Mercedes, Xerox and KODAK have all had their share of success but what do you associate with these companies when you hear their name and why? This is all created through consumers identifying with the brand. ?Brand identity is not just a logo; it represents your company?s values, services and personality.? The company?s brand identity itself can position them above their competitors in the market. What would you choose to buy; Coca Cola or Pepsi?
A brand identity is the conceptualized representation of how a company views itself, executed through their name, logo, tagline,?stationery, uniforms, shirts, d?cor and more. It establishes consistency and allows for future growth as well.
Know your company
This step is about putting you in the customer?s shoes and identifying why they pick you over your competitors. What sets you apart from the rest of the market? If you are unsure, get out there and do some market research whether it is a questionnaire or a focus group. Any research that helps you get to know your company better will be beneficial.
Who is your target audience?
Define who it is that you aim to attract and think about the needs they have that you can fulfill. Start with demographics and behaviors that are relevant to your business such as, disposable income or hobbies. Next, think about what attitudes and perception your audience or potential customers have i.e. are they early adopters or do they follow the trends?
?Position yourself through an emotional connection
This doesn?t mean make your customers weep with joy at the fact that you?ve come up with an excellent business. Establish an emotional connection with the audience; this will create loyal and returning customers as well as adding power to your brand. A clear positioning statement that describes how you?ll differentiate yourself in the marketplace will provide a blueprint to drive your planning, marketing and sales efforts.
TE Branding Tools
The creation of brand identity
The key thing to remember here is to make sure your brand reflects your company and what you stand for. If you?re appealing to a niche market, see what interests them and design and brand around that. Keep the brand unique and professional, after all no matter who you are appealing to you?re still a business. While a brand is more than a name or a logo, those elements along with the colors, aesthetics and tone of voice you use in marketing materials for your business such as a social media page, etc. all say something about who you are and what customers can expect if they choose to do business with you.
Consistency is the key
It is important to keep your look and message consistent as it makes you lose credibility with the consumer. When you are starting out it can be difficult to rival the ?big guns?. Coordinate your look across a number of promotional materials including online presence such as Facebook or Twitter. Your communication and marketing materials should signal that you?ve ?got it together,? and you?re someone customers can trust to get the job done well. If you find you?re tight with time, there are professional services that can help you to create your look and keep it consistent.
You are the brand so live like it
If you are passionate about what you do then this is easy, you have to live the brand to make it believable. Customers will start creating impressions about your business as soon as they see or hear about it. This can be through marketing campaigns or word of mouth (never under estimate word of mouth). A brand represents a promise that you will deliver an excellent experience whether it?s through customer service or a quick delivery of a product. A customer?s image of your brand continues forming and changing at every touch point from purchase and delivery to customer service and ongoing communications including social media. This is why consistency and position is important as ultimately it will be your popularity with the customers that position your company. If you can?t deliver what you promise, it?s time for a change of image or business model.
Like establishing your business, it takes time to establish your brand identity. Find out what?s missing in the market, talk to customers and do the research. This will aid your marketing strategy and if you have promotional ideas, why not try them out? Find ways to stay in front of your customers so when the need arises for your product or service, your brand is first on their list.
By: Laura Woodhouse with Vistaprint?- Providing printing and web design services for businesses.
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Source: http://www.thinkentrepreneurship.com/creating-effective-brand-identity-guest-post/
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