We’ve talked about building your brand, and how your brand is more than your logo. But have you looked at your brand identity, and do you know what it is? Think about your identity. It makes you unique and recognizable. If you get your hair done people notice and will probably comment on it. If you started talking in a different accent, people who know you would ask why. Your brand identity is what makes your business unique. It’s your typography, color choices, logo, messaging, and imagery that represent your brand’s personality, values, and mission. Can you imagine if the golden arches were pink one day? What if a popular business changed its slogan? As consumers, it would be confusing. We would start to ask ourselves if it was even the same company. So how do you keep your brand identity consistent and relevant? Let’s find out!
First, you have to make sure that your brand identity is going to resonate with your target audience. If your product is bright and fun and geared towards people with an active lifestyle, you wouldn’t want to use dark muted colors. And if you’re more upscale, you will want to use messaging and imagery that depicts the sleek and high-end style your customers want. A strong brand identity will help you stand out from competitors, so it’s important that once you have developed it, you use it in all of your communications, including your photography and videography.
Now that you have your brand identity, what do you do with it? Well, you use it to keep your brand recognizable. This doesn’t just mean throwing your logo and business name on all of your marketing materials. This goes into your social posts, graphic elements, email marketing, and more. When you post on social media does your brand identity lean more towards round shapes, and create feelings of community, or do you need to use straight-edged shapes to draw attention to something your customers will connect with? Do you use a serif, sans serif, or script font with your graphics? Do your social graphics match the feeling you want your audience to feel about your brand? Is your message clear and concise?
Yes, your logo is important to keeping your brand visible and making sure people recognize it, but if the rest of your brand identity doesn’t match what you want your customers to feel they won’t remember your logo. Keeping a brand guide will be vital to making sure your brand’s identity is consistent throughout all of your marketing efforts. So when you send out your email marketing, make sure your brand voice carries through. On your social media posts keep your graphics on brand, and don’t stray away from how you want people to recognize you.
Think about products that we pay a lot of money for. If we didn’t recognize their brand identity we wouldn’t spend the money. You won’t run out to buy the latest pear phone because you don’t know who or what it is. You don’t know what it stands for, or what to expect. But you’ll drop a pretty penny for the more recognizable Apple product. Make your brand memorable with a consistent brand identity that matches your vision, mission, values, and goals for your business. If you need help creating a cohesive brand identity Hexcode is here for you! Shoot us a message if you are needing help with making your brand stand out.