Crafting a Strong Brand Identity

Crafting a Strong Brand Identity

If you want your business to be a success, you need to build a strong brand identity. Your brand identity is much more than simply an eye-catching logo or memorable slogan – it’s the very essence of your business.

Your customers will perceive your business in a particular way based on your brand identity.  Therefore, it’s essential to use a mix of creativity, consistency and a deep understanding of your audience to craft your brand identity.

Here’s everything you need to know!

What exactly is brand identity?

Brand identity is the collection of a range of key elements. These elements work together to portray the right brand image to your audience. They include:

· Logo
· Colours
· Typography
· Packaging
· Messaging

All of these elements combined are what make your brand unique. They also help it to stand out in a crowded marketplace and show off your brand’s personality. They also help to build customer loyalty.

With 90% of consumers claiming that brand loyalty is crucial to purchasing decisions, it’s clearly very important to get your messaging spot on. 

Ready to craft your brand identity? Here’s our step-by-step guide!

1. Define your brand

Before you begin creating a unique and strong brand identity, ask yourself the following questions:

· What does your brand stand for?
· What are your core business values?
· What is your brand mission?
· Who is your target audience?
· What problems does your product or service solve?
· What is unique to your business? How does it compare to your competitors?

Once you have the answers to these questions, they’ll form the foundations of your brand identity. They’ll help to determine the tone of voice you use, and will help you to resonate with your target audience.

2. Find out as much as possible about your competitors

When it comes to differentiating your brand, you need to research your competitors.

What branding elements do they use, like colour schemes, messaging and logo? What elements of their branding impress you? Are there any gaps in their branding?

Asking these questions will help you to find opportunities to stand out and offer something unique.

3. Start creating your brand elements!

Got a clear understanding of your brand and the competitive landscape? Then it’s time to create the verbal and visual elements of your brand identity!

Logo

This is typically the first thing that people will notice about your brand.

A logo should be simple yet memorable. It should show your brand’s personality. If it includes letters or writing, it must be easy to read.

With so many amazing tools out there – as well professional designers to choose from – the choice is yours when it comes to creating yours.

Colour palette

Colour is incredibly powerful in creating first emotions. When it comes to first impressions of a brand, it holds immense significance. 

According to Pantone, up to 90% of snap judgements made about products are based on colour alone, so choose wisely! 

Choose a colour palette that reflects your brand’s values. Want to convey trust and professionalism? Consider blue. Want to signify health and sustainability? Opt for green.  

Typography

When it comes to fonts, again, you need to be consistent across all of your branding materials. Whether for digital marketing purposes or for offline print, you need to ensure your fonts are easy to read. They must also reflect your brand’s personality.

Choosing typography for a tech company? Consider modern, sleek fonts. Got a children’s brand? Go for more rounded, more playful fonts.

Imagery

When it comes to images and graphics, these also need to be consistent with your brand messaging and style. Go for high-quality, professional images. Why? These will demonstrate that your business is also high-quality and professional.

Tone of voice

Tone of voice is the way you speak to your audience. It can be formal, authoritative, friendly or humorous.

Creating a unique Tone of Voice document is advisable. This is something that everyone dealing with your brand can use. Tone of voice should be the same within your:

· Website copy
· Blog posts
· Social media copy
· Correspondence with your customers

Whatever tone of voice you opt for, make sure you’re consistent with its usage.

4. Create your brand guidelines

Your brand guidelines include all of the above information, including:

· Logo usage
· Colour palette
· Typography
· Imagery
· Tone of voice

Include all of the above information in a single document. This will help your team maintain a consistent brand identity across all of your channels, such as your social media platforms. 

5. Implement your brand identity

Now that you’ve got all of your information in one place, it’s time to implement your brand identity across all touchpoints! This means that you need to have the same brand identity in the following places:

· Website
· Blog posts
· Social media profiles
· Packaging
· Marketing materials
· Consumer-facing content

Consistency is so important. Current and potential customers will be able to easily recognise your brand, and will be able to relate to it more easily. 

According to Linearity, maintaining a consistent brand presentation across all platforms can boost revenue by as much as 23%. 

6. Monitor your brand

Once you’ve implemented your brand identity, you need to monitor its success.

Monitoring gives you valuable insights, and enables you to make changes where necessary. Get feedback from your customers. What changes are happening in the market? As your business grows and market trends shift, your brand should evolve too.

No matter what changes you make, always ensure you’re true to your core brand values and mission.

Why does my business need a strong brand identity? 

There are so many benefits to having a well-crafted brand identity. These include:

Recognition

Creating a unique yet consistent brand identity makes it easier for customers to recognise your brand. This helps to solidify your brand positioning while increasing trust in your brand. According to Exploding Topics, 81% of consumers need to trust a brand in order to consider buying from it. 

Differentiation

Want to stand out from your competitors? Then you definitely need to develop a strong brand identity. This helps persuade people to choose you over a competitor.

Effective marketing

A clear brand identity makes your marketing efforts more effective. This is because they provide a consistent message and visual style that resonates with your target audience.

Customer loyalty

When customers feel connected to your brand, they’re more likely to become repeat buyers. Once they become repeat buyers, then they’re far more likely to become advocates for your brand. This is the best word of mouth marketing you could hope for!

Have you developed a strong brand identity?

Yes, you’re busy running a business, but this doesn’t mean your brand identity should go ignored. Without one, you’ll struggle to succeed in a competitive market.

By focusing on all of the above elements, you’ll be able to build a brand that stands out from the crowd and connects with your audience. Remember, your brand identity is the face of your business. Take the time to ensure a thoughtful and consistent approach.

Seeking to supercharge your brand identity? Contact EWM.

We create lasting, trusted relationships with our clients to ensure their precise needs are met. Our solutions are innovative, authentic and forward-thinking. Through our unique branding solutions, our mission is to increase your brand’s visibility, generate quality leads and grow your client base.

Reach out to the team at EWM today.