A crucial first step towards success is creating a brand identity that aligns with the principles and features of the business and its offering. Ideally, every aspect of a company’s branding contributes to a single, overarching message. The following nine actions will assist you in creating a strong brand identity:
1. Conduct research
Begin by analyzing the market and identifying strengths, opportunities and weaknesses. Understand who you are as a company and your point of difference. Pinpoint elements that make you unique from other brands.2. Determine business goals
Form your mission statement based on your brand’s capabilities and the reason behind your brand. Indicate which elements distinguish the company that you work for and why there’s a need for your products or services. If you work for an organization with a defined mission, think about what advertising goals can best support both the company’s and your client’s needs.3. Identify customers
Conduct surveys, focus groups and interviews to identify a consumer group. Understanding customer needs and expectations can help shape brand identity to best build customer loyalty. This may involve conducting audience segmentation and discovering multiple subgroups within your overall audience. You might categorize these subgroups based on various factors, including a customer’s age range, geographic location or shopping habits.4. Determine personality and message
Create or redefine the brand’s personality by considering if your brand focuses on fun or solving a consumer’s problems. The brand’s voice is an identity that remains consistent throughout the branding process and gets clearly communicated through methodical choices in brand identity. All brand elements, from name to color choices and typography, align to create a coherent identity.5. Make a logo
Make or redesign your logo. A logo is a visual trademark or symbol identifying the brand. Similar to a sports team mascot, the logo visually represents the brand and the ideals it embodies.6. Consider other visual elements
Think about how the other visual elements involved in your logo, packaging, advertising or website can embody your brand. This might include considering the following visual aspects:- Color: Unique and specific brand colors instantly increase product visibility. For example, the color choice of heather gray may communicate serenity, while a more robust, more vivid hue of green can portray confidence.
- Shape: The visual appearance of shape identifies some brands as well. For example, a soft drink’s unique square-shaped bottle or a game controller’s linear forms can immediately identify the brand.
- Graphics: Distinct patterns can also help build a memory structure around a specific brand, making identification instantaneous.
- Text: The size and style of your font can communicate a brand’s personality. A wispy font, for instance, might convey a sense of relaxation, while Times New Roman may portray tradition and stability.
7. Create your slogan
Compose or refine the brand’s slogan. This is simply a brand’s position stated memorably. Ideally, a slogan is brief and memorable so that it’s easy for customers to recall. Many brands, for example, use slogans with alliteration or rhymes.8. Decide on your tone
Figure your brand’s style or tone. Specific word choice, or “diction,” is the vocabulary used in connection to the brand and helps to shape the brand’s tone and attitude. The type of language used to communicate to consumers can dictate the type of customer the brand attracts. The tone of your brand typically connects to its personality. For example, a brand focused on fun might use a more casual tone, while a brand that provides medical devices may prefer to cultivate empathy.9. Think about your audience’s other senses
Consider how you can awaken your consumers’ other senses through your branding when relevant. Also referred to as sensory branding, this type of marketing might appeal to all five of a prospective customer’s senses. Here’s a brief description of how you might incorporate the other three senses into your branding:- Sound: A brand’s unique set of auditory notes, tones or sounds can help to raise brand awareness. Often, a musical jingle might bring the brand name to a customer’s mind, leading to a stronger brand identity.
- Taste: A brand’s flavor or flavor combinations can play a crucial role. For example, a restaurant might offer a secret sauce in a specific dish, while a particular brand of soft drink might offer 27 flavors that are uniquely their own.
- Touch: For companies that sell products, consider how that product physically feels. You might think about, for example, if the product or packaging feels heavy, smooth or rough to the touch and how that contributes to the branding.
- Scent: Companies that sell products with smells, like food or beauty products, might consider refining specific scents that customers can associate with that brand.
If you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, our expert team is here to help. Contact us today to start building a brand identity that stands out and drives success. Let’s create something extraordinary together!