Let me first state that when you are thinking of creating a strong brand identity, do not just leap into redesigning your logo or website. Some other visual elements and strategies will define your brand. Aside from your logo design, please know that ‘you are a brand‘. Building a powerful brand goes beyond making one great first impression. It is a collection of impressions comprised of countless elements. It is standing on the promises of your brand value and how you are being perceived by your audience. Building a recognized brand involves being consistent and cohesive in the proper executing of your verbal and visual brand identity.
Being memorable is key. Think about a company like Coca-Cola. How do you always resonate with colour on a bottle with a brand? It is just the colours, the sight of the massive billboards on the highway, and the memorable wordmark with a particular typography that you have attached to the brand in your mind. Additionally, research shows that having a signature colour and other design elements can make your brand 80% more recognizable.
Brand identity can quite literally make or break a company, and communication and branding execution should not be taken lightly. Create the verbal and visual elements that will define your brand by knowing these five items your brand identity should have:
Your Brand Identity Checklist:
1. Your Color Scheme
Did you know that color can not only invoke emotion but can also affect your sense of smell?
Here is where you want to tap into the power of color psychology and use the right color to attract the right customers and invoke the emotional response you want.
Brands should have only a few primary colors, but you can also select secondary colors to be used alongside your primary colors in some of your materials. Selecting a few additional colors helps your brand stay exciting but still on brand. Always be consistent with the colour of your brand across all the brand touchpoints, materials, or social media contents.
2. Your Typography
Stressing about finding just the right font may lead others to designate you a “typography nerd,” but you will come out ahead when you pick a font that works in harmony with your logo and colors.
I always suggest having no more than 2-3 brand typefaces (fonts). You’ll need to have a defined typography system so you not only know what font to use for headings but also what size, weight, and style (bold, all caps, etc.). Fonts are powerful. The most famous fonts are recognizable even when taken out of context.
3. The Style of Photography / Imagery
Is the image well shot and looking professional? Or does it look amateur and cheapen your brand? What are the models in the photos saying about your brand? Are they portraying the right target audience? If inclusivity is a brand value of yours, are they showing that? What about what they’re wearing? The setting theirs in? Their body language and expression?
And if your brand wants to be playful and bold, are your photographs and imagery emphasizing that? Are the colors in the images complimentary to your brand colors? Are the filters you’re using creating the right feeling and emotion?
Photos have this subliminal message they send to your prospect. For brand consistency, check if they all have similar color treatments (or use the same filter) and are shot similarly.
4. Your Design Elements
Design elements can range from:
- Custom illustrations your brand has (think MailChimp).
- Patterns (like the iconic Louis Vuitton pattern).
- The iconography family you choose to use (or have custom created for you – yes, some brands have that).
- Textures you use throughout your brand.
- The use of a certain shape, or other design elements.
- Effects like gradients or image overlays etc.
Every brand is different, and this is where each brand will have different design elements. You certainly do not have to have all the ones I mention above.
5. The Logo
Last but not least, the logo, of course. For the logo, you’ll need to make sure you have in 6 different variations – this is important as the same logo shouldn’t be used for every single touchpoint.
Your logo is central to your brand identity design. It’s the piece of your brand identity that people will be exposed to the most. It needs to line up with all the other elements of your brand identity, as well as the broader emotional appeal of your brand.
Finally, you should have all the brand identity checklist above in a ‘Style Guide’
A Brand Identity Style Guide is a document with instructions on how your brand should behave across all marketing materials, including all the above information. A comprehensive style guide will have color values for both web and print, instructions what font to use for Headings including its weight and size, and other instructions to ensure brand consistency across all your marketing materials.
You might have a web designer designing your website and a VA creating your social media imagery. What this document does is ensures brand consistency, even if different people are working on the brand.
Out of the above, which do you feel your brand needs the most work on? Let me know! I will also like to help you in creating a unique brand identity!
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