Just like your personal identity makes you unique
Your brand identity is the special sauce of your business that sets you apart from every other Tom, Dick and Harry, Inc. on the block. And the design of your brand identity? It is what shapes your company.
But what exactly is brand identity? What does it have to do with design? And how do you shape a strong brand identity that takes your business to the next level?
What is brand identity?
Let's start with a definition. What does the term brand identity mean?
Brand identity is the collection of all the elements that a company creates to present the correct image to its consumer. Brand identity is different from "brand image" and "brand", although these terms are sometimes treated as interchangeable.
The term brand refers to the marketing practice of actively shaping a distinctive brand. The brand is the perception of the company in the eyes of the world.
How to develop a strong brand identity
know who you are
Before you know what tangible elements you want to make up your brand identity, you need to know who you are as a brand.
Who you are as a brand is made up of a few key elements:
- Your mission (what is your "why?")
- Your values (what beliefs drive your company?)
- Your brand personality (if your brand were a person, what type of personality would they have?)
- Your unique positioning (how do you stand out from the competition?)
- The voice of your brand (if your brand were a person, how would it communicate?)
These elements are what define your brand, and before you start building your brand identity, it's important that you have a clear understanding of each one.
If you're having trouble figuring out who exactly you are, don't worry. Sometimes all you need is a simple brainstorm to help you gain clarity on who you are as a brand.
Ask yourself:
- Why did we start this business?
- What are the beliefs and values that are important to us as a company?
- What do we do better than anyone?
- What makes us special?
- If we could describe our brand in three words, what would they be?
- What are the three words we would like our customers to use to describe us?
You can also check out this amazing brand book from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. While this workbook is geared towards personal branding, the strategies will work for any type of business model.
Once you've locked in who you are as a brand, it's time to build the identity that will bring your brand to life and show who you are to the people who matter most: your customers.