Today many names have been coined for unique corporate symbols – identification, visual identity, brand identity, corporate identity, brand book, and so on. In fact, they all refer to the same intellectual property object and serve virtually the same functions.
The development of a company's brand identity and the approaches to it change every year. The most prominent design trends drive those changes. Yet blindly following trends can often throw a company off course. Yes, you may get attractive symbols, but there's a good chance they won't accomplish the tasks they're meant to solve.
Brand identity is a powerful proof that your company is serious and trustworthy
So we ask: what requirements should you set for a designer who will develop your brand identity?
First and foremost, we'll answer that question.
Tasks a brand identity must address.
Corporate (brand) identity – is not just a set of attractive and stylish symbols. It's a system, and a fairly complex one. How effectively this system works will determine how well the company and brand meet the following strategic goals.
- Differentiation from competitors. Your offering has unique, distinguishing features. These are the qualities that make potential buyers choose your product. The corporate identity should prioritize highlighting those features, along with other important brand characteristics.
- Ease of identifying goods and services. Packaging, the logo, and other elements should help customers visually identify your product among many similar ones.
- Increasing perceived brand value. The rule is simple: if a product or a service's documentation looks more valuable in branded packaging than without it, then it's working. The same test applies to the logo and other style elements.
- Strengthening the image. An effective brand identity is based on the company's philosophy and values, usually recorded in the brand book. If you at least partially communicate these to your target audience through marketing materials, you can secure a confident and solid market position for your company.
- Building audience trust. Using a consistent brand identity that reveals the brand's advantages to the target audience demonstrates the company's stability. That plants the idea in customers' and clients' subconscious that the company can be trusted.
Main mistakes when developing brand identity.
To avoid a brand identity that brings no benefit and hinders communication, you need to understand the main mistakes made when developing brand identity.
- Audience motivators are not taken into account. Errors occur already at the stage of describing the audience. Branding is communication, and you shouldn't rely only on dry statistical data; they can't reflect a real person's values, needs, and desires.
- Not paying attention to competitors. Usually information about them is collected just for show (not everyone understands what to do with it or how to use it). The visual appearance must help the company stand out from competitors and be different. To avoid repeating competitors' visual image and to stand out, you need to conduct a visual analysis of competitors.
- A gap between the strategic and visual parts. Simply put, when the visual appearance isn't a logical continuation of the company's strategy but exists on its own. When there's no connection between the main components, there can be no communication.
No unity – no brand!
So, in this article we've covered why you need a brand identity and the tasks it should solve. We also outlined the mistakes to avoid when developing a brand identity and strongly recommend hiring professionals!
