The Importance of Establishing Brand Identity

When you see shoes with a swoosh, you know they are Nike.

The second you see two golden arches, you must be at a McDonald’s. These are just two of the world’s strongest examples of companies that have branded themselves so well that almost everyone on the planet can immediately recognize each logo from afar.

In this blog, we will cover exactly what branding is, why some companies have been able to execute their branding so well, and how you can make your own brand recognizable and unique.

According to Brandingmag, branding “is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company… to identify a product [or] distinguish it from other products and services.”

Branding encompasses everything from a logo, tagline, color palette, font, brand voice, and even sometimes audio (the T-Mobile jingle, for example). When you put all of these together, it’s a brand identity — how people recognize and connect with your company.

We already mentioned Nike and McDonald’s, but a few other companies that have amazing branding are Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and Home Depot, just to name a few. But don’t be fooled to think that only big companies like these are the only ones doing branding right! There are thousands of small businesses that have established their own brand identity, too. The key to successful branding is knowing exactly how you want to present your company and what you’d like it to stand for. Then, be consistent throughout all internal and external channels, including your website, social media, brand voice, packaging, products, ads, and more.

So, how can you create your own brand identity?

First, you must dive deep to understand your company, your product/service niche, and most importantly: how you want people to view the company. Next, narrow down your target audience. This is vital in creating your brand identity because it helps you figure out how to best reach them. Then, pinpoint your value proposition, or what is unique about your company. Are you bringing a never-seen-before product to the market? Is your price point lower than your competitors? Is the quality of your product or service unbeatable? Whatever it may be, put your differentiator at the forefront of your brand.

And finally, get visual! Once you are thoroughly familiar with your brand, bring it to life. The best way to organize yourself when doing this is by creating a brand guideline. This should include your color palette, specific uses for each color (i.e. background, text color), fonts, specific uses for each font (i.e. headers, body, captions), and last but not least, your logo. These components should all come together to form your brand identity. Whatever that may be, ensure it is recognizable and unique.

Need help with developing your brand? Contact us today!