Developing A Unique Brand Identity: The 11-Step Guide
Your brand identity is the essence of who you are. Many interchange the word brand with the logo. And while there are some intersections, a logo is merely a symbol of the business. The brand is so much more. When talking about brand identity, we are talking about who you are, what values you stand behind, and what the overall personality of your company is. If you want to learn a little more about branding, check out our blog delves deep into what exactly branding is.
Why is establishing a brand identity so important? Essentially this will differentiate you from your competitors. If we do think of brand identity in terms of a personality—it is easy to understand then why it needs to be unique. People all have different personalities, right? Businesses are no exception. Therefore, as a company, you need to carefully define that brand. You want it so that when people see something, hear something or think about something, they instantly connect it with your business.
Cultivating a unique brand identity
The question stands: how does a business cultivate a unique brand identity? Is it simply a matter of using the same colors throughout your marketing collateral? Consistent content marketing that speaks to your target audience? Is it about drumming that mission and vision statement into peoples’ heads? In many ways, it is all of these things and then some. Below, we will go through some of the methods and strategies you might use to not only create a unique brand identity, but also make sure the public respects it as one that is all your own.
What we will cover:
- Establishing your brand’s personality
- Defining Your Audience
- Designing a great logo
- Branding Colors
- Typography
- Using Branded Templates
- The Language Behind Your Brand
- Establishing your brand with social media
- Keeping things consistent
Your brand as the face of your business & Identity
The face of who you are as a company takes into consideration numerous factors. Your logo for one is a huge part of it. Think of some of the most famous and recognizable logos you know. Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, Amazon. Their logos are distinctive and as such, you immediately connect that image with that business. Beyond the logo, there are taglines. Again, what are some of the most memorable: America runs on Dunkin’, or how about the ever recognizable “Just do it.” These also are components of those organizations’ brand identities. There are also less tangible elements associated with brand identity. From reputation to the culture you promote, these are part of what makes up the “face” of the business.
With all that said, let’s jump into the 9 steps towards building a unique brand identity.
1.) Establish Your Brand’s Personality
This is perhaps one of the most important steps when it comes to brand identity development. In many ways, a brand is to a firm what a personality is to a person. Personality here will come to influence the tone and style of your messaging for example. How do you determine what type of personality your brand should have? Start by thinking of a famous person, movie, book, show, etc. which embodies how you see your personality. Once you have this in your mind, build off of it.
Article written by Anne Carson for Design Wizard.