choice.
Even the pros don’t always get it right on the first go — Amazon was originally called Cadabra but was changed when a lawyer mistook it for the word cadaver — yikes! Don’t be afraid to try a few out before making any permanent choices.
Pick Your Personality
The key to building an emotional connection? Brand personality. This is your guiding star for any and all copy and marketing material. Having a clear brand tone of voice is what really takes your business from faceless to memorable. With 86% of consumers saying that authenticity is important when deciding where to spend their money, creating a clear brand personality has never been more important.
A key part of creating a compelling brand personality is having content guidelines. If you are a small start-up with a focus on genuine human connections, then your brand’s TOV should be friendly and relatable. If you want to strike a more professional balance, then your brand’s personality should be knowledgeable and clear. This is also a great way to stick out in an overcrowded market. If your direct competitors all sound the same, then why don’t you do something completely different?
Get Creative
We might be biased, but creative branding is when the fun really starts.
This is when you can go wild in coming up with ideas for items like logos, typography and colours. Think back to your content guidelines when coming up with visuals for your business. This forms the visual shorthand for your brand, and with the right branding even certain colours become synonymous with their brand — think Spotify green or Twitch purple. Studies show that using a signature colour can increase brand recognition by 80% so picking the right colour really matters.
Ask yourself, if your brand name was hidden would your creative still be instantly recognisable? Take Amazon’s iconic shipping smile on their packages. Or Mastercard’s red and yellow circles. They’re both simple, clever and unforgettable.
Consistency is Key
There’s nothing worse than a brand that flip flops with the trend of the month. A perfect brand knows when to change, and when to wait out the fads. The key is consistency and reinforcing your brand through all your marketing and communications. In fact, a recent survey found that by introducing consistent branding helps grow revenue by 33%. You don’t want to just be noticed, your want to be remembered.
Iconic brands don’t just happen overnight but are carefully built brick by brick. There is no simple trick that can guarantee success but if you follow these key steps you’ll be well on your way to iconic brand status.
