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What Is Brand Identity?
The first time the term “brand” was used was when cattle were “branded” with a mark. The brand proved that they belonged to a particular farmer who was responsible for keeping them fed and flourishing. Over the years, the “brand” term evolved into something more than just a symbol or name plastered over the surface.
A brand is about what people say when you aren’t exactly there to listen. It’s the impression you leave on someone after you closed a sale. And your brand identity is practically the process in which you are shaping that impression.
Reasons Why Brand Identity Is Important
The brand identity is, simply put, a template that includes anything you might want to put on an ad to promote your business. It may be an online ad, a print, or only a commercial that appears while watching YouTube videos. A good brand will simply promote itself – and when seeing that brand, people will not even need to watch the ad or look at the flyer. They will already know what they are going to find on it – all because you already made an impression on them.
As you may have realized, the brand is practically the embodiment of every action your business takes on. As CEO of Monbi.com, Louie Ortiz says:
“The brand is the thought that remains in your customer’s mind. It’s the aspect that takes your business into the future. It’s the thing that makes you unique in comparison to other brands. It can’t be replicated – and if anyone tries, other people will still see your name in the other copy.”
In other words, the brand is more than a simple logo; its importance is unmeasured. And here are the top reasons why that’s the case:
1. It’s the Face of Your Business
2. It Builds Trust and Credibility
If you have a proper brand identity, you won’t only have a more great product – but you’ll also make sure that it has more authority in the marketplace. Think about Coca Cola; there are countless brands out there that sell the “Cola” drink. However, it’s not the original Coca Cola – and the people buying it know it. They will not trust any cola-looking glass they see unless they see the “Coca Cola” logo plastered.
3. It States the Mission of Your Company
When you create a brand identity, you are practically giving it something for which it can stand. In return, it will give your business a purpose. We are all aware that every business begins with a purpose, right? Well, that can’t happen without first honing the identity of your brand.
4. It Makes an Impression on the Buyer
The brand identity is, simply put, a template that includes anything you might want to put on an ad to promote your business. It may be an online ad, a print, or only a commercial that appears while watching YouTube videos. A good brand will simply promote itself – and when seeing that brand, people will not even need to watch the ad or look at the flyer. They will already know what they are going to find on it – all because you already made an impression on them.
5. It Creates New Customers and Delights Current Ones
Steps for Creating the Brand
If you wish for the business to become beloved and well-known, it might have to include some work from your part. As long as you follow the steps correctly, there shouldn’t be an issue. As British business magnate Sir Richard Branson once put it,
“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.“ [1]
In other words, with commitment comes great success. And as long as you commit to the following steps and strive to make them a possibility, it should be easy for you to build your brand. You just need to want it hard enough.
1. Reach the Audience and Know Your Competition
reating a brand is pretty much like starting up a business. Just like in that scenario, the first step here would be to do some research on the market. First, you will need to clarify exactly who your audience is and what they want from you. Knowing this is vital if you wish to create a brand that everyone will learn to love.
“A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep – a fundamental appreciation of mythology. Stories create the emotional context people need to locate themselves in a larger experience.”[2]
One right way to reach your audience and know your brand is to conduct a SWOT analysis. This way, you will be able to discover the strengths of your business, its weaknesses, the threats, and the opportunities that may arise. Thus, you will know precisely where your brand stands.
2. How to Create Your Brand Logo
3. Use Words and Language to Connect
Louie Ortiz of Monbi.com also suggests that you add a story when you create your brand. A story has that way of drawing the customer in more than any type of content could.
“Everyone loves hearing a good story. Everyone loves a story that can move them. It’s in our nature to feel – to be compassionate and emotionally connect with our surroundings. As a result, when we see a brand that seems “robotic,” with no story, there’s no way for us to connect with that brand. However, when we see that the brand also has a story, we can emotionally connect and become more invested. You need to bring out the story in a voice that is as friendly as possible: to create a stable relationship between the brand and the consumer.”
Once you have the story and the appropriate manner of using words, it is time for you to begin advertising your business. Design ads – and make sure you use the methods that matter. Considering that this planet has about 3.196 billion people using social media (with those numbers only growing more and more), it’s safe to assume that these platforms are an excellent place to start when building your brand.
4. Know What You Should Avoid
When creating your brand, there are some things that you should do – and some things that you should avoid. If you find that you are guilty of the following practices, then there’s a high chance that your brand might fail at some point:
· You are giving your consumers mixed signals
A golden rule when you are creating a brand is that you have to choose each word wisely and to make sense. If it seems to make sense to you, the same might not apply to all of your consumers – so, make sure that you choose your words wisely and remain transparent.
· You are copying your competitors
While there is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on your competitors and learning from their successes, this does not mean that you have to copy everything that they do. It won’t bring you their customers, mostly because they have already been hooked by what your competitors did. However, look at what they do – and try adding a twist to it. Make it even better so that the customers will come to you for innovative products.
· You are losing consistency between your online and offline presence
Indeed, your offline presence should look a bit different in comparison to your online one – but at the same time, it should not be too different. Make sure that you remain consistent with the type, message, theme, and colors.
5. Monitor Your Brand
Final Thoughts
Creating a brand is not that difficult – but you do need to put some time into it. To create a memorable brand, you need to invest in the consistent use of language, type, images, and color – but in the end, it is worth it. Once the consumer is instantly able to
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