In today’s marketplace, relatability has become a key component of marketing success. Many modern consumers want to know more than simply what they are getting from a company and want to know who is giving it to them.
Companies that can come across as relatable establish a personal and emotional connection with consumers. Consequently, they have an easier time building trust and driving engagement.
One of the best tools for maximizing a company’s relatability is an impactful brand identity. As brands effectively express who they are, they create connecting points that allow consumers to engage with them on a deeper level.
What is a brand identity?
Brand identity is built upon the visuals and images a company uses to express itself in the marketplace. It involves logo, typography, color palette, voice, and tone. Everything used in a company’s brand messaging contributes to its brand identity.
Ideally, a brand identity will differentiate a company from its competition, presenting a unique, notable, and memorable brand personality. I like to think of it as the brand’s scent, announcing its presence and helping it to stand out in a cluttered marketplace.
But some brands don’t put in the effort needed to develop an identity that makes a lasting impression. Instead, their brand identity presents them to the market as just another computer company in place of Apple or just another toy company in place of LEGO.
Building and promoting a unique brand identity allows consumers to easily connect with a company. It encapsulates the mission, expresses it in an engaging way, and provides the elements that drive impactful marketing, letting consumers know exactly who they are supporting when they purchase your products or services.
How to build a strong brand identity
An effective brand identity starts with authenticity. Your identity should flow from your mission, vision, and values. Whatever it presents should radiate from the passions that drive your business.
Leveraging a trendy or attractive brand persona that isn’t authentic might gain some customers in the short term, but it will backfire once the market realizes you’re not the company you claim to be. If you want to build trust with consumers and grow your market base, authenticity is key.
Clarity and consistency are also crucial for building a strong brand identity. Today’s companies have virtually limitless opportunities for getting in front of consumers. A clear brand identity, which involves staying true to brand components and ensuring they are ever-present, allows consumers to develop a relationship with your brand.
By being consistent with your identity, you streamline the consumer connection process. Keeping your logo, colors, and typeface consistent in all your messaging — whether it’s an Instagram post, a print ad, or a TV commercial — makes it easier for consumers to identify your messaging. Those components can be the factor that stops them from scrolling and compels them to take time to absorb the message.
How to leverage your brand identity
In the digital era, keeping your brand in front of consumers is easier than ever. Digital marketing opens the door for companies to reach more people with less effort and at lower costs.
While adding social media to the mix can help brands connect with both current and prospective customers in organic ways, simply appearing before consumers in digital spaces is not enough. The growth of digital platforms has made it easier to reach consumers, but it has also made it more challenging to stand out, which is why brand identity is so important.
As you take advantage of the increased consumer availability digital marketing provides, make sure that you are using your brand identity to strike a unique and consistent note. Sharing a consistent message in all digital marketing channels positions you as a brand that consumers can easily identify and readily trust.
Print media can provide even more depth to your brand identity. Business cards, letterhead, and brochures are tangible expressions of your brand that consumers can hold in their hands, providing an opportunity to show not just your tone but also your quality.
Print media also provides opportunities to express your brand identity in attention-grabbing ways. Think about how packaging for physical products can help capture your brand identity.
For example, suppose you receive a shipment from Patagonia. Because the company makes sustainability a key focus of its brand identity, the package will arrive in a package that aligns with this commitment, complete with recycled paper and soy-based inks.
Experiential marketing allows you to take brand identity even further by presenting the people behind the personality. Events give consumers the opportunity to get up close and personal with your team, creating an instant and more genuine engagement that can enhance perception, engagement, credibility, and brand loyalty. If your brand identity is forward-thinking, high-energy, or sophisticated, and shines through in a live event, it can go a long way toward establishing a solid relationship with consumers.
Brand identity is a powerful tool businesses can use to establish their unique space in the marketplace. It brings together mission, messaging, and marketing to create an impression that consumers can relate to, engage with, and rally behind.
