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A start-to-finish guide to creating a brand identity

You've got a business. You've got a name. Now what? How do you create a brand identity that will make your business stand out and be remembered? This start-to-finish guide will show you how to create a brand identity that is unique to you and your business, and will help you get your message out there loud and clear. Let's get started!

Developing a unique brand picture that remains in the scrollers’ and skimmers’ minds isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Want to buy midnight deals? Do KFC. Want to order ice cream? Open McDonald’s App. Want to generate leads? Consider meta ads. Wish to create a portfolio website? Sign up on WordPress. When any brand becomes the answer to someone’s problem question, this is where it became successful in creating a brand identity.

This process is not only limited to creating a logo. There’s more work to it. In this guide, you’ll learn what exactly you need to follow so that you can stand out from the crowd. Read this start-to-finish guide to creating a brand identity and walk out of the guide with a complete plan. 

Why do you need a strong brand identity?

A strong brand identity speaks in the visuals of your representation which helps you make good connections with your customers. To be precise, it is the overall “personality” of your business goals that makes your brand recognizable among the competitors. This is why you need an effective brand identity.

Connection with your people 

This involves effective communication skills embedded in your brand visuals - how do you communicate with them? How did you represent your brand visually? How do your logo and design convey the message you want your audience to hear? This all makes a difference in your audience’s mind when they refer to the specific color or visual that is related to your brand. 

Stand out in the crowd 

The question, “How can I stand out from the competition?” is answered in your brand’s identity that you create through visuals. Whether you want your audience to prefer your product or you’re planning to differentiate your ads, brand identity plays a huge role here. 

Elevate your brand 

Whatever you put on the table of the audience, they’ll relate to your brand’s image. Color palettes, logos, design, typography, social media posts, and campaigns - all contribute to elevating your brand in the crowd.

Source: www.jessicajonesdesign.com

How to create your brand identity  Step-by-step guide.

In today’s constantly changing landscape, making yourself stand out isn’t the question of logos and social media platforms. It is a well-crafted strategic plan to reach a specific goal i.e. become identifiable. Follow these steps to achieve this goal

Identify the basics

As your communication will be through the visuals, you need to ask yourself; who are you? What do you care for? What are your products? What will people call your brand? Accurate answers to these questions can help you build the following perfectly. 

Target audience

Your target audience is a specific group of people who’ll be your potential buyers. Most of the decisions are made on the basis of demographics, location, and interests of people who come out to be the customers. Get strategic in this step and use different tools to find the perfect one.

Product

The product your target audience will be using should have some emotions connected to it. Brands don’t sell products. They sell emotions. List down those emotions and see how can you add them to your brand story so people’s emotions get stimulated whenever they see or hear about your brand.

Name

Your brand name can affect the results of your marketing strategy as well as customers’ purchasing decisions. Make sure to decide the one which is easy to remember and pronounce. People love convenience at every stage of your brand’s funnel.

Mission and vision 

Before moving forward to the visuals, you need to define the “what” and “how” of the brand i.e. mission and vision. What’s your goal and how can you achieve these goals is all that mission and vision needs. 

Audit your brand

After setting your goals, see where your brand stands. If its visuals aren’t aligned with what you want to deliver, then you need to properly study your current position and see what strategic plan you can effectively implement to reach that goal.

Audit your competition

To stand out from the crowd, make yourself insightful. Taking a market by storm is not everyone’s cup of tea. Know where the market is going and what element of uniqueness can help you build your image in the customer’s mind. See how your competition is using colors and what colors they focus more on.

Design your identity

After setting the foundation of your brand, you’re ready to embed visuals into your ideas. Consider the following areas to develop an effective color strategy and design your identity amazingly.

color palettes

color psychology comes to play here. Explore color meanings and study how these colors impact the mood and perception of your target customers. You can try different tools like coolors to see which palette to choose. Moreover, you can search for your inspiration from your competitors.

Logo design

A well-designed logo is very important in making your brand memorable. Whenever you hear KFC, don’t you think about an old man in white color surrounded by red color? That’s where you are validating your identity. Learn iconography, illustration, and data visualization. Study the tools like Adobe and start working on them.

Website design

Website holds great importance nowadays. In this digital landscape, customers will check your website to check your products and services. In web design, colors, proper placement of text, user experience, links, taglines, and functional elements play a major role in making images in the customer’s mind. 

Social media identity

In social media identity, text and visual materials tell your story to the conscious targets. Identity expressions on social media impact customers’ minds to a great extent because people are influenced by social media more than any website. This creates a sense of uniqueness.

Typography 

Expressing your brand through typography is another way that creates an effective perception in the customer's mind. This affects the reader's attention. If it is difficult to read for the users, you’ll never be able to attract the right audience.

How to implement these steps?

It is not better to learn everything yourself. Bring in some experts to play so that you don’t lack any substance or professionalism. You, being a new learner, may never know where things could go as a result of the plan you’re implementing. So, it is better to hire a professional so he can create an effective brand identity strategy using premium tools and his/her experience-backed knowledge. 

Source: GCFGlobal

Brand identity management is part of the plan 

Executing a plan can do much more than you can think but managing it all along asks for consistency and frequency. Desired results will never come with just one action overnight. The maintenance and improvement of brand identity among internal and external audiences help you keep your target up to date.

Confused about where to start? Let us help you 

Don’t worry if you are finding the road to goals empty. Omnibranding is trusted by 100+ small businesses in Vancouver and across the world. Our branding strategy helps discover brand voice and identity followed by a personalized strategic plan. Still clueless? Let’s figure it out. Contact us here.

Make this intangible construction last for a lifetime in the market’s mind. If you want to create a cohesive brand experience, you need to incline your efforts to create a strong and effective brand identity.  

Get a free quote for your brand identity.

Call us today ​+1 604 704 4324 or email us: hello@omnibranding.ca