Be it a new brand or an old brand undergoing brand reconstruction, a brand’s visual identity is important. Brand Visuality helps an organisation in the long-run. Consistency in a brand’s visual identity can attract and appeal to customers. In future, you can reduce advertising and marketing costs with consistent brand identity. Changing brand identity doesn’t appeal to customers as they can’t connect with the brand.
Brand identity comes under a separate category of brand image. It is the message that customers receive from the product. Why Brand identity? It creates consistency and sets guidelines for the products. It helps your customers to resonate with your brand and helps them in understanding your business better.
Here are a simple 10 point checklist that can help you with your brand identity.
Logo and taglines
Every business has a tagline and logo. Logo’s and taglines attract customers and also helps them in recognising you among your peers in the industry. Sometimes they can even help your brand in creating an emotional connection with your customers. Ensure that your logo reflects your brand and is related to it.
Limit your logo variations as it may confuse your customers. Just maintain a primary and a secondary logo. A secondary logo can be used in non-official places like t-shirts and other merchandise. Remember to keep your logo simple and easily rememberable. Catchy taglines always catch customers attention. Don’t spend too much time in perfecting your tagline, remember to keep it simple and cool.
B-cards and stationery
No business is complete without business cards. They are important and play a vital role in building professional relationships. B-cards have you prepared when you meet your potential customers or acquaintances that can introduce you to new customers. Make sure that your business cards deliver all necessary information about your company like your address, phone number, email id and logo. Don’t forget to only add your latest details.
Other office stationery like compliment slips, letterheads and envelopes they give brand identity for your brand and also makes everything organised and disciplines your business. They give a huge boost to your brand. And to fit your budget around, print on double sides of your business cards and letterheads as it may give a great sense of quality and professionalism.
Advertising
Advertising is important and will help you reach a new set of customers. So you have to keep all your advertisements consistent, be it your banners, point-of-displays, web banners, brochures. All these represent your brand so make sure that they represent your brand values. Put them all together and check whether they gel together or contrast. You can share your advertisements across all social media platforms.
Create something that resonates with your brand rather than contradicting it. Everything you do can’t satisfy everybody so concentrate on your targeted audience.
Office
Make sure that your office is sparkly clean. Your office may have unexpected guests everyday, you may conduct some meetings or invite some clients over. So untidy office may not leave a good impression on your clients, so keep it well maintained at all times.
An office is not just about walls and doors it also plays a pivot role in your brand identity and relationship building. Add a personality to your office, if your brand is cool make sure your office reflects it. Simply put, your office should reflect your brand personality. And also build a comfortable environment for your employees where they enjoy working and brainstorming new ideas.
Social media
Social media opens doors to a new world for your brand. It provides you with an opportunity to interact with your customers and clients better. You can address their grievances and also stay in touch with them, build a rapport with them. You can provide them with tips or suggestions relating to your industry in general. Everybody has a social media account right, so think how many new potential customers you could meet online.
Be creative and stay in touch with the audience frequently. Make sure your logo is displayed properly in your official social media handle. See that your posts stay in line with your brand image.
Website
Your website is the gateway to your brand and products. People understand your brand better by your website. So, see that your website only enhance user experience and makes them keep coming back for more. You can make your website an all-rounder like you can share information about your products, provide them with useful tips and blog. This helps you in creating a brand identity.
Your website should be in alignment with your advertisements, stationery and other marketing materials. Be consistent with everything like font style or image resolution etc. Make sure your website has your logo and all necessary information about your company like address, number, email id to contact and your employee profiles etc.
Custom T-shirts
Custom T-shirts are the best marketing strategy. Design a shirt that has your brands primary or secondary logo. These custom t-shirts are walking ads, they promote your brand efficiently. They create visibility to your brand and pique interest in a passer-by. The person wearing these t-shirts may meet so many people and all those people will get to know about your brand with just a T-shirt. How cool is that? You can create cool, funny and interesting designs for your T-shirts so people will love them.
They have certain visual appeal and can also act as conversation starters. And most importantly they are cost-effective, minimum effort and maximum results. Not only T-shirts but other things like custom vinyl stickers, pens etc can also help you in promoting your brand uniquely.
Brand Voice
Your brand should have its own unique voice. If you notice all these famous brands have a unique voice and different approach towards their products. Nobody can tell you how to create that voice, it totally depends on you and your brand. Make sure that your voice helps your customers understand your brand better.
And also stay consistent with everything you do with your brand. Don’t change your logo, colour palette, fonts etc more frequently. It gets hard for your customers to keep up with these changes. They may feel alienated and lose interest in your brand completely.
Employees and customers
Employees and customers are both important for your business successes. Your employees are pillars that help you in holding your business together. So talk to them, ask them what they think needs to improve in your brand or products, learn their ideas on how to promote the brand and participate in brainstorming with them as it may help in building team spirit. Make them feel like they are an integral part of your brand. Build an environment where they are comfortable to work.
Customer satisfaction is the most important thing for your business. Remember that your customer’s mouth publicity is as important as your advertisements. If they are satisfied with your services they will recommend your brand to their acquaintances and other close friends. So always strive to keep them satisfied with your products and services.
Raise a toast
After all the hard work you put into building your brand. Now is the time to host an amazing party for your sales team, executives, product designers, family, friends, clients and communities. Share your brand’s vision and mission. What pinnacle you want your brand to reach in the next couple of years. Talk about your products and thank all those people who supported you in this journey. This will act as an excellent promotion for your brand and also builds a great brand identity for your brand among your peers.
If you have crossed all these essential items in the checklist then your brand identity will definitely increase and also improve your brand image among your targeted audience and help you in reaching your goal.
