A huge shift has already taken place whereby commercial enterprises that want to survive and flourish must offer their customers a values-driven service that projects a consistent brand image. While some believe this is simply a brand’s name and logo, it is certainly far more than this.
Brand identity includes all the visual elements of a brand, but also the company’s values and purpose. All of this together makes up brand identity and when this is done right, it can be incredibly effective at cultivating a positive impression in the minds of your customers.
What is the brand identity?
The are many individual elements that make up the brand identity. This can include things like the company’s name, its logo, the colour scheme it uses in its visual communication as well as the tone and style of any marketing and advertising material. But more importantly, it also includes the company’s core values.
For this brand identity to be consistent throughout the company, it requires employees to be on board with the company’s values and approach to doing business. Many companies fail to execute their brand identity when their employees fail to project the kind of image that they want to stand for.
Comprehensive branding and identity for a company or enterprise is the collection of several elements that must work together harmoniously. While much of the aesthetics of brand identity can be handled from a design perspective, it must also be rooted in a more holistic approach, which includes a company’s origin, values, and objectives.
Developing a strong brand identity
To develop a strong brand identity, you must look beyond standard marketing practices. You are not simply trying to reach large volumes of people with your brand, instead, you must shape a distinctive personality for your company that will truly connect with a designated demographic.
This starts with understanding ‘who you are’ as a brand and then recording this as a reference for all tangible elements, such as design elements or marketing communications. At the core of a strong brand, there should be an awareness of key values, mission objectives, market positioning, targeted customer base, brand choice, and the brand’s personality. It’s not always simple to figure out what you stand for as a company, and it often takes multiple workshops and meetings with your core team of founders and directors, but with the right creative direction and the commercial framework to lead this process, you will be able to identify a strong and consistent brand for your company.