Undoubtedly, Apple is one of the most recognisable and successful companies of our time. It doesn’t matter where you go; many people have heard of their brand, and when they think of it, they picture high-end items with distinctive designs, well-lit locations, and wonderful people.
Every business has its own distinctive story to share. The company must establish its unique identity before communicating its narrative and becoming well-known in its industry. The first phase is developing a cultural identity, often called “corporate culture.” It significantly impacts the organisation’s positioning, functioning, and strategy choices. The second phase is establishing the company’s visual identity. It gives individuals something to remember the brand by, thereby adding depth, so it’s a win-win. For a business to operate effectively, it must establish its distinct character, built on an original layout and clear visuals. The term ‘visual identity’ refers to the aggregate of all these elements. A firm’s visual identity comprises its name, logo, font, colour, and distinctive style. This identity is the company’s narrative and the ideals it hopes to communicate.
Branding Myths
Myth 1: A brand includes a company’s name, logo, and slogan.
While your business name, logo, and slogan are all very important to your brand, the brand lacks those elements. They are one of several components that contribute to the overall visual representation of your brand. Touchpoints, or interactions, bring people into contact with your brand and help them remember it in addition to the business name and logo.
Myth 2: Branding equals marketing.
Branding and marketing are different and should be considered distinct. Your company’s identity may be found in its branding. How you present that identity to customers is called marketing. Branding and marketing should, ideally, work together to achieve their goals. For a marketing effort to be effective, it is very vital to have a sound brand strategy.
Myth 3: All you need is a fantastic product.
One of the numerous factors that contribute to one’s level of success is having a fantastic product. Branding your goods will get them recognised and ensure that it is remembered. The whole of the brand’s presentation sets your goods and services apart. Every opportunity for someone to interact with your brand from the moment they first hear about your business is crucial.
Myth 4: Maintaining brand consistency is critical.
Consumers are more likely to consistently identify your brand if you use your company’s name and visual identity. However, to build a genuine connection with your audience, you need to meet them where they are and be flexible in how you customise your message to the various subsets of your audience, especially considering the context and the social media platform.
Myth 5: You have full control over your brand.
You will only ever have ownership over your brand to a certain degree. The fact of the matter is that customers can mould your brand depending on their interactions with it. If customers have a horrible experience with your brand, it may have a significant influence on how they perceive that brand, which can lead to reputational problems for your company. If you are not attentive in locking down your intellectual property via legal channels, copyrights, trademarks, patents, and licensing, your competitors may imitate your brand.
Your company’s reputation in the public eye is in the hands of the marketing department, which acts as a gatekeeper. Every member of your organisation is accountable for contributing to the overall brand experience according to their specific functional duties and the many brand touchpoints they are responsible for delivering. Your brand’s integrity, purpose, vision, values, and message should be understood by all workers, and they should be able to explain these concepts.
Myth 7: It is extremely expensive and reserved only for big companies.
The importance of branding remains constant no matter the field, market, or size of the company. Although an initial financial investment is required, the money spent is well worth the cost. A powerful brand sets you apart from your rivals, makes it easier for customers to understand what you offer, paves the way for you to increase customer awareness, recognition, and loyalty, and contributes significantly to creating equity for your firm.
Myth 8: They are solely used for consumer goods.
More than 20 distinct categories of brands are now available for purchase, including personal, service, lifestyle, international, and many more.
Myth 9: They only need to be created once.
For brands to remain relevant in the market, they must be maintained. They must continue to develop and expand through time and adapt to changing market circumstances, emerging trends, and customer input. When it comes to market share and reputation, one of the worst things that can happen to a brand is when it stops evolving.
Myth 10: There is no connection between branding and company strategy.
To help reach business goals and avoid a gap in the market, the brand strategy should be carefully matched with and directly support the business strategy.
Benefits of Brand Identity
Branding is a great way to get your name out there.
Your firm’s colours, logo, and other visual components you want to use combine to form your organisation’s visual identity. Because of this, customers will eventually learn to connect your brand’s illustration with the brand itself.
Your company’s name should come after you’ve established a strong brand identity. Consider the distinctive lettering on the Coca-Cola logo or the apple with a bite taken out of it that appears on Apple goods. Customers do not need to read the brand name to distinguish the firm from other companies operating in a similar industry in each instance.
Brand Identity Builds Customers.
Developing a strong brand identity is one of the most important steps in developing a devoted client base. When a firm develops a new look for its brand, the objective should be to strengthen its connection with its clients. Companies that understand the significance of this element of their brand’s identity have a better chance of competing successfully in the long term.
It’s a Win-Win for You and Your Employees.
The significance of branding extends to the internal operations of your firm. Naturally, you want your workers to like their job for your firm and feel they are part of an efficient team. If the business has strong branding, it will be much simpler for a business to make its workers feel they are contributing to something larger than simply their jobs.
Your Business Stands Out with Brand Identity.
Customers will easily recognise your goods if your company has a distinct brand identity. Imagine for a moment that you have just finished an effective marketing campaign. If this is the case, the consumers who make up your target audience need a brand image to know what to look for when browsing for the goods and services you provide. In that case, people choose your goods based on some or all the parts of your brand identity. Because of this, your brand’s identity assists the customers you want to attract in distinguishing your items from your competitors.
Create a memorable brand with a unique identity.
Your company will have a personality when it has a solid brand identity because it will create a one-of-a-kind persona that will stick in the minds of your target demographic anytime the name of your company is spoken.
Ways and practices for creating a powerful brand identity
Establish the brand’s goals and values
First, it is important to identify your brand’s fundamental purpose and values. These will serve to direct your brand identity and will assist you in connecting with your target audience.
Be familiar with your target audience.
To establish a brand identity that connects with your target audience, you must first understand your ideal consumer’s needs, preferences, and pain points.
Determine the brand’s core beliefs and personality
Your brand’s essential principles and personality must be reflected in your brand identity. Defining these components will help guide your choices regarding design and assist you in developing a consistent image for your business.
Create a visual identity that is all your own
Develop a one-of-a-kind visual identity for your business by coming up with a logo, colour palette, typography, and artwork that conveys the essence of your company and the principles it stands for.
Develop a voice for your brand that is consistent.
Your brand voice should be consistent across all channels and touchpoints, reflecting the personality and values of your company as well as expressing those values.
Develop a catchy slogan for your product.
Your company’s essence may be communicated more effectively and become more remembered if you have a slogan that is both memorable and catchy.
Maintain coherence across all your channels.
To provide a unified experience for your customers throughout all of your marketing platforms, both online and off, you must maintain a brand identity that is uniform throughout.
Ensure that the intellectual property of your brand is secure
Registering your brand’s trademarks, copyrights, and domain names safeguards your brand identity and deter rivals from stealing your original components.
Customers in today’s market do not purchase based on straightforward considerations such as price, availability, or even feature sets. They are seeking methods to develop profound emotional ties with businesses that share the same fundamental principles and long-term goals as themselves. The difference between your business achieving success beyond your wildest expectations and failing miserably may be attributed to the strength of its brand identity.
Author- Fatema Nawar Silme
