What Are Branding Elements?

Our lives are a result of patterns. From our molecular structures to our daily routines, we see familiar repetitions which make us who we are. These patterns identify our characteristics and features, very much like when someone says the name of your fellow team member, and you instantly know which skills they bring to the team. In the field of branding,?elements?play a similar role.

Branding Basics 101

The act of giving a company a particular design or symbol to advertise its products and services is branding. It is the simplest way to explain what it is digital marketers do. In the words of Jeff Bezos:

“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”

Patterns that express, help identify the design and symbols of your brand, or differentiate the brand from the mainstream are all considered branding elements.

In short, I want you to understand that your brand is how the world perceives your company. Branding is all about the design choices you consciously take to shape that perception, and your brand identity is the collection of design elements you use in your branding. It is all a joint effort, really.

What I have learned over the years is that there are no precise guidelines for building a great brand. Instead, several elements form a brand, fitting together like a puzzle.

Key Brand Elements

So, with what I have just listed above, we need to know which brand elements are keys to a better and softer brand image. These include:

1. Visual?
2. Story?
3. Value

Let's explore these in detail.

Visual Elements

?There are a lot of visual elements, thanks to the social media age, but the following are the most crucial ones:

• Logo

I often see the logo as the profile picture of your LinkedIn account. If there is no visible face, or the photo is blurred or taken from afar, I automatically discredit points from their first impression of me. The logo should be contemporary, enticing the viewers. You would have heard the names of different types of logos, such as word-mark logos, letter-mark logos, abstract logos, pictorial logos, mascot Logos, and emblem logos.?

I always prefer an amalgamation of two or more styles to generate a unique palate for your brand, but it heavily depends on the nature of the brand. How can you design the perfect logo? Try to capture the essence of the brand with a symbol or picture.

• Typography

Talking of styles, typography i.e., font styles are equally necessary to build the brand image, if not less. Imagine if Coca-Cola did not have that iconic logo of theirs. Clearly, their unique font has given them a clean edge over the cola competitors.??

• Color and style

Over the years, many psychological studies have proven that colors and different tones affect our mood, our decisions, and even our perception of products and brands.

For example, we subconsciously associate the colors green and red with healthy products and food. Blue is often used with technology topics, pink is a color widely used in baby products, and so on.?

Each color has a meaning in the digital space, so choose the right colors for your brand.?

Story Elements

I always recommend telling the story. People love stories. They want to know all the whats and hows. The story behind the brand is a great way to describe the purpose of your project. It works best for local brands, small businesses, and community-driven organizations.

What better way to engage the audience than to familiarize them with your?mission and vision statements?on your website??

Value Elements

Value addition is always the perfect way to brand and market a product. I always chop down the extra details for this one and hit the bullseye. If you want to work on value elements, it can include your attention on aspects such as:

• Marketing Goals and Strategy?
• Business Model Plan and?Business Strategy

If you already have your brand running, I suggest you concentrate on growing the customer base using these elements.?

Conclusion

So, to sum it up, if you need to know which brand elements are helping your brand with organic awareness, these should have the following characteristics. They should:

• Appropriate to its respective industry
• Capture the brand values
• Have a novelty look and differentiating visuals

What do you think makes up branding elements other than these listed, and why do you think they add value??