When you evaluate someone’s identity, you consider the qualities that have shaped who and what they are and the features about themselves that set them apart. Their identity may be defined by the type of person they are — their sense of humor, their demeanor, the ideas they think and believe as well as by how they exhibit themselves to the outside world. Of course, not excluding their appearance, their sense of overall style, and any additional badges they will choose to wear.
A brand identity is similar, except instead of referring to an individual, it identifies a business, a line of products, maybe both. The brand identity encompasses all aspects of a company’s public representation. A brand identity is essentially the creation of a personality for your business; it is what separates your firm from others by employing certain features that set them distinct. So, how would a brand do it though? How would people think about a company or product identity? And how might a complete, coherent identity assist any company?
Brand Personality
Who are customers interacting with when they connect with a brand? What kind of person would the brand be if it were a person? Excited and welcoming, or refined and reserved? The psychology of a brand is strongly related to the type of person your company is attempting to appeal to, as well as the type of person they anticipate the brand to be. A product delivery business would have a significantly different vibe than a premium vehicle company. This is because they appeal to various individuals with diverse tastes, and these markets have varied expectations for the sorts of “people” these brands should be.
I classify brand identity into two broad groups. This isn’t thorough or flawless — every brand is a bit different — but it’s a good place to start:
1. Verbal Identity
- The brand’s accent and tone, name(s), taglines, slogans, and copy are all examples of verbal identity. In general, when you can comprehend it or see it expressed, they have a verbal identity.
2. Visual identity
- The brand’s visual identity consists of its logo, colors, typefaces, icons, drawings, outfits, websites, applications, printed materials, and so on. If you could somehow see it or connect with it directly, it is most likely an element of its visual identity.
Let’s talk about verbal identity — The Brand Voice
The voice of a brand is related to its personality. What would it say if it were a person, based on its personality? This is critical for marketing since the objective is to communicate effectively and consistently with customers. The things a business says in its advertisements, on its website, and everywhere else is to convey the brand messaging. Like a character in a movie, must be consistent. No one would trust the genuineness of a character that seems to switch between voices during situations, stating things that contradicted previous statements. Similarly, a brand’s voice must be consistent and suit its personality.
Also read: How Visual Design Marketing Can Boost Your Brand Engagement
If the brand is youthful and lively, for instance, you may use humorous languages like slang and street words; if your brand is premium priced, you might opt for a more formal tone; and if your brand is easygoing, you might use a casual tone of voice. Consider if you want to utilize jokes or use stats and key points. Since the word you use will be utilized across your brand, all of these characteristics are crucial to your brand identification. As a result, you should make sure to build a tone of voice that is consistent with your brand idea.
Now let’s talk about visual identity — The Brand Logo, Font, and Color
Your company’s logo, often known as the face of your brand, will represent your company everywhere. Your logo must be distinct, simple to recognize, and consistent since it will be used to identify not just your website but also your business cards, packaging, invoices, and receipts that you send to clients, vendors, wholesalers, and other parties.
Making a fantastic logo is no simple process. It entails simplifying the core of a brand’s identity in order to produce a specific visual statement that quickly communicates the right messages. If a company’s managers choose the wrong logo, it’s possible that the whole visual identity will either poorly express the intrinsic value of the company, or worse, conflict with or mess up it, with disastrous results. The logo also sets the mood for all of the other visual assets that are related to the objectives of marketing a brand.
The fonts you choose for your brand say a lot about who you are as an organization. If you own tech business, you may want to go with minimalist, clean, futuristic typefaces that suggest a sense of forward-thinking design. But, assuming that a home repair business is more interested in projecting a sense of durability and craft, that font selection is definitely not the best. Each font collection has its own inherent meanings that, when used correctly, may highlight and reinforce a brand’s identity or, when used incorrectly, can confuse and complicate the message. An excellent tool for communicating a visual identity is fonts.
How many of you have been traveling in your car and saw a flashing of yellow and red and instantly realized there was a McDonald’s nearby? Almost all know what those colors represent; we don’t even need to see the logo to know. That is how essential it is to decide which color will reflect your brand. You may pick your favorite color, but I would suggest you consider it again thoroughly. Like it or not, there is something called ‘color psychology,’ something that many creatives and advertisers utilize to create a certain feeling in their customers.
The Real Objective of Brand Identity
Companies especially startups sometimes believe they need to “do a rebranding.” But actually, the real situation is that their brand and brand identity isn’t consistent anymore. Between perception and reality, there is a gap or misalignment now. For example, when a business’s identity promotes luxury yet the new line of its products promotes cheaper products, it is confirmed that the brand identity has changed and no longer fulfills the promise of its original identity. The way a brand sounds, feels, and appears should be a suitable reflection of who they are, regardless of how it got there.
Conclusion
It’s easy to get distracted with establishing brand identity, mostly because you overlook why you’re doing that in the first place. Keep your beliefs at the top of the priority list and constantly reminded you why you do what you do. Why did you establish this brand, what is lacking from what is now offered, what do you want your brand to be, how will the products you provide benefit others, and why should consumers buy from you? Analyze the brand to ensure that you are not deviating from the statement you intended to deliver.
How your brand represents who you are is crucial, because if your clients receive conflicting messages or completely misinterpret the message, you will have a far more challenging time in the business. Consumers become friends with the people they love and brands that are true to themselves and their original identity. If you have your brand identity correct, it will be a lot simpler to attract customers. Nevertheless, it is a journey, so get started! All The Best!
