Standing out where only the fittest survive has always been a struggle for businesses—more so in today's digital world, where traditional marketing channels now find themselves overshadowed by the titan that is online marketing. With a deluge of choices always bombarding a buyer, there's constant pressure on businesses to create a unique impression to get noticed and picked.
One of the crucial aspects of creating a strong impression is brand identity. To put it simply, brand identity refers to the brand's visual embodiment.
So what makes an unforgettable brand identity? In this article, we explore the visual elements of a brand that impact buyer decisions.
Importance Of Brand Identity: Examples That Soared
Branding in marketing is a challenge that must be overcome to stand out. Brand identity is one of several branding aspects that shape the brand.
· Brand identity makes you easily recognizable
Your brand identity is how the world perceives you. Even a split-second view of your brand visuals can make or break a connection between your target market and your business. For this connection to be sustainable, your brand identity should be compelling, recognizable, and relatable.
For instance, have you ever noticed how a toddler can easily point out McDonald's golden arches from afar, even if there are other signages in view? Simple, fun, and basic—McDonald's brand identity uses a classic formula that has sustained the business for several decades now.
· Brand identity reflects consumer trust
Brand identity should also reflect trustworthiness. With so many brands mushrooming, buyers usually flock to the familiar—unless there is a compelling drive to shift. Coca-Cola's logo has undergone very few changes in the last 131 years. This consistency may imply that consumers can expect the same product quality.
· Brand identity forges connections
One thing that brand identity should accomplish is to resonate with the audience. An emotional connection can turn buyers into advocates. Nike deftly welds their logo's swoosh, which represents the wing of the goddess of victory, with their brand narrative of speed and power.
Adidas has also successfully incorporated their values and personality into their brand identity, helping to attract the target audience. Their logo resembles a mountain or struggles that need to be overcome.
· Brand identity shapes your marketing initiatives
A well-defined brand identity provides a solid foundation for marketing strategies. It guides content creation, advertising ideation, and other promotional activities. An example is Amazon's logo. That beaming yellow arrow springing to life from the A and landing on the Z. Even without the faintest inkling of what 'Amazon' stands for, there's an underlying message—it's a one-stop-shop, catering to everything from A to Z.
Visual Elements Of Brand Identity
In a world where multiple brands vie for a customer's attention, time, and money, you must stand out as the best choice for your targeted customer. So how is this done?
Branding communicates what you have to offer. Your customer's first touch point with your brand is the visual elements—color scheme, fonts, graphics or video style, tagline, and logo.
1. Logo
The logo is a quality promise embedded in a recognizable image in your products, website, and marketing collaterals. Being your first point of contact with the customer, the logo should leave an imprint. Otherwise, indifferent viewers are less likely to engage with your brand.
The logo is a visual representation of how your target audience and your brand values converge. Take, for example, the Mercedes Benz logo. Their three-pointed-star logo is simple yet elegant, relaying quality and luxurious dominance in transportation.
Finding the perfect visuals to incorporate into your design can be daunting. A practical resource would be Freepik, where you can discover the most popular free photos. These high-resolution photos can inspire or even be integrated into your design, helping you shape an identifiable aesthetic for your brand
Creating a well-designed logo does not have to be expensive. If you have a concrete concept and a bit of creativity, you can design your logo from scratch using a business logo creator.
2. Typography
Typography, often overlooked, subtly yet powerfully shapes your brand's narrative. Consider tech giant IBM's deliberate selection of bold, assertive fonts to communicate an aura of steadfastness and gravitas or Disney's adoption of playful, friendly fonts. Both typographic choices adeptly resonate with their intended audiences.
Sure, it once was fashionable to have bespoke fonts mirroring a brand's ethos, but with the advent of numerous digital platforms and devices, it pays to lean towards more universally compatible typography. Stringent consistency in font usage across all brand assets not only forms an image of unity and professionalism but also propels recognizability—given that the typography maintains a focus on readability.
3. Colors
Colors and its various gradients and hues convey emotion—and can elicit responses. For instance, the word SALE is often in bright red to draw the most attention. IBM, Facebook, and a lot of healthcare companies choose blue to signify trust and reliability.
Google, which accounts for 93% of the Internet traffic, retained its multicolored fonts for the last 24 years and only streamlined its looks by losing its 3D look so it’s become even more readable. Consistent use of colors leads to brand recognition, as consumers associate certain colors with your brand.
4. Visual style and layout
Visual design isn't just about aesthetic appeal—it's a cornerstone in shaping the soul of a brand. When executed masterfully, it forges a brand identity that resonates across all customer touchpoints, creating a consistent but flexible brand experience.
Apple provides a superb example of this design philosophy. Their minimalist, clean design is contemporary elegance worn proudly across their entire product line, down to their packaging and marketing materials. This resolute commitment etches their brand image indelibly into the marketplace. Apple's design strategy showcases a powerful truth: exceptional visual design isn't a simple accessory—it's an integral cog in the branding machine.
Takeaways
Brand identity is an immersive experience that spans both digital and physical realms. Your visual elements are the vibrant face of your business, telling your brand's unique story, and echoing its core values to the world.
Surprising as it may sound, a powerful visual identity is not purely about pleasing the eyes—it's about sparking a meaningful dialogue, crafting deep-level connections that galvanize long-lasting loyalty and give wings to success. Impactful visual design components make their mark, imprinted in consumers' minds, subtly swaying purchase decisions. This is the resonance of design done right. It paints your brand narrative not just vividly, but indelibly.
