7 Ways to Build a Strong Brand Identity
Big companies like Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft all started with one idea. To sell a product. Yet, having a product alone doesn’t guarantee business success. People will always ask you, “Why should we buy what you’re selling and what makes you different from competitors?”
As CEOs think - It’s easy to answer these questions with logic. But logic alone will not satisfy a consumer. There will always be a follow-up question. The only way for you to give a satisfactory answer is to speak from the heart.
Once you’re able to do that, your target market will trust you. And when trust is established, so is a strong brand entity.
What is a Brand Identity?
When we talk about brand identity, we often associate it with the business’ logo alone. The truth is, a logo is just part of the brand. For example, the logo makes the face of the company, and the values it represents is the company’s character.
The brand slogan is like a person’s catchphrase and the business focus is like a person’s goal in life. The analogy goes on and on. A strong brand identity is needed by consumers to fully trust your business. It’s like lending money to your parents because you know them well enough that they’ll pay you back.
How To Create A Strong Brand Identity (7 Strategies)
1. Discover your brand’s purpose
Every business has its purpose and it shouldn’t be for money alone or its product. If your brand’s purpose is just for financial gain, people will think it’s just a cash grab and they will not support it. If your brand’s purpose speaks of products alone, it’ll just be like anything else - common and boring.
A brand’s purpose must speak personally and evoke positive emotions in a person. A good example of this is Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle model where the main idea is - People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
2. Research your brand industry’s competitors
Your business purpose and products must be unique or rare. Some companies share the same products and purpose with other competitors. A good example is The Battle of Fried Chicken: American McDonalds vs Filipino Jollibee.
Both chicken products of these companies mostly taste the same. So why do Filipinos prefer the bee over the clown? It’s because the bee was first. Why would they buy a foreign recipe when the local one is already to perfection? Don’t fix what’s not broken. Don’t make what’s not needed. It’s all about demand.
3. Pick your audience and personality
Now, when building a brand identity, the third step is to establish a solid customer base in a specific area. But first, you must identify what kind of people you want to market to and how you should market to them.
Take this example. If your company and products are more modernly oriented, then that means you should target millennials and Gen Zs. So how should you reach out to them? A good strategy is to show you’re hip by using infographics with pop culture references.
4. Create the brand name
A brand name needs to be short, unique, easy to pronounce, identify, and memorized. Most of all, the brand name should represent what the business is about like Burger King or Pepsi Cola.
5. Make the brand slogan
Aside from the brand name, the brand slogan solidifies the identity of the business into a customer’s head. To create a good brand slogan, you can refer to the brand’s purpose with the application of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle.
Like Apple’s business model, "With everything we do, we aim to challenge the status quo. We aim to think differently. Our products are user-friendly, beautifully designed, and easy to use. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?".
This results in their slogan, “Think Different.” And that’s why people love Apple.
6. Design the logo
Like I’ve said before, the logo is the face of the business. It should be simple, easily identifiable, unique, and pleasant to look at even with different sizes. Remember the Starbuck’s logo? It’s white. It’s green. It’s a mermaid. It’s Starbucks.
Even with ripoff coffee shops, you’ll immediately think of Starbucks or coffee when you see a round logo with green and white in it.
7. Apply the branding into every part your business
Giving out calling cards, free mugs, or coupons is part of your marketing. That’s why for every item you hand out to clients or customers, there must be a logo included in it. You can even have a custom made lapel pin with the logo. Make sure a lot of people are constantly exposed to the sight of your logo. Make them easily remember your brand.
In your office, have your business vision, mission, goals, objectives, and company story framed. Have these frames hanging in your store or printed in your product’s label. Your customers and clients will read them and it’s one of their ways to get comfortable with your product and services.
Starting a business is tough. Especially if you have a lot of competitors. It’s even harder when you’re going against established and trusted brands. But if you know how to touch people’s hearts through your brand’s purpose, you’ll be able to stand out and inspire them to support your brand.
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