THE POWER OF A GREAT BRAND IDENTITY
Let's play a quick game.
We will list a brand and you have to write down what immediately comes to mind. Ready? Go.
Nike
Chanel
McDonalds
Apple
Qantas
If you wrote down a tick, interlocking 'C's, those golden arches, an apple with a bite taken out, and a bounding kangaroo on a red background, congratulations! You have the same answers as millions of people across the globe, and more importantly, you've highlighted just a portion of the power of a great brand identity.
So, what exactly is brand identity?
Well, it's all of the ways a business defines and presents itself to the world. From the business name itself, to primary and secondary logos, to language and tone, to colour scheme and typography. It's the elements that create your brand's essence - its personality - and in this game, a point of difference and consistency are absolutely key. Every experience someone has with your brand should work together to create a clear impression, so that when someone interacts with your brand, they're doing more than just purchasing a product or engaging a service, they're emotionally connecting and aligning themselves with what your brand stands for from start to finish.
See where we're going with this? Essentially, brand identity has the power to create a positive reputation, credibility and create loyal customers that will keep coming back for more.
Starting from scratch?
You can more or less chalk brand identity up to four 'cornerstones'...
The big picture concept; what is at the core of your company. Why did you start it? What drives it?
What do you value? What are your beliefs? How will these fit in with your business?
What does the future hold? Where do you want your business to go? What's the vision and end goal?
If your brand was a person... how would it act, speak, communicate?
Where to from here?
Harnessing the potential of positive brand identity is no mean feat. It requires steady planning and strategy, a real understanding of who your audience is (and how they might differ from who you want them to be), a keen eye for design, a marketing brain, and the ability to ask yourself difficult questions - a combination near impossible for one individual alone to tackle.
To build a brand identity that's not only strong and memorable, but that lasts the distance and stands the test of time, you need to be innovative, thorough and be able to step out from the chaos of it all - it's all about how others perceive you, after all. That's where the experts come in.
Starting with a solid strategy, our team can take the steps one by one to build your brand to exactly match your vision - who knows, maybe we'll even improve it ;). Time to create a brand that connects on an emotional, physical and mental level? Get in touch with us.
WORDS | Lucy Francis, TLSE
