While branding includes all the visual ways that your organization is represented, brand identity is more about the intention behind your communications, not just how they look.
What Is a Brand Identity?
Your brand identity includes nearly anything that represents your company to consumers or affects customers’ overall perception of your business.
A brand identity is composed of what your brand says, what your values are, how you communicate your product, and what you want people to feel when interacting with your company. Essentially, your brand identity is the personality of your business and a promise to your customers.1
The themes of your social media posts, the packaging of your products, and even the way in which your staff greets your customers are aspects of your brand identity.
Why Is Your Brand Identity Important?
Companies with a strong brand identity can create excitement around a product launch with far less investment of resources than an unknown brand would need to make to reach the same audience. According to a Nielson survey, 59% of consumers prefer to buy new products from brands familiar to them.2
With so many options available today, consumers want more than just the products a business offers; they want to connect with the feel, theme, and message of the company’s brand.
As the embodiment of almost everything your business is and does, a brand identity can inspire customers and increase a sense of loyalty to your brand. Brand identity, therefore, is crucial to your business’s future.1
How to Establish a Strong Brand Identity
To establish a strong brand identity, you can start by answering “The Five Ws” about you and your business.
–Who are you? Your customers want to get to know you personally!
–What value do you provide? What makes you different? What about you should make customers choose your business over your competitors?
–Where are you located, and how does that impact your business? Are you offering small-town charm or multiple locations conveniently spread across a large city?
–When customers are visiting your business, how do you want them to feel? Do you pride yourself on having a staff that is warm and welcoming?
–Why you chose to start your business. Your business origin story should share the catalyst for building your business in such a way that your ideal customers can relate to it and feel loyal to you.3
Once you have established detailed answers to these questions, you can build on your answers as a strong foundation for everything encompassed within your branding.
