Your Brand is More Than Just Your Logo: Building a Strong Brand Identity
Your brand is much more than just your logo. It encompasses the entire identity of your business, extending far beyond a mere visual symbol. It represents your story, values, and philosophy. It is how you share your products or services and how you want people to think and feel when they interact with you. Fundamentally, your brand is both the personality of your business and what you promise to deliver to your customers.
Branding has always been an essential part of a business, but with the rapid growth of social media, people are exposed to new brands every day. It is crucial for businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors with clear and concise messaging and attention-grabbing creative.
“Your brand is not just your logo; it is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon
Without a well thought-out and consistent brand, your product or service will lack the clarity it needs to give your potential customers trust and confidence in you.
So what makes up your brand? What should you be thinking about when launching a new service or product? And, if you have an existing brand, is it doing everything it should to attract the right people?
What forms a brand?
Vision, mission, and core values
Your brand is not just your logo; it encompasses your vision, mission, and core values. Your mission statement defines your brand’s purpose, objectives, and approach. It is used to explain, in a simple and concise way, its purpose for being. It describes the who, what, and why of your business.
Your vision describes your ambitions and the long-term impact you want to make. Vision statements are future-based and designed to inspire and give direction to your business.
Your core values are integral to your brand and should clearly state your beliefs and priorities. They should show what makes you stand out from the competition. Your core values are a testament to the fact that your brand is not just your logo; it represents the essence of your business.
Strapline or description
Your strapline or description is another aspect of your brand. Your strapline needs to convey the essence of your brand straight away. It should be clear within three seconds of someone reaching your page who you are and what you do. It should reflect what you offer your audience and the challenges you can solve for them. By crafting a compelling strapline, you demonstrate that your brand is a solution to their problems.
Tone of voice
Your brand’s tone of voice is how you speak to your audience. It is a complete identity. Whether you choose to be professional or playful, serious or humorous, your tone of voice should be consistent across all touchpoints. It is the emotional qualities that people associate with your brand. By aligning your tone of voice with your brand’s personality and philosophy, you establish a cohesive identity. Your brand is not just your logo; it is the way you communicate and connect with your customers.
Brand Identity
Your brand identity goes beyond your logo. It encompasses all the visual elements that represent your brand. This includes your logo, colour palette, typography, and overall design style. Your brand identity should be easily recognisable and consistent across various platforms. By ensuring that your brand identity is cohesive, you reinforce the fact that your brand is not just your logo; it is a complete visual representation of your business.
In conclusion, your brand is a comprehensive representation of your business, encompassing your vision, mission, core values, strapline, tone of voice,and visual identity. Building a strong brand identity helps you establish a professional and competitive edge, attract the right audience, and build trust and loyalty with your customers. Remember, your brand is the essence of who you are and what you offer.
