Every professional company should have one. But the presence alone is not enough. This blog explains what brand identity is, what elements it consists of, and why a consistent application is so incredibly important. As icing on the cake, we will also tell you how Marvia can help you uniformly radiate your brand!
What is a brand identity?
We can be very brief about what brand identity is. Brand identity is the way an organization presents itself to the world. An excellent corporate identity consists of three elements: design, communication, and behavior. It is often thought that a corporate or brand identity only consists of graphical elements, but that is not the case. Research shows that behavior determines nearly 90% of your brand identity.
Elements
A proper brand identity consists of a combination of six essential components. These brand identity elements are usually recorded in brand guidelines or a corporate identity manual:
- Logo (image or wordmark)
- Typography
- Colour
- Form
- Graphics
- Language
Logo
The starting point for your brand identity. A logo is an image, wordmark, or a combination of both. It is the visual translation of your company and brand. The logo must say something about the identity of your organization distinctively.
Typography
At least as important as a logo is the choice of a font. A font unknowingly evokes different associations: business, informal, childlike, old-fashioned, or luxurious. It is, therefore, critical to ensure that your typography fits with your target group. In some cases, multiple fonts are used side by side for different types of utterances, such as print and online communication. This often has to do with the standard availability of fonts in standard software and operating systems.
Color
Colors do something with people. The meaning of colors is partly universal but is also culturally and personally determined. For example, in Western cultures, the color yellow represents happiness and joy, while in some North African countries such as Egypt and Jordan, the yellow color is associated with grief. For color, it is therefore essential that your choice fits well with your target group; otherwise, it may cost you market share. Pepsi reportedly lost its dominant share in the 1950s in at least one Southeast Asian country after changing the color of their vending machines from deep blue to light blue. In that specific region, light blue is associated with death, which made a lot of Pepsi's customers switch to Coca-Cola.
Form
Shapes can underline certain aspects of the brand, just like fonts. Is your brand creative, businesslike, masculine, or feminine? With forms, you can emphasize this. Shapes can be used as an addition to the logo, but are also elements in the logo itself (such as the three stripes of Adidas).
Graphics
Icons, symbols, illustrations, videos, and photos are decisive for the image of your brand. Style guidelines for photography are also described in your brand identity. Ideally, you collect and manage your images (assets) in one central location, such as a digital image bank.
Language
Often forgotten, but certainly part of your brand identity: language. The tone-of-voice, pay-off or slogan, and the use of concepts are all part of your brand identity. It is not just about an unambiguous style of writing; employees who pick up the phone should also be on the same wavelength regarding language use.
Brand Identity = Sacred
We can not say it often enough: your brand identity should be sacred. Why is brand identity so important? Because your brand gains strength if it is clearly and consistently brought to the attention of your target group. Consistency ensures recognisability and radiates professionalism and trust. And it is often consistency that lacks. Due to the expansion of (online) brand touchpoints such as social channels, the risk of errors increases.
Brand Identity management with Marvia
With Marvia's digital brand guidelines, you can access and share the corporate identity rules that are stated in your organization's brand identity manual. Our other modules also make it easier to make sure your brand is presented consistently. The DAM module ensures that all your brand assets, such as your logo, icons, images, and fonts, are stored in one central location. With our branded templates, everybody in your organization can easily make on-brand marketing materials, without graphical or technical knowledge.
With Marvia there is never an old or wrong logo on your direct mailing, and the right font is used on your flyers and advertisements. Cross medially propagating your brand identity has never been easier!
Want to ensure a strong, consistent brand identity? Schedule a demo and let Marvia help you elevate your presence and increase customer recognition.