Building a brand is a complex process that addresses the expectations and relationships of a customer, so it influences them to pick one product over another. It makes your products and services recognisable and distinguishable from that of your competitors. The customer then creates an emotional link to it.
Branding separates products by giving a certain and unrivalled experience. Defining your visual identity is crucial in reinforcing recognition. Here are 5 aspects to consider when doing so:
1. Establish a Purpose
The visible components of a brand include the logo, corporate colours, name, typography, and images. From the beginning, define what your brand purpose is so it can inform your positioning in the market.
Identify what will make it stand out from the rest and why it exists before coming up with a strategy for creating your logo and colour scheme. Positioning your brand the right way lays the groundwork for accomplishing your purpose and will help you gain emotional appeal with your visual elements. Conduct thorough market research to aid in identifying your purpose.
2. Develop a Brand Personality
Brand personality determines your tone of communication, and it helps customers connect with your brand. The tone should be appropriate in all platforms. Narrowing your personality to a single statement summarises the attributes associated with it. When you have a definite personality, choosing the right colours to portray associated emotions becomes effortless.
3. Make it Memorable
Once you define your personality and identify your purpose, it is time to bring the visual elements to life. A logo is central to brand identity. When creating one, let it enhance recognition. It should line up with the rest of the visual elements, be straightforward, and memorable, so there is an instant connection with your products at a glance.
4. Be Consistent
Visual components represent and reinforce the attributes of a brand. It is, therefore, essential that they remain consistent no matter where they are displayed. Whether you are crafting marketing materials, developing a website, creating a business card, branding the office, designing brochures, or ordering corporate uniforms for a special event, the visual elements on the material should remain the same. Consistency is also critical to the growth and visibility of your brand, as it impacts on the marketing response.
5. Consider Their Attractiveness
Your corporate colours go into your logo, promotion material, online platforms, and company wear. Other than being consistent and conveying your brand personality, the scheme should be attractive and only consist of three primary colours.
Keep the typography professional and let the font work in harmony with the logo. To keep the font readable, avoid fancy ones. Do not use contrasting fonts. Instead, opt for different typefaces in case you want something to stand out. Also, ensure that the text background is appropriate.
Visual identity is vital in enhancing brand recognition. Once established, consider instilling a sense of continuity, especially in cases of growth and accompanying re-branding. Right from the beginning, consider how the visual elements are likely to carry on with your evolution so you won’t have to abandon your initial design altogether, as this could disorient your customers. When you only have to tweak the elements a little, the transition is more natural, and customers don’t strain to recognise your brand.
