Years back in the market circle, all that ever went through the minds of entrepreneurs was to project themselves out there, or sell what they’ve got to sell.
Nobody ever considered the rudiments of excellence.
What was it to be done to stand out, to be different, in a market of seemingly terrifying competitions? It wasn’t so clear.
As the years went by, the narratives starter changing, there were so much flavor added to the business world, one of such is “brand identity”
We cannot say it was absent in the former years, but business owners revolved around it in ignorance, hence it was just a naked cake, no icing to compliment it’s importance.
In this article, I will share with you ;
- What is brand identity
- Brand image
- Why brand identity
- What to consider as a business owner,
- What is brand identity
Brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as logo, arrangement,materials, and Colours, that exclusively tell apart it’s uniqueness in the face of its consumers. Brand identity speaks to the essence and uniqueness of a brand.
It has a creative way of speaking to the mind of the consumer.
Therefore, there is a tendency to generate good leads in business, when there is a proper brand identity.
Consequently we have had to see much more in identifying brands these days, beyond just names, logos, and creative designs, we’ve seen brand uniquely and significantly pulled themselves out of the crowd.
Streamlining this fact to the entertainment industry, you find individual brands that have proven themselves to be exceptional because of their identity. We’ve seen brands known for just what they say consistently, or what they wear, or their gesture, and as insignificant as that may look, it has a whole lot to speak to their growth, visual awareness and general audience lead.
This speaks to how much a real brand identity will do to the growth of any business in the world today.
One of the lead brands whose identity creatively speaks to what they offer to the world is “Apple”. They have consistently top the list of the most effective and recognized brand in the world, Apart from the quality they give, their identity as seem to be one of their realest secret to success, they’ve in several years created the impression that it’s products are satiny, advanced, top of the line among their competitors and yet eminently useful at the same time.
So a brand like “Apple” whose products appear to be one of the most expensive in the technology industry, yet still one of the most bought and used products in the world, thereby defeating the fear of not making sale because of price, it shows to tell how important brand identity is to a business.
Brand image
Brand image is distinct from a brand identity,
Brand image is the actual result of the efforts put into creating a brand identity.
Brand image gives all the fundamentals of the functionality of a brand. In a brand image is where a brand grabs the opportunity of educating its consumers on its uniqueness and why they stand out. This is why the kind of advertising that goes in for a brand, it’s all a reflection of a brand image.
Why a company will use people in their advertising jingles over animations, all points to their intent and goal out there.
The brand image that a company achieves is a powerful tool for gaining market leverage; In a competitive market, a company’s brand image will actualize an inflow of reach and also become a determinant as to the end decisions of its audience.
Why brand identity
There are several reasons why brand identity is very important, one of the utmost is its ability to drive in sales, which essentially its the purpose of every business, here are a few reasons why you should consider branding your business
Personality :
A brand identity gives the visual representation of the values, culture and ethics of the company. With a brand identity, the feelings of your audience are stimulated, they know what to expect and what not to expect, this means that your brand identity should communicate your company’s message and idolize your business goal easily well.
Consistency
Where you have a proper brand identity, it serves as a caution tool from deviation, in other words there is a need to maintain a standard and do better, so the company will see a need to always match up with the uniqueness and excellence that the brand identity communicates.
For Recognition:
Without a good brand identity, your brand will never be known or recognized, your brand name, logo design symbols and Colours are some of the elements that makes your brand highly attractive and recognizable, everybody knows the yellow colour behind MTN, or the iconic red behind Coca-Cola brand. As soon as someone sees your Colour ambit around alongside your logo, they should be able to instantly tell its your brand.
You don’t need to bother about being in the face of the general public everytime. You should actually embrace it, as continued recognition will lead to increased trust.
So, the more people see and recognize your brand, the innotime you’ll be able to build trust in your company. Before you know it, you’ll become a household name!
Differentiation
In a market or an industry of seemingly emerging rivals and competitors, your brand identity is your key asset to standing out, your first uniqueness lies in the message that your brand identity communicates.
Awareness
Advertising is one of the spies of every thriving business, but with a poor brand identity, there will be a failure in reaching the target audience, it therefore means that a good brand identity will sell itself, making it easy for the consumers to spot the business.
It Builds Loyalty And Trust
An effective or strong brand identity is a key way to building a vibrant relationship with customers. If they feel you both share the same values, which can be reflected from your brand image, they will be attracted to your brand, which will make them comfortable in choosing you over your competitors. If you can keep this connection alive, you will be able to keep a long term relationship with your customers, since it allows them make a connection between a product and the company.
It increases Revenue
“Apple” as I mentioned earlier tops the list of a brand with a strong identity, her high price point it’s a direct reflect to the strong brand identity it has built over the years.
One of the leads for a good brand identity, is that it is memorable in the minds of its customers, hence, in an option of recommendation, they will always choose you, so what comes to mind now?
By spending the money necessary to create a strong, unique brand identity, you too can attract high-paying customers, thereby increasing your revenue.
What to consider as a business owner
In creating a brand identity there are things to consider, don’t forget that brand identity is a body of visual or graphic work, projected towards selling your company or business to the market.
So as a business owner, you need to have a picture of what you want your brand identity to be, then the real work begins. Don’t forget you are building from beneath to top, so there is a need to consider the following;
Train your team
You have to sell your vision to your team members, everyone has to cognitively think the same way, when creating a brand identity.
Branding is always an in house birthing, before it is sold to the audience, If your teem members can’t see the picture you want to create, then your audience will certainly run with a distorted image of your brand.The vision of the business must be in sync with the brand identity.
Get a logo
Every brands logo is a town crier, it heralds the brand’s message, and values. Every elements use must communicate its message, from the symbols, shapes and even Colours, should not be taken for granted, the goal is if the logo passes the message and not if it’s beautiful, so your individual colour choice might not be an option, if it doesn’t tally with the mental imagery of the company.
Come up with a new company name
Are you sure your current brand name is pulling its weight, if not then it should be changed. In choosing a new name, you have to define your brand and know what you want to achieve, the kind of customers you want to attract, how do you want your name to reflect your business, once you have answered these questions, you will find it easier to choose a word or phrase that reflects your brand.
Creating awareness has to come by these means ;
- Online and offline advertising
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Public outings and more.
However, it will be an unwise and a purposeless decision to make, if a brand engages in all medium at a go. Instead, you should know which one will produce a lead for you, because not all business requires same advertising strategies, some will do better via offline marketing, while others will via email marketing. Once you’ve settled this, then you can revisit the other options in the future to see if you need to mix it up.
Take brand identity inspirations from these brands;
Apple, Coca-Cola, Airbnb, and JBL.
Final thoughts
It’s no cliché that brand identity has got a vital role to play in the leads that a company generates. It’s a okay for some entrepreneurs to disagree with these facts, but truth is when you invest time, effort and resources into it, it can generate maximum result and project a pivotal shift to your business or institution.
