3 more marketing agency tips on how to develop a unique brand identity for any industry
So you’re interested in building a unique brand identity? You’ve come to the right place.
In the first part of this article, we talked about how to recognize and reach your target demographic, effectively convey your main message, and establish a tone of voice that works with your brand’s message.
We ended on the note that your brand identity isn’t just your logo; that’s just part of the large umbrella called branding.
If you want to create a unique brand identity, you need to pay attention to several branding elements: Your business values; the way you portray your products or services; your audiences experiences whenever they interact with your brand; elements that help consumers differentiate you from competitors.
To further expand on this note, we’ll be addressing the final 3 points to developing a strong brand identity:
Color palette
Imagery
Typography
HOW YOUR CHOICE OF COLOR CAN EFFECT YOUR BRAND IDENTITY:
Color is an element that evokes emotion. We already know this. Even if we don’t already know this, our brain already knows this. But what exactly does this have to do with your brand identity?
This means you should choose your color palette carefully because you want that emotive connection with your audience.
Diane E. Moir, an author who’s written about the relationship between color and trademarking, completed research about brand colors. Below are some of the findings for brand color:
Boost recognition by more than 80 percent
Consumers make a subconscious judgment about a product within only 90 seconds
As much as 90 percent of that judgment is solely based on color
What if you don’t yet have an established palette? You can establish a palette.
In choosing your colors, you want to select those which people already associate with your company. Think about what type of colors work well with your overall identity. For example, when you think of the color blue, do you think about a coffee business or something else? On the contrary, when you think about the color orange, do you think about a law firm or something else?
Let’s take a look at one of our past clients to better understand this color palette example in relation to brand identity:
Suds Brothers Express Car Wash
This client is in the car wash business.
This client offers eco-friendly, water recycling systems.
We would be hard-pressed if we didn’t incorporate blue as a primary color in Suds Brothers’ color palette. Why? Because any business dealing with water should probably incorporate blue. After all, water is always perceived as blue. It’s an easy color to remind your customers about the kind of products or services your business provides.
And within the grand color scheme of things are various shades. So you might choose different shades of the primary color.
On Suds Brothers landing page for their prices/services, they variations of blue to differentiate their car wash packages. At the same time, the blue variants drive home the point that they’re all about their water.
Key Takeaway: Select colors that will help you stay true to your brand identity. Businesses catering to families with young children could focus on variations of primary colors (for obvious reasons); businesses targeting outdoor folks might utilize green; businesses with beer-drinking consumers might stick to darker colors, such as brown, gray, or black.
USING IMAGERY (GRAPHICS/ILLUSTRATIONS) TO EVOLVE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY
When we researched how to develop a unique brand identity in 2021, we found that imagery was one branding aspect that wasn’t discussed enough. This doesn’t mean it should be neglected.
You need to define imagery choices if you want to evoke a response from your audience.
The Difference Between Brand Imagery And Brand Image
While brand imagery represents your brand’s identity through aesthetic appearance (meaning the images you use to visualize your brand), your brand image refers to how your brand is perceived on the outside and the reputation it has in the world.
You can use imagery to help shape your image, but your image is impacted by many other things, such as your values, actions and how you communicate.
Defining Imagery Choices
The graphics and illustrations you choose should accompany your content and be used to design your website and tell your story, sell your product, attract your audience, etc.
99designs published an informative article focusing on imagery. They examined imagery used by two popular vehicles and described how the images chosen supported either brand’s audience.
Imagery: Mercedes vs. Dodge
Both are trying to sell the same product (cars), but to sell to two different audiences.
In Mercedes ads, the cars are most often silver
Shown in urban environments
Clean serifed fonts
Color and setting evokes luxury, confidence, and technology
Dodge chooses to use red cars
Often sets their cars on racetracks
Bold, heavy sans-serif fonts, to sell the idea that their cars are fast, powerful, and stron
Key Takeaway: You can make a product that’s already similar to one on the market, but imagery will help you appeal to different demographics than your competitors.
Learn more about this unique competitive disconnect here.
SOLIDIFYING YOUR BRAND IDENTITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is one of the best means you have of getting your brand out there. It offers a more personal form of interaction than your website. It allows you the opportunity to directly engage with your consumers and make them comfortable with who you/your brand.
The plethora of platforms on the internet offers up a ton of digital real estate you can use to establish your brand identity.
If you’re mentioned in a tweet, status, or post (especially if the customer has a question or concern), be sure to give your brand a good reputation by responding efficiently to your customers.
Let’s take a look at one of our clients who utilizes social media in a way that reinforces their brand identity.
This client is a grocery store that focuses on various types of food and ingredients, ranging from hard-to-find international products to “homemade” Mexican food, prepared and served daily in their Mexican Kitchen.
They receive engagement on their social media accounts (Instagram and Facebook) by posting consistent content that allows their customers to engage with them and start conversations.
Instagram photos are consistent with the brand identity of the Mexican heritage
Facebook posts encourage audience engagement
CONCLUSION: HOW EVERYTHING TIES TOGETHER
Long after that campaign is done or that promotional item is no longer on promotion, you still want your product or service to generate an impression on consumers. With these 6 branding tips we’ve discussed over the last several weeks, you can control that lasting impression and attract, engage, maintain, and grow your audience.
Need help with building your brand identity? Reach out to us for a free consultation!