Creating a great brand identity takes time, it will not just happen after a few days of working on it. It isn’t something that can be rushed. You need to approach the brand identity creation process strategically with a strong understanding of your business’s brand.
Not to worry though, if this process seems daunting then just keep reading. This guide will talk you through how to create a strong brand identity from scratch along with everything you should know when going through this process.
What Is A Brand Identity?
To put it simply, a brand identity is what sets a company apart and differentiates it from the competition. It involves all the different elements that a company uses to represent itself to the world. It’s what makes a company recognizable, helps build customer loyalty, and influences the way in which customers view the company.
What Does A Brand Identity Include?
A brand identity consists of many different elements which all work together to represent the company and what it stands for to the world. The brand identity needs to remain consistent throughout all its elements for it to be effective and achieve its purpose. To create instant brand recognition and build customer loyalty. Depending on the type of business you have as well as the type of brand, the elements that it consists of can differ. So to keep it simple, let’s just mention the basic elements that all brands should have. These elements are:
- Name
- Logo
- Colour Palette
- Typography
- Illustrations
- Iconography
Now that you know some of the elements that are required to create a great brand identity, let’s talk about how you can start creating one.
What Does A Great Brand Identity Include
The first crucial thing you should know is the factors that make a brand identity great. When designing a brand identity, you need to remember that a strong brand identity needs to be:
- Memorable – It needs to leave a lasting impression on people who see it.
- Unique – It needs to differentiate itself from the competition and be recognizable.
- Flexible – It should have the ability to evolve with the business and current trends.
- Consistent – Each element needs to be consistent and should build on one another.
If a brand identity fails to be any one of these, then it will not help the company stand out from the crowd.
How To Create A Great Brand Identity
This can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be. We’re here to help and make this process as easy as it can be. This guide will provide you with a simple step-by-step process that will take you through the entire process of creating a brand identity. This will help you understand what will be required of you, what you shouldn’t do so you can avoid mistakes, and how to get started and create a great brand identity. If you believe you require even more assistance, then hiring a brand-building agency will really make this process even easier and straightforward.
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Identify Your Current Brand Identity
Before you can start designing any of the elements that make up a brand identity, you need to know what your brand identity is. How do you do this? Simple, you can start by answering the following questions:
- What does your company believe in?
- What personality does your brand have?
- What is the goal of your company?
- What makes the company unique?
- How does your brand communicate with customers?
Answering these questions will help you identify the identity your brand has. Being able to define your brand is only the first step, but it is one of the most important steps. Take your time and make sure you are certain about the conclusions you reach about your brand identity. If you need help pinpointing your identity, then get some help from a brand-building firm, you don’t need to figure this out all on your own.
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Conduct Competitor Research
As mentioned above, being unique is a must if you want your brand identity to be great. To be unique, you need to know who your competition is and what their brand identity is. This will help you create your own identity that is different and doesn’t cause you to blend in with the crowd of other companies and become just another company.
This is a simple step, but crucial. Thorough research will help you avoid being just another company and really push you in a different direction from the competition. This is what you need if you want to stand out in a crowded market.
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Design Your Brand Identity
Designing your brand identity is the most creative aspect of this process. It is important that make sure this step is completed correctly. Just to make sure you are on the right track; you should hire a brand-building agency to help you. What you create in this step will be what customers see and associate with your business.
When designing your brand identity, you need to focus on the elements that will be most prominent in your company, as these will be the face of your company. These include the logo, your website, packaging of products, posters, business cards, email layout/design. Anything you plan on showing to customers needs to be consistent with your brand identity, as this will help build instant recognition.
Building a style guide will help you better use brand identity elements and create them as well. It will act as a guideline to make sure everything looks consistent, so your brand gives off the impression of professionalism and trustworthiness to all customers.
Conclusion
Your brand identity is what sets you apart from the competition. Having a great brand identity will increase the chances of success and help you better represent your company to customers. Creating a great brand identity can be intimidating, but you don’t need to do it all on your own, there are many brand-building companies that you can hire to help you make the process as smooth as possible.
