Developing a Cohesive Brand Identity

Brand identity is a different set of elements that distinguish one brand from the next. Several examples of these elements include your logo, iconography, fonts, color palette, image style, copy tone, illustrative style, etc. To have a successful business, you need to develop a strong brand identity. A brand identity is essential in building trust with your customers, so ensure you do proper research. To create your brand presence, you need to have a clear understanding of your target market. 

Know what makes your service or product unique and essential to your target market, then use this information in building your brand identity. It should resonate with your audience, be clear, memorable, unique, and repeated consistently. The following could help you develop a cohesive brand identity:

Take Stock of Your Existing Brand

If you already have an existing brand, consider what its identity looks like before you set out to develop a new brand identity. Compare your offline branding, including physical promotion materials, event materials, and packaging, to your online brandings like social media platforms and websites. They could align with each other or have a few things that may not be up to date with the guidelines you have set in place. 

Consider examining your logo, taglines, tone, fonts, colors, and your choice of illustrations, photos, or images. Note any marketing inconsistencies across various channels, what channels are using the same elements, and those that need an update. By doing this you will know what updates need to be made when finalizing your brand identity.

Know Your Audience

To have a successful business, you need to know who your target audience is. Therefore, do thorough research of your audience to know who you want to market your product or service to. You need to know where they shop, work, live, their financial status, lifestyle, and gender. It is also essential to understand how you will reach them, have a marketing strategy, and establish why they need your products or service.

Analyze the Competition

You can do some research on a few of your competitors. This does not necessarily mean that you should employ what they are doing. Analyze their social media platforms, website, their tone, style, slogans, and customer service. Note their strengths and weaknesses, and find a way you can capitalize on them. Can you find ways to emulate the good things they are doing without copying them?

Know Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Identify what makes your brand different from your competition and something you have or offer that they do not. Then express it in your brand because that will be your unique selling proposition. Other pointers that can help you determine your unique selling proposition include knowing why your customers choose you instead of your competition and what frustrates and motivates your customers. 

Your USP will be expressed by both visuals and words, which will be the elements that represent your brand identity. You will then need to create an on-brand message that will be used online and offline. Note down what is and isn’t considered your brand identity.

Once you have developed your brand identity, ensure the visuals and messages are consistent across all channels, online and offline. Consistency is vital in creating a strong brand identity.