Why is Brand Identity so Important?

Components of a well-developed brand identity.

Your brand identity is the way you present your company to your customers, which involves your brand name, the design of your logo, the colors and graphics you use, and the tone of voice that comes through in your brand’s message.

The best brand names are easily recognizable and clearly communicate their brand statement. Big corporations spend millions every year marketing and improving their brand identity because they are aware of the effect it has on their revenue and market share.

In this article, we will review the essential components of brand identity that you should be focusing on to create a successful brand image.

Brand identity is the ‘appearance’ of your business.

Your brand’s logo, marketing collateral and other visual (and linguistic) components of brand identity comprise the ‘looks’ of your business. Would you agree that ‘appearance’ should serve a better purpose rather than merely incite interest or have an appeal? And it does: brand identity is associative, which means, broadly speaking, that your logo signifies your business and thus brand. That’s why you should think twice before deciding on the brand identity components because they will project an impression that will result in general brand sentiment and certain associations, in other words – your brand image. Most importantly, you would want the actual impression that is received by the audience to coincide with the one you initially intended.

Brand identity is the template for advertising campaigns.

Once your great personality (brand) is endowed with amazing ‘looks’ (brand identity) the next step would be to start doing professional photoshoots, i.e. advertising campaigns that showcase the beauty and uniqueness of your business. You can’t drastically change your brand identity, but you should remain flexible and play with it because market commands relevancy. Putting aside the analogy, your brand identity is the template for your advertising – print, online, or commercial – a vehicle for the impressions you intend to make on your target audience.

Brand identity builds credibility and trust in your business.

Your brand identity solidifies your brand in the minds of the audience, provided it is consistent over time and across the business operation. Initially, it makes your business memorable (brand awareness), then it starts growing your authority in the market (brand recognition) until it simply sustains it as such (brand loyalty). An established brand identity strengthens your brand reputation among the competition and credibility among customers, turning your product or service into a successful business.

Brand identity commands price premium and perception of quality.

The better your looks are, the better people think you are, and the more they think you should cost. You might not necessarily be expensive, but your brand identity, especially if it’s consistently enhanced, commands it so. When it comes to an iconic brand, it’s worth more than a product or service it stands for. Oftentimes, the case may be that your competitors’ products are technologically as good as yours, but your brand becomes the magnet that attracts more customers. A strong brand identity always positions you in the mind of a customer as a business providing quality worth paying for. But of course, such success requires much time and resources to grow. And it starts with getting your brand identity right.

Reliable brand identity differentiates your business.

A branded business is generally seen as more experienced, trustworthy, and reliable than an unbranded one. Strong brand identity projects an image of a long-established business. By implication, it also places you in a position to partner alongside larger organizations. Investing in brand identity thus helps win more business deals. Additionally, perceived quality not only differentiates your company but also benefits it money-wise through a price premium. Simply put, a well-established brand identity makes you stand out in your market for both prospective customers and potential partners.

Brand identity mustn’t be reduced to things like logo or corporate colors – these are just the manifestation of something bigger. The bigger encompasses your company’s philosophy, purpose, mission and the connection (association) that forms in the mind of your customer between your company and the product or service you offer.

That said, a good product attracts more customers, but a good brand creates advocates.

Position yourself as better quality by developing a strong brand identity.
Start today.

 

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