Essential Pieces of the Brand Identity Puzzle

What to Include So Customers Know It’s You

Having a strong brand identity has become a critical requirement for business success no matter the size of your company. Branding is the opportunity to quickly convey to consumers the story of your business. That’s important because you want people to remember your company and that you do the best job at providing exactly what they need or want. 

It’s necessary to differentiate your business from competitors with distinctive qualities so you may build a relationship with consumers. You want to invoke a feeling within them, so they understand and appreciate everything that makes your brand unique. 

While you only have 5 to 7 seconds to make a first impression, creating brand awareness isn’t something that happens overnight. Let this information guide you.

Building a brand identity

In order to build your brand, you have to understand your company in detail. Answering these questions will give you a start:

• What is your mission? 
• Why did you start your business?
• Why does your business do what it does?
• What beliefs and values drive your company?
• What do you do better than any other business?
• What makes you special?
• If your brand was a person, what kind of personality would they have?
• How would that person communicate?
• What three words best describe your business?
• What do you want your customers to believe about your business?

There is a collection of brand elements that play a significant role in creating a strong brand identity. They can be classified in two ways:

Traditional:

• Logo
• Color Palette
• Typography
• Visual content

Digital:

• Website
• Email
• Social Media
• Audio/Video

Let’s examine these elements in detail.

Logo

Consider your company’s logo the “face” of your business; it’s likely one of the first things about your business that people will get to know. Logos should be attention grabbers. A good logo is visually pleasing and should automatically convey a positive message about your company. Even if a consumer doesn’t exactly remember your company name, a logo should trigger an association about what your business provides and how your company makes them feel (such as happy, nostalgic, motivated, welcomed, calm, or loved).

A logo separates you from the competition and creates familiarity. A well-designed logo builds trust and loyalty. Use this element to stick your brand in the minds of your customer so that when they need to seek you out, your logo is the thing they’ll look for first.

Color Palette

Research shows that using a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80%. This is because people have emotional ties and immediate connections to different colors:

• Red: Passion, excitement, youthfulness, urgency.
• Orange: Caution, playfulness, safety.
• Yellow: Happiness, fun, accessibility.
• Green: Friendliness, natural wholesomeness, greed. 
• Purple: Royalty, luxury, pride.
• Pink: Love and femininity.
• Black: Sleek, classic, mournfulness, sophistication.
• Blue: Calmness, stability, and trustworthiness. Blue is the most universally appealing color that reaches a wide demographic. This is likely why a third of the world’s top 100 brands include the color blue in their logos.

Typography

Typography helps to define the personality of your brand. Fonts can be used to convey humor, seriousness, or traditional or modern qualities. Typography sets the tone and commands the attention of your audience. It motivates them to take action. Because different fonts have different connotations, you’ll want to be sure to pick one that best represents the qualities of your business.

Visual content

Photos, graphics and other visuals tell your brand story without you having to utter another word. Your look should differentiate from the competition, so customers know in a glance that it’s your brand.

Website

The importance of a website today cannot be underestimated. It is often the very first stop for consumers and the resource they will tap again and again to gather information about your brand. It’s important that any visitor sees a cohesive example that aligns elements of color, typography, and visuals that showcase your brand identity and your company’s value and goals.

Email design and marketing

Utilizing email marketing is a great way to engage customers. You want to rise above the clutter of overcrowded inboxes. Creating messages that establish a personal connection and keep consumers focused on your offerings helps strengthen your brand.

Social Media

On average, it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember your brand. Social media helps drive your brand message. Nearly two-thirds of active Internet users today have social media accounts; that’s more than 3 billion people. Utilizing social media platforms provides a consistent presentation of your brand identity that can increase revenue by as much as 33%. Social media is also a great way to promote blogs on your website. Research shows that brands that blog generate 67% more leads.

Video

More than 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool today because it’s such an effective element in digital marketing. Videos are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. People like buying from people and creating a brand video quickly lets consumers know the people behind the company.  

Ready to build?

When you are top-of-mind, you’ll be the top choice and that impacts your bottom line. Now that you know about the important elements for brand identity, if you need some help along the way, give us a call. Have a conversation with the T.E. Digital team. We have the expertise to help showcase your small business so that you stand out in the marketplace.