Understanding Brand Identity

Brand identity in many ways is the visual (symbol or illustration) aspect of a brand. Think of the Nike ‘swoosh’ or Apple’s apple—those are two instances where the identity of a brand is connected with a symbol or visual aspect. Building brand identity must have a strong visual image to link the brand. A brand identity is compiled of various branding elements. When you put them together, the identity in many ways is the mascot of your brand. It is how a company expresses and describes itself from the images on its marketing materials, the colors that represent the brand, and how a company markets
itself on social media. A strong brand identity strengthens a company’s popularity and presence in a competitive market.

What Is Brand Identity?

Brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds. Brand identity is distinct from brand image. The former corresponds to the intent behind the branding and the way a company does the following—all to cultivate a certain image in consumers’ minds:

• Chooses its name
• Designs its logo
• Uses colors, shapes, and other visual elements in its products and promotions
• Crafts the language in its advertisements
• Trains employees to interact with customers

Brand image is the actual result of these efforts, successful or unsuccessful.

It is a common misconception that a company’s logo is the same as its brand. Unfortunately, branding and marketing are not that simple. Design encompasses more than a company logo, and branding stretches beyond design elements.

However, without design, it is highly doubtful that leading brands would have the power they currently wield among consumers. The same is true when you change the equation. Left without other critical elements of branding, design alone would struggle to fill a vacuum. Together, design and branding are powerful allies that can help brands soar above their competition.

Despite this emphasis on logos, it would be wrong to neglect other design elements or other elements of branding. As with everything related to marketing, integration is key. Design elements can only benefit your brand fully when they work well together and complement each other.

Take typography, for example. Nike’s simple, streamlined logo would not work well with a fussy, frilly font. Not only would the logo and the font clash, but the font and the product would also be at odds with one another.

Color is another major component of brand identity. Coca-Cola trademarked its vibrant shade of red to prevent competitors or un-associated businesses from using it. Fast-food chain McDonald’s had made successful use of yellow and red for decades, whilst leading chocolate maker Cadbury favours purple combined with white or gold. All of these brands have one thing in common: Seeing the color is enough to invoke the product in the audience’s mind.

Most brands choose a color palette rather than one single color. Whilst still distinct and recognizable, having access to several color choices makes it easier to integrate logos and other elements in different contexts.

Without clear branding and design, it is almost impossible for a business to distinguish itself in its marketplace. Powerful design elements need to complement brand messages. Only when both are applied consistently across all marketing channels can they reach their full potential.

A strong brand is more than just a pretty face. But that doesn’t mean a pretty face isn’t important. Enter brand design.

Brand design is the process of crafting visual identity, your brand’s signature look and feel that is instantly recognizable in a crowded market landscape. To create a visual identity that refuses to be ignored, you need strategic, intentional brand design.

For your customers, a strong brand may become as familiar as the face of a friend. Like seeing a familiar face, your customers form an emotional connection with your brand. They come to associate it with the ways that your company makes life better, and it keeps them coming back.

Once you’ve built a strong brand for your business; now, you can use it to connect with your audience across all of your marketing channels. A well-developed brand will make your company memorable and help you connect with your customers.
Over time, you can develop a brand strategy to build your brand equity and develop a brand that your community recognizes and relates to deeply. Just remember to stay true to what you represent as a business.

And that folks is why Designing helps you a great deal with branding and, I hope that suffices the question with which we started the blog in the first place

Overconfidence, this, and a small screwdriver. I’m absolutely sorted. Yes? What is it? What do you want? There’s something that doesn’t make sense. Let’s go and poke it with a stick. You need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up ‘genocide’. You’ll find a little picture of me there, and the caption’ll read ‘Over my dead body’. You know Jo, I sometimes think that military intelligence is a contradiction in terms. Have a jelly baby. New-new-Doctor. The thing is, Adam, time travel is like visiting Paris. You can’t just read the guidebook, you’ve got to throw yourself in! Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers! Or is that just me?

People spend all their time making nice things and then other people come along and break them! One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye Susan. Goodbye my dear. Think about me when you’re living your life one day after another, all in a neat pattern. Think about the homeless traveller and his old police box, with his days like crazy paving.