The guide to creating a memorable brand identity

The terms “brand” and “logo” are often considered interchangeable. However, if a logo can become the symbol of a company, it does not represent the entire brand. On the contrary, creating the logo is only a short step in the branding process. Faced with millions, even billions, of companies trying to make a name for themselves, it has become essential to have a memorable brand to stand out from the competition.

If you are working on developing a brand image for a client or for your own organization, for your next e-commerce business or it is above all important to understand what a brand is and how it is created.

What is a brand?

How to launch your brand?

1. Define your project
2. Identify the right market
3. Identify the right distribution channels
4. Surround yourself with a qualified team

The brand concept encompasses much more than just a name or symbol. The brand, a key component of an organization’s identity, designates a name or a type of product produced by a given company.

The identity of your brand is made up of your message, your values, the way you communicate your ideas and the emotions that you seek to arouse in consumers when they interact with your brand. In other words, it matches the personality of your business and the promise made to your customers. It is sometimes defined as “what people say about you when you are away”.

For example, when you hear the name Coca-Cola, you probably imagine the famous logo, but you may also think of the polar bear, the red color, the “Share a Coca-Cola” campaign or the cans decorated with ribbons letters. These are all aspects that make up the Coca-Cola brand, not just its logo.

How important is brand identity?

Brand identity

Brand identity corresponds to the set of values, visuals, and communications that a certain audience can associate with the brand.

As the embodiment of the very essence of the company and its activities, the brand lives and evolves in the minds and hearts of consumers. Branded content has been one of the most popular content marketing strategies in recent years. In addition, a well-designed brand identity can also:

• Develop the reputation of your company by giving it a face and a personality
• Build trust and credibility
• Generate impressions through advertising
• Guarantee future business activity, which translates into increased financial value
• Define your company’s mission for consumers and for your employees
• Attract new customers and retain existing customers.

The above points all have a positive impact on your business.

How to create a brand identity?

1. Perform market research
2. Create a design
3. Integrate the brand into corporate messaging
4. Avoid negative publicity
5. Track brand performance

Building a well-known and popular brand takes some effort. The following steps are simple, but implementing them can sometimes be a painstaking task.

Step 1: Market research

As with any other aspect of business creation, market research is the first step in developing a brand identity. You must define and understand the five elements below.

1 – The audience

It is generally not recommended to present a product to a pre-adolescent in the same way as to a university student. Knowing the audience’s expectations of a company in a given sector is crucial to creating a brand that will be appreciated by consumers.

2 – The value proposition and the competition

What makes your company unique in your sector? What can you offer consumers compared to other organizations

To create a strong brand, it is imperative to know what sets you apart from your competitors. By observing these, you will also be able to identify which branding techniques are the most successful.

3 – The mission

You know the products and services that you offer, but make sure to present the reason for your company in a clear and precise manner by including your vision and your objectives, without which it will be difficult for you to define its personality.

4 – The personality

Even if you don’t create a brand that represents an individual, you can still give them a certain personality. Use fonts, colors, and visuals to represent your brand identity. Then, reinforce this image with the tone you adopt: is your company confident and full of daring, like Nike? Or does it inspire elegance and professionalism, like Givenchy? Either way, make sure your branding reflects your business.

Market research is tedious but fruitful work, because the better you know your organization, the more you will consolidate your brand identity.

5 – Analysis

Finally, an analysis can help you better understand your brand. By studying the characteristics of the latter, you will more easily identify the traits that you want to highlight:

• Strengths: the strengths of your business, which give you an advantage over your competitors.
• Weaknesses: the aspects that constitute obstacles for your business.
• Opportunities: changes and trends in your industry, which offer you new opportunities.
• Risks: the elements in your environment or sector, likely to cause problems for your business.

Step 2: the design

Once you know your business, it’s time to bring your brand to life, “Design is the silent ambassador for your brand.”

1 – The logo

While brand identity is not just about the logo, the logo is a crucial part of the branding process as it is the most recognizable element of the brand. It appears on multiple supports, be it your website, your business cards or even your online advertisements.

Given this omnipresence, branding must be as consistent as possible.

2 – Creativity

As crucial as it is, your logo is not the only element to strengthen the identity of your brand. Your products and the way you present your services must all play a role in your branding.

By visually representing your business in everything you create, you will ensure the consistency of your image and create a feeling of familiarity among your customers. The golden arches of McDonald’s, for example, bear witness to creative research that led to the creation of the famous “M”, now known around the world.

3 – Color and font

Choosing a color palette allows you to establish your identity. You thus have a certain variety to create unique designs for your organization, while remaining faithful to the identity of your brand

Fonts can also be a double-edged sword if not used properly. Although font assortments are currently in fashion, that doesn’t mean that such a mix is right for your business.

Your logo, your website and the documents you create (paper and digital formats) must all use consistent typography.

4- Models

Probably not a day goes by without you sending emails, writing letters, or distributing business cards to your potential customers.

Creating templates, even for details like email signatures, will give your brand a more unified, more credible, and more professional image and rendering.

5- Consistency

As explained in almost each of the previous steps, consistency is the cornerstone of a brand’s identity.

Use the models mentioned above and respect the aesthetics you have chosen in all facets of your activity so as to create a harmonious brand identity.

6- Flexibility

Consistency is certainly crucial, but in a society constantly looking for novelty, flexibility turns out to be an equally important quality. Indeed, it makes possible the adjustments in the advertising campaigns and the catchphrases and even makes it possible to update the global identity of the brand in order to maintain the interest of the audience.

The main thing is to pass on any change made in each of the components of the brand. For example, don’t change the design of your business cards without updating the rest of your content.

7- Documentation

One of the most effective ways to ensure compliance with branding rules is to create brand guidelines, which list best practices.

To cite an example, Skype has designed an excellent guide (in English) for its brand, which is clear, consistent and accessible to everyone. Such a document allows third parties to create content and share your brand while remaining faithful to your image.

Step 3: integration

Once you have defined the brand of your business and taken all the necessary steps to develop it, you can integrate it into your community. To do this, quality branded content achieves the best results.

Indeed, from every point of view, your content represents your brand online. It is embodied by your sales representatives, your store and your marketing department. All your online publications define your brand and have an impact on its image. Therefore, quality content refers to a quality brand and boring content to a boring brand.

1 – Language

Use language that reflects the personality of your brand. If the latter is high-end, prefer a sustained register. If she has a more laid-back image, use the tone of the conversation instead.

The words you choose for your brand will appear in all of your business operations. It is therefore important to create a voice that matches the personality of your brand.

2 – Affinities and emotions

Audiences love stories, more specifically, moving stories that inspire action. A strong identity makes it possible to forge emotional ties with consumers, thereby laying a solid foundation for a long-term relationship with the brand.

3 – Advertising

Designing traditional or digital ads is the most effective way to introduce your brand to the market. It is a way to promote your message to your target audience.

4 – Social networks

Social networks are also among the tools that will allow you to build relationships with consumers. The plethora of platforms available online provides you with a vast digital space where you can establish your brand identity.

Social networks also play an important role when it comes to conversing directly with customers and creating an affinity between customers and the brand. If your company is mentioned in a Tweet, in a statute or in a publication, build a good reputation by responding effectively. This is all the more important if the customer has a question or encounters a problem.

Step 4: pitfalls to avoid

If you follow all the steps to create a strong brand identity but fall into the following pitfalls, your brand could suffer or fail.

1 – Do not pass contradictory messages

Know what you want to say and use appropriate language and visuals to communicate. Just because your message seems clear to you doesn’t mean it will be for your customers as well.

2 – Do not copy the competition

Even if your competitors have exemplary branding and you sell the same products and services, don’t try to imitate them. Take into account their strategy but create your personal touch to stand out more in your sector.

3 – Do not lose the coherence of your brand between online and offline media

The appearance of your printed documents may be slightly different from that of your online content. However, the colors, font, theme, and message should all be consistent.

Step 5: brand monitoring

As with any other aspect of marketing, it is difficult to assess the performance of a business without monitoring key indicators.

Use Google Analytics, surveys, comments, social media discussions, and other sources of information to track your brand, find out what

what customers say and to follow their interactions with your business. This will allow you to make adjustments if necessary, either to correct an error or to improve your image.

Creating a memorable brand requires consistent colors, font, images, and language, but the effort is worth it. When consumers recognize, at the mere sight of your logo, your brand and what you stand for, your business becomes much more than a name and a logo.