Why Your Small Business Needs a Brand Identity

In order to create an effective brand, developing and maintaining a solid business identity is critical.

Why Your Small Business Needs a Brand Identity

Creating a consistent brand identity solidifies your small business’ image. A brand identity is all the visual elements that establish and reinforce your brand: logo, stationery, web design, marketing materials, signs, and more. These items help your business become easily recognizable and are part of the overall message to consumers.

Your brand identity is different from your business image. Your business image encompasses who your small business truly is, including your communication and company culture. In contrast, your brand identity consists of tangible, physical items.

For example, most people immediately recognize the Apple logo, a simple sketch of an apple with a bite missing. The logo is part of Apple’s brand identity. When you think about Apple as a company, you imagine cutting-edge computers and innovative consumer electronics such as the iPod or iPhone. These ideas are part of Apple’s business image. The two should work together, and the result is a brand.

Start with Positioning

In marketing terms, positioning refers to how you wish your products and services to be perceived. For instance, although Macy’s and Target sell clothing, they position themselves differently.

Consider how you want customers to perceive your company and its pricing position. Your ideal customer persona will lead you to decide if you wish to be a low-cost provider for bargain-conscious consumers or if a high-end position for premium services might be a better fit.

Determine what you provide, what customers want and need, and determine how best to send the right message. Make sure your positioning connects what you offer and what your customers expect. For your brand identity, the look and feel of all your tangible products should convey your positioning to your customers. High-end consumers expect a more elegant image, while bargain-conscious consumers might prefer a more whimsical look with clearly stated pricing.

Create an Overall Identity

A key to building an effective brand begins with visuals. Typically, creating a logo is the first step. The following steps should be part of your plan:

  • Check out your competition. Do your competitors use traditional styles and colors, or do they tend to be flashier or more modern? Decide how your logo can set you apart from the competition.
  • Think about your positioning. What perception do you want to create with your target audience? Find a logo that guides your customers to understand your company’s image. If you want to convey professionalism, your logo should reinforce that perception; a cartoon character is likely not the best choice.
  • Consider your business name. Some logos incorporate the business name; others do not. Placing the company name within the logo is probably best if your company is relatively new.
  • Think about use. A great logo works well on business cards, packaging, or a truck’s side. Consider different applications for your logo, and ensure the colors and images will look great no matter how you use them.
  • Think about the future. Trendy designs may look great today, but they may date quickly. Make sure what you come up with stands out today and will look great in 10 years.

Once you have produced a logo, leverage it to create stationery, Web pages, packaging, marketing materials, signs, etc. Use the same color schemes and overall design. If you’ve incorporated certain graphic elements, apply them to all the tangible pieces of your identity.

When you have developed all the necessary items for your brand identity, take the time to create templates for each type of collateral. That way, you won’t have to reinvent the identity wheel. For example, have your designer create a variety of logo sizes and file types; that way, different employees can easily apply the logo to new materials. Your goal is to assemble a library of brand identity items – employees can draw from the library and modify those items as necessary.

Your brand identity extends to written documents and presentations, too. If you frequently write proposals, develop a standard proposal template. Sales reps can then modify that document for specific customer uses.

The same applies to sales presentations. Create a PowerPoint template, for example, that includes your brand identity. Sales reps can modify the text, but the basic format of the presentation remains consistent, enhances your identity, and continues to build your brand.

References:

https://www.castusglobal.com/insights/business-identity-vs-brand-identity-how-to-know-the-difference

https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2022/48136/branding-vs-brand-identity#:~:text=While%20your%20business’s%20brand%20is,marked%20with%20your%20brand’s%20logo.

https://99designs.com/blog/qa/difference-brand-identity-corporate-identity/