Understanding a brand identity and making a good one, too
A brand identity refers to the collection of all the elements a company uses to portray the correct image of itself to its consumers. It is different from branding and brand image despite the fact that both terms are used interchangeably.
Branding, as a term, refers to the marketing tactic of shaping a brand actively. Brand is a company’s perception in the public’s eye, as marketers from a logo design agency Dubai reveal in an explanation.
Brand identity instantly makes each business, brand, and company recognizable to customers. The audience associates the brand identity with the product or service. This is the identity that helps create a connection between a business and its customers. The same connection improves customer loyalty and how customers perceive the brand.
Branding also has an impact on a company’s financial success. Data is present to prove it. A digital agency once conducted a survey in Dubai among small, medium, and large enterprises, where a majority of business owners reported the importance of visual branding relevant to their business’s success. More than 70% said it contributed greatly to their growth, profit, and revenues.
Learning about branding from Ben and Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s isn’t just any ice cream brand. It developed a robust brand identity by combining fun and creativity with a commitment to social responsibility and sustainability. The company’s unique approach to branding makes it stand out in the United States ice cream market.
- It used fun and creative names for its product line. The brand is famous for its fun and quirky personality, using names like Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, and Phish Food. They stand out on the shelves. The names also give references to pop culture, humor, movies, and music. This is why Ben & Jerry’s is both enjoyable and relatable.
- The brand has deployed a unique and distinct visual identity. It uses bright and colorful packaging with illustrations reflecting its approachable and playful personality. The visual consistency deployed amplifies brand recognition.
- The brand deploys a robust color palette that is vibrant in nature. Bright blues, greens, yellow, orange, and red; they evoke feelings of playfulness, joy, enjoyment, laughter, and other positive emotions going along with their creative and fun image.
How to develop a robust brand identity?
A well-placed layout design is the first step towards creating a robust brand identity. Marketing experts from various firms across five industries in the United Arab Emirates would like to reveal factors that are instrumental in developing a robust brand identity.
Knowing who they (the business/brand/company) are
Understanding the brand as a whole in this regard is very important. Here are some elements that comprise a brand:
- The mission and values.
- The brand personality.
- Does the brand have any unique positioning? (how they can stand out from the competition).
- The brand’s voice.
These fundamental elements help define the brand. Before a company starts working on its brand identity, they must have a clear understanding of a brand, brand identity, and the factors making up both.
Those who are unable to determine these factors by themselves do not need to worry. All they need is a simple brainstorming session to get clarity on who they are in terms of being a brand. Here are some questions to begin with:
- Why was this business started?
- What beliefs and values are important to them as a company?
- What can they do better than others?
- Why is the business/brand/company special?
- What are the words that can describe the brand?
Design is the stepping stone of the brand identity
The design is what creates the company’s brand identity. The corporate design assets are tangible elements that can determine the brand’s perception. Logo, packaging, web design, web development, business cards, social media graphics, and employees’ uniforms determine all this.
In short, making the most of the design equals making the most of the brand identity. It equals making a successful business that represents the brand accurately.
- Typography.
- Color Palette.
- Forms and Shapes.
Designing the brand identity
Once companies have determined the building blocks of design, it is time to work with dedicated design teams to make the brand identity a reality. It should hence tell the world what the company is as a brand, especially into tangible design assets that can be used in marketing.
The brand identity can be expressed in a variety of elements. It depends on the company’s nature which asset is important and why.