As a business owner, creating a distinct brand identity that stimulates seamless recognition is essential for success. Brand identity projects the image of your business, communicating to your customers what you stand for, as well as what you consider the most important.
Your brand identity plays a big role when customers decide which brand to shop with. Think about some of the brands you have had to interact with -Apple, Google, Nike, Adidas, Gucci, etc., you are never in doubt once you spot them. They have a brand identity that allows them to masterfully stand out amongst their competitors.
Seeing as having a strong brand identity leads to customer recognition and possibly increase in the number of repeat clients you’re able to bring through the door, how then do you develop a compelling brand identity for your business? Good news! No matter the size of your business, you can get started by achieving the following:
Business Self-evaluation
It is easier to sell an idea, product, or service to a million others when you are in the know. Business owners have to understand the reason they are in business in the first place. You can start by answering the following questions
- Why are we in business?
- What is our mission and vision for the business?
- What is our unique selling proposition?
- What three words best describe our brand/product?
Concisely answering these above questions sets you up nicely for the next phase.
Niche Identity
A business niche is a specialized or focused area of a broader market that businesses can serve to differentiate themselves from the competition. Identifying one’s place in the business world is a no-brainer for small businesses or startups. You do not want to package bleach as you would for soda water, simply because they are both transparent liquids. A way to solve this would be to look at what your competitors are doing. Establishing your niche does a few things for you, such as passing quality control requirements, ability to be innovative and stand out and, budgeting your production cost.
Target Market Research
You are most likely not a trailblazer in your products or service offerings. While you might be a seller, you need to understand who your buyer is and how to meet them at their convenience. Conversations, phone interviews, and online surveys are a few ways to conduct target market research. Results obtained from research help a business identify its primary target audience. The process of doing this is called market segmentation.
When you correctly identify the traits or persona of your target market, it is easier to create products that appeal to them. For example, a biscuit wrap for kids should be light enough that it is easy to open.
Create a distinct Logo
After completing the above steps, it is time to delve into design properly. In whipping up a fresh or unique brand identity, your design team should keep an eye on the following yardsticks.
A famous quote by Dali says: “Have no fear of perfection, for you will never reach it.”- Salvador Dali, artist. It helps to keep the sentiments of Dali in mind when deciding on a logo design. People in the creative industry can agree that one of the more difficult things to achieve as a creative is simplicity. The reason is that humans tend to overthink things. There are no good or bad logos, just the right ones.
If you are still having a hard time making up your mind about your brand logo, note that it is not for you to admire, but for it to be distinct and easily recognized. Consider some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Samsung, Nike, etc. Their logos are ridiculously simple and basic. Get going already then.
A Brand Style Guide
Finally, there would be a few times when you might wander off a little from your initial brand features, such as color, fonts, tone, etc. A style guide ultimately helps keep you in check. Pre-designed formats or styles get edited across various platforms to achieve a one-design-fits-all consistency. It is disorienting for your customers to have an array of fonts and designs on your Website only to see something completely different on social media.
Keep these tips listed above in mind, will help you achieve an optimal brand identity that resonates with your general brand positioning and spot a difference in sales conversion. We would be delighted to give you a helping hand, click here to send us your inquiries. Also, don’t forget to follow us @blackinkm_ on all social media platforms.
