
Writing for Forbes, Jonathan Hanson explores why brand identity is all about discovering who you are.
Hanson writes:
Your brand is an ecosystem. Everything—from your foundation and products to your partnerships, social media, marketing and customer service—plays its individual role. While your product is vital to your brand, it still needs to live cohesively within the rest of the ecosystem in order for you to find success.
Brand identity is so much more than a good aesthetic and a well-written narrative; it is the window to the core of this ecosystem, sharing with the world why your brand exists and what problems you are here to solve.
Here at Novagram, we agree that there’s much more to branding than some might think. We have decades of experience helping organisations craft strong brand identities, allowing them to stand out in their marketplaces, establish themselves, and grow their brands. None of this would be possible without laying the groundwork: which starts with figuring out who your brand is.
Hanson advises that brand identity can be broken down into four parts:
- The brand as a product
- The brand as an organisation
- The brand as a person
- The brand as a symbol
1. The brand as a product
When considering products and services, many brands home in on the quality and features, but you’ll also want to consider the prospective uses and users of your product. Take sneakers, for example—no longer exclusive to athletic usage, many are now purchased for leisure or in some cases are collectibles.
These kinds of considerations are highly relevant when it comes to creating brand assets. Every brand element must help to communicate your brand’s offer: logo designs, names, slogans, and more. At Novagram, we work hard to understand our clients’ products and services, so that we can produce work that is expertly aligned.
2. The brand as an organisation
Expand your focus from your product outward to your organization as a whole, taking your company culture, values and even geographic location into consideration. Consumers are demanding more from the brands they buy. They are no longer only seeking quality goods at the lowest possible price point but brands whose values align with their own.
This is important when it comes to design—the culture and values of your organisation should be reflected in every touchpoint. We make this happen for our clients by communicating their unique mission in new and engaging ways.
3. The brand as a person
If your brand was a person, who would it be? Do they match the brand’s mission and values? In order to build brand equity, you’ll need quality relationships with your customers, so you’ll want to make sure to create a brand persona that is genuine across the board, including your employee relationships.
This is a vital part of brand identity that involves all aspects of your brand. Employing a creative agency that understands your brand’s personality and reputation is essential. We make sure to work closely with our clients so that our work backs their persona, helping to strengthen relationships with existing customers and attract new ones.
4. The brand as a symbol
The final element is the one most associated with brand identity. Your brand as a symbol is what consumers recognize first. This covers your logo and other visual elements along with audio and history. Having easily recognizable symbols makes it easier for consumers to recognize your brand and, in turn, for you to build equity.
A logo might be the most succinct embodiment of your brand, but there is a lot of work that goes into creating it. We create identities and visual elements for our clients that help them increase brand awareness and recognition.
In closing, Hanson writes:
By making sure your branding maintains consistency across product, organization, person and symbol, you’ll ensure that your customers have a cohesive experience throughout the entire process from pre-purchase to post. In order to do so, you’ll need to cultivate a company where employees on every level understand your mission and goals and feel empowered to work toward them.
This, of course, extends to any external creative agencies you choose to work with—and we believe we fit this criteria. So, if you need some help figuring out your brand identity, or you have a creative project that we can assist with, get in touch.
Let’s keep in touch
Join our mailing list for insight that can boost your business. Unsubscribe anytime.