To be or not to be? That is, in fact, the real question! But today, we’re here to reveal the best-hidden secrets behind brand identities.
It is necessary to make some issues clear before we move on to the moment of revelation. But let’s not do it the traditional way and move on to “what is brand identity”. But yes…
What is not brand identity?
Brand identity is NOT your logo, NOT your name and NOT your color palette.
Brand identity is also not the brand’s tone of communication, it’s not the typography, it’s not the influencer who became a brand ambassador. It’s not your story or the founder’s life story.
So what is brand identity?
Brand identity is the way it presents itself to the world, based on the combination of all the elements (and more) listed above.
It is an identity that is established and dependent on the brand’s positioning, which, in turn, will depend on a detailed and well-founded internal and external analysis.
Therefore, your brand identity is not just defined based on what you like or find aesthetically pleasing. Behind it there is (or should be) a lot of research and strategy, which ensure that the identity meets the positioning that the brand aspires to have in the market.
How can you define your brand identity?
We have already given some clues in the paragraphs above. But now let’s drop all the secrets, and list everything (or almost everything) you need to know to create your brand’s identity.
Step 1: Study, research, commit.
It is essential to study the market, competitors and internal capabilities before embarking on the adventure of creativity. Imagine the following scenario:
You are creating a premium women’s clothing brand (more expensive than competing options). You haven’t studied the market and you know that your product is better than the competition’s, so you think that this statement alone is enough to justify your differentiation. He chose to create a fun, visually colorful identity with a somewhat childish design, because he thought it was “beautiful and out of the box”. Its communication tone is quite informal and it has opened stores in large, busy shopping centers. Next to it, in other stores, there are clothing stores with equally interesting (and cheaper) options, and with more sober and credible visual identities (at least for a public that prioritizes the guarantee that they are not buying clothes that will be thrown in the trash tomorrow). End result: it doesn’t sell, so it closes; or it doesn’t sell, and changes identity.
What would happen if you had studied the market and competitors? Simple. You would be able to understand more easily what your target audience prefers in a brand and how you could differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Step 2: How do I sell clothes and who buys them?
After having carried out a detailed study, it is essential to define what in Strategic Marketing we call STP – Segmentation, Target and Positioning. In other words, define who you will communicate to and how you will position yourself.
He realized that the most suitable audience for his business is older and with greater economic capabilities.
Now, how are you going to position yourself? Perhaps you want to position yourself as a “premium” brand, created for those who prioritize quality assurance and exclusivity.
The need to define your STP strategy is indisputable! (P.S.: we can help! Read until the end)
Step 3: Who are you?
What defines your brand? What is your identity? Let’s look at Kapferer’s (1996) brand identity prism model to make the answers to these questions easier to achieve.
Kapferer defined brand identity as the relationship between six elements, which take into account the perspective of the brand and the consumer:
- Physicist
It involves the physical characteristics that describe a brand and its products – colors, logos, packaging, etc.
- Personality
How would your brand behave if it were a human being? Would you be a happy and relaxed person, or would you be distant and professional? This personality will later appear through the tone of communication, the content communicated, etc.
- Culture
Culture includes the brand’s values, and what the brand believes in. For example, Toyota has a series of principles (“The Toyota Way”) that incorporate several “guidelines” of its culture.
- Self-recognition
It reflects the way the consumer sees themselves through the brand. A brand must have aspects that its target audience can relate to.
- Reflex
Although similar to “Self-recognition”, the reflection involves the way the brand sees its audience – the set of stereotypes or attributes that define the brand’s target audience.
- Relationship
The nature of the relationship between the brand and its consumers, which includes both abstract and tangible aspects.
Focus on this prism, and the relationship between all these elements, to define your brand’s identity, and finally be able to take action.
Step 4: Action!
This is often the first step for many brands. But, without the steps listed above, taking action is bound to go wrong. However, it is at this stage that you make your brand known to the world.
Therefore, we leave one word here: Strategy!
Always define the strategy you are going to follow, and apply it! It is necessary to mention, however, that the strategy is not exhaustive, and given the dynamic market we currently face, adaptation is completely necessary.
In short…
Your brand identity is how you present yourself to the world, and it needs to be defined based on extensive external and internal analysis and an STP definition.
The keyword in this article is Strategy, because it enters into every step of creating your brand identity and, without it, you have the ideal recipe for failure. That’s why it’s better to take 2 years to create your brand than to lose it in 2 months.
Conclusion
We know how challenging the process of creating a brand can be, and that’s why we’re here! To create real brands, for real people, like you, who have come this far.
And, because it would be a waste to read this entire article and not get in touch (😉), we are ready to work with you!