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Brand Identity

Revision as of 13:36, 18 June 2020 by User (talk | contribs)

The Importance of Brand Identity[1]

As the embodiment of almost everything a business is and does, according to Purely Branded, a brand "lives and evolves in the minds and hearts" of consumers. Its identity, therefore, is crucial to the business's future. So, if the brand is more than just its logo, how can one replicate what brands like Coca-Cola have done and tap these other elements of a business's identity? Here are six components of a well-developed brand identity, and why it's so important to develop them.

  • The "Face" of Your Business: For all intents and purposes, a brand's logo is the "face" of the business. But that face should do more than just look cool or interesting -- a logo's contribution to brand identity is associative, too. It tells the public that [this image] means [the name of the company].
  • Credibility and Trust: Having a brand identity doesn't just make a product more memorable; it makes the brand more authoritative in the marketplace. A brand that establishes a face, and maintains that face consistently over time, develops credibility among its competitors and trust among its customers.
  • Advertising Impressions: A brand identity is a template for everything that would include on an advertisement for the business -- whether that ad is in print, online, or a preroll commercial on YouTube. A brand with a face and industry credibility is well prepared to promote itself and make impressions on potential buyers.
  • The Company's Mission: When an identity is created for a brand, it's giving it something to stand for. That, in turn, gives the company a purpose. Almost all ompanies have mission statements, right? However, that can't be done without giving the brand an identity.
  • Generating New Customers and Delighting Existing Ones: A brand identity -- one with a face, trust, and a mission -- attracts people who agree with what the brand has to offer. But once these people become customers, that same brand identity gives them a sense of belonging. A good product generates customers, but a good brand generates advocates.


Building Brand Identity[2]

The steps a company should take to build a strong, cohesive, and consistent brand identity will vary, but a few points apply broadly to most:

  • Analyze the company and the market. A full SWOT analysis that includes the entire firm—a look at the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—is a proven way to help managers understand their situation so they can better determine their goals and the steps required to achieve them.
  • Determine key business goals. The brand identity should help fulfill these goals. For example, if an automaker is pursuing a niche luxury market, its ads should be crafted to appeal to that market. They should appear on channels and sites where potential customers are likely to see them.
  • Identify its customers. Conducting surveys, convening focus groups, and holding one-on-one interviews can help a company identify its consumer group.
  • Determine the personality and message it wants to communicate. A company needs to create a consistent perception, rather than trying to combine every conceivable positive trait: utility, affordability, quality, nostalgia, modernity, luxury, flash, taste, and class. All elements of a brand, such as copy, imagery, cultural allusions, and color schemes, should align and deliver a coherent message.

Building a brand identity is a multi-disciplinary strategic effort, and every element needs to support the overall message and business goals. It can include a company's name, logo, and design; its style and the tone of its copy; the look and composition of its products; and, of course, its social media presence. Apple founder Steve Jobs famously obsessed over details as small as the shade of gray on bathroom signs in Apple stores. While that level of focus may not be necessary, the anecdote shows that Apple's successful branding is the result of intense effort, not serendipity.

  1. Why is brand identity important? Kathryn Wheeler
  2. Building Brand Identity Investopedia