Is Your Brand Identity Helping or Hurting Your Business?

What Is Brand Identity?

• Can brand identity be defined?
• Why does it matter to your business?
• How will you know you've got it right?

Let's explore together.

(BTW: If you have questions about branding & marketing, be sure to register for my free "Ask Me Anything" call coming up on August 4th.)

Brand Identity Is How You Are Perceived Visually

• Your brand is how you are identified by those you serve.?
• It’s not how you identify as a brand or, “This is who we think we are.”?
• It is how your target market picks you out of a crowd, how THEY identify and recognize YOU.?

You have nailed your BRAND IDENTITY when recognition is instant.

Your target market should be able to say, “Hey, I know what that brand is about!” as soon as they see it.

Your Brand Identity Should Make a Powerful Visual Statement

B2B companies need to understand that they can't afford to be ho-hum, blah, or ugly.

Your target audience WILL make assumptions about your brand based on the identity they are seeing.

Why Does Brand Identity Matter So Much?

Because of how human brains make decisions.

The fancy word for this process is "heuristics." Here's what that means in simple terms.

• We all use mental shortcuts for decision-making.?
• We don’t like constant mental effort or “figuring things out.”?
• We don’t like decision fatigue.
• We want the "easy button" for understanding what a brand is about.

Your Brand Identity should prompt the RIGHT assumptions. This is what allows you to use heuristics in your favor.

Where Do You Start with Improving Brand Identity?

Begin by understanding the core characteristic you want to communicate visually. This descriptor should align with the messaging and purpose of your organization, the essence of who you are as a brand.

Next, you need to be very deliberate about expressing this identity CONSISTENTLY across every area of your marketing.

Mood boards are a good place to start in defining ALL the elements of your brand identity, from color schemes and fonts to photography and iconography styles.

What Difference Does a Strong Brand Identity Make?

Here's a good example of a before and after for a major architecture firm. Their website originally had a mish-mash of colors, iconography, fonts, stock photos, and visuals with no direction or consistency.

After working with our creative director, this client now has custom photography and an intentional look and feel that expresses their true mastery.

Humans Are Always a Compelling Aspect of Your Brand

One final note on brand identity. Use people in your visual branding. Preferably real people. Your people. Your customers, your team, and the people who support you.

We are hardwired to respond to human faces. It makes us feel connected, and you want your audience to connect strongly with your brand.

Here's one more example from another of our Blender clients. It's a beautiful representation of a STRONG brand identity that makes you want to say, "Yes!"

Did You Miss My Recent Webinar on Branding?

There's a lot more to branding than I can cover in a newsletter.

For a replay of "5 Ways to Make Your Brand Impossible to Ignore", send me a message!

Want a one-on-one conversation about your marketing strategy? Use my calendar link here . Have a successful and inspired day!

#marketingstrategy #b2bmarketing #branding #entrepreneurship #brandidentity