Having a brand identity means that your brand has a unified set of visual elements that sets you apart from the competition and affects how customers see your brand. A visual identity needs to be appealing and consistent so that it can be easily remembered and recognized. Brand identity includes your logo, colour palette, typography, website and all visuals across your marketing and product areas. When deciding on brand identity, the visuals and content need to represent you and what your brand is about. The brand needs to appeal and be strong, but also flexible enough so it can grow and change as your company or business grows. Let's check out the five most important steps you need to take for building a strong brand identity.

Brand Discovery

The first step is to understand what your brand is about and where you stand in the marketplace. Understanding who your customers are and why you are targeting them is also important. You should analyze how your product or service is viewed by your consumers. A competitor analysis like reviewing their websites, search engine optimization, identity and advertising will allow you to make adequate strategies on how to compete with them.

Take the time to write down what your brand represents and how you want it to be remembered and seen as. Figure out the purpose of your brand and what problems you may have. People use products and services to solve problems and to reward themselves, so think about how your product and brand can implement in those areas. People buy with emotions, so awakening certain emotions with your brand is the key to success. A great visual identity is what will draw the audience to you. Think about what your brand will look like in the future, approximately five years from now and what you would like for it to represent then.

Brand Research

Creating a brand identity is a similar approach as to when creating a new business. The research phase is a critical step to making sure your brand is unique and that it has a spot in the niche you are working in. You should identify your core philosophies, like mission statements and values. It's important to determine the value you can bring to the consumer. There is constant change in the market, so building a brand that can withstand those changes is crucial. You have to gather information and messages that embody your brand's meaning so you could create a powerful identity. You need an original voice and message to stand out and persevere in the ever-changing market and brand space. 

By researching the competition and exploring branding trends, you can brainstorm creative design ideas to use in your brand identity. You will come up with a lot of design ideas, and it's important to refine the process and eliminate ninety per cent of weak ideas in the end. That will leave you with the strongest options that will make your brand original and unique. Making a mood board with different ideas will give you a chance to see different styles and come up with the perfect one to represent your brand.

Brand Design

The next step is to create the look of your brand including the voice and feel you want to convey to the consumer. It includes the look of your website, social media, advertisements and packaging if you need one. Your visuals are reflected in the colours, fonts and logo that you will use. It should be unique, easily recognized and consistent, and it should align with your company's values and message. 

Evaluating your target audience means discovering their profession, age, gender, social preferences and the competitors that are also targeting them. By involving a design agency like Hopping Mad in the design process, it will make your job easier, and you will get better results by finding the perfect tone and look for your brand. In this phase, the key design assets are created, making the foundation for your future branding.

Establishing Brand Identity

A brand is not built overnight, it needs to be built over time to ensure it's strength and efficiency. You should implement various strategies to grow your brand awareness and build strength for your brand. Using all of the social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. will ensure that your social media presence is strong and that it will target a huge number of consumers. Creating a PR strategy that can place your brand in the right media channels will also grow your brand and make it more recognizable. 

This can develop a marketing strategy that will convey the message of your brand to your target audience. All parts of your brand identity and means of communication should match your brand goal. Making your website mobile-friendly is crucial, as the majority of users spend more time using their phones.

Analyzing and Refining the Brand Identity

To remain competitive and valuable, remember that your brand should change over time to bring more value to the consumer. You should analyze and refine your brand overtime to ensure that it's still delivering the message the company stands for. 

A great thing is that by having a digital presence and advertising you can track your audience, target new audiences, and maybe even test new strategies in advertising. Your assets should be constructed to specifically engage potential consumers and buyers, and that part should be revised occasionally. Consumers and their buying patterns and wishes change, so your brand should change accordingly to cater to the needs of your audience. 

Conclusion

With having your brand and the identity you convey, you can bring new and original ideas to the marketplace. They can make you stand out from the crowd, showing your unique perspective to everyone. Never water down the message you want to convey because a strong brand will always find and attract an audience. Revisit these steps to ensure your brand is always up to date in the business world.