Brands are visible to consumers from the moment they wake up until they sleep. Whether it is the
... toothpaste they use, the car they drive, or a hoar...Brands are visible to consumers from the moment they wake up until they sleep. Whether it is the toothpaste they use, the car they drive, or a hoarding they see on the road, every product is identified through its branding. It is not just the name of the company or its color scheme that defines the brand identity of a product. The concept goes deeper and connects with the consumers at an emotional level, which makes them attached to it.
Entrepreneurs are focused on building a strong brand identity because they are competing against billions of brands to grab eyeballs. Every media platform and channel is filled with companies vying for consumers’ attention. So, here is everything you need to know about brand identity and how it can be built effectively to stay etched in the minds and hearts of the target audience. These tips help generate interest in the brand and get the desired recognition in the marketplace.
What Does Brand Identity Stand For and Why It Matters?
Brand identity is the personality of the company created through a blend of its visual appearance, core values, marketing messages, and positioning strategy. It includes the product name, logo, colors, slogan, tagline, packaging and advertisements used to promote it. Customers identify the brand through these representations, and entrepreneurs need to build it when starting up or purchasing a business for sale in the United States.
Brand identity should not be confused with brand image, which stands for the perception of the brand in the minds of the consumers. The image is developed over a period of time through various marketing initiatives directed at the buyers. A positive brand image is vital for developing a solid position in the marketplace and building an extensive customer base.
Brand identity helps to create a distinctive personality of the brand and gain a competitive advantage. A consistent brand identity helps to maintain standardization across marketing channels and a positive image that helps to acquire and retain customers. Its uniqueness makes the brand stand out in the cluttered marketplace. For example, Apple, Google, Amazon, Coca-Cola, etc., have a strong brand identity that makes them a cut above the rest.
How To Build A Strong Brand Identity?
Building brand identity takes time. It cannot be done in one meeting. While some brands are known for their services, others are recognized by their legacy. Since it is the most significant aspect of marketing, it should be developed after careful research and executed impeccably. Let us understand how it can be done effectively.
1. Conduct Market Research to Understand Customers
Creating a brand identity requires the development of several visual elements and content types that must resonate with the target audience. Thus, entrepreneurs should know the buyers. They must have a thorough knowledge of their age group, social status, education level, occupation, interests and preferences.
Entrepreneurs who have acquired businesses for sale in the United States must also undertake audience research if they plan to rebrand the entity. It ensures that the brand strategy is spot on, and the designers can create images, designs and color patterns that attract the attention of the target audience.
2. Create the Brand Strategy to Build An Identity
Entrepreneurs must help the marketing and branding team understand the business goals, vision and mission. They must prepare a brand strategy that defines the nature of the business, its values and its purpose. The marketing team can use this information to decide the tone and appeal of the branding elements and promote its value proposition.
Start-ups in the USA must develop a brand story based on the origin and journey of the company and the product. They work on creating the style guide, language and vibe associated with the brand. Also, they identify the emotions they wish to evoke through the brand identity.
3. Design and Develop Visual Elements for the Brand
Visual elements have the highest recall value. For example, customers identify Nike with the swoosh logo and McDonald’s with golden arches and yellow and red colors. The designs must be clearly differentiated from the competitor and should be unique to generate curiosity and trustworthiness.
The logo, website design, social media images and other visual cues should be creative and immersive while communicating the values and vision. The design team must carefully choose the background colors, font size, graphics, content and images to ensure they will grab the attention of the audience. The same design guidelines must be maintained through every communication and media channel.
4. Utilize Marketing to Create A Strong Brand Identity
Brand identity can be developed with the help of awareness and visibility created through various media channels, such as business websites, social media profiles, TV advertisements, print advertisements, online ads, outdoor ads, signage, branding and more. The business cards, product packaging and email signatures should also be customized to portray the same message.
The marketing team must ensure that the messages reach the right audience and influence them in the desired manner. Media planning and proactive online marketing help in sending out the message enthusiastically. It helps increase brand recognition and, eventually, brand loyalty and advocacy.
5. Monitor and Assess the Performance of the Brand
The marketing team must analyze the feedback received from the target audience for the branding efforts. They must monitor social media and survey customers to understand the impact of the brand and its perceived image in the minds of the audience. Check what the buyers like about the brand and what they consider unnecessary or unappealing.
Gathering and evaluating feedback helps to determine the weaknesses in the brand identity and eliminate them. It also helps to identify the positive aspects and improve them to gain higher traction and new customers. Marketers must ensure that their brand strategy is scalable and flexible to accommodate changes that are needed to refine the brand identity over the years.
Wrapping Up
Every brand wants to grab the biggest market share. However, all of them are not able to emulate the success of the iconic names in the industry. Entrepreneurs should understand that they need to build a strong brand identity to carve a niche in the competitive marketplace.
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