What is Brand Identity and How to Build a Unique Brand Identity?

A brand identity comprises what your brand says, your values, how you communicate your product, and what you want people to feel when they interact with your product and brand. 

Having a brand identity is crucial today because customers now expect brands to nurture connections with their customers and bridge gaps between people with diverse perspectives. 

According to a study, nearly 64% of consumers desire active communication from brands. This reveals that the relationship between a brand and its audience is not just transactional but involves a desire for engagement and interaction.

Creating Brand Visual Identify

Brand Identity Can be Divided Into Two Parts

Visual identity

• Typo (Font): Choosing the right typography for your brand isn't a one-size-fits-all decision. It's a strategic decision that can impact how your brand is perceived and remembered. It's about selecting fonts and arranging text in a way that reinforces the brand's identity, ensures effective communication, and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
  
  

• Sound: Just as visual brand elements like logos and colours play a crucial role in brand recognition, sound elements add a sonic dimension to the overall brand experience. This includes music, jingles, sound effects, voice tones, and any other audio cues associated with the brand.
  
  Think about the iconic sound of Intel's chime or the distinct tune of the Nokia ringtone – these are examples of brand sounds that have become instantly recognizable and are closely linked to the respective brands.
  
  

• Styles: The appearance and tone of your business's visual identity are defined by a set of design principles and visual guidelines known as brand styles. Together, these components produce a unified aesthetic that is recognized and consistent across all brand touchpoints and resources.
  
  

• Imagery: Through skillful utilisation of images and videos, a brand can effectively convey its narrative, enriching its visual identity and fostering a stronger connection with its audience.
  
  When curating imagery for platforms like your website or social media, meticulous attention to style, composition, and subjects is paramount. This diligence guarantees that your content maintains visual coherence, a cornerstone in crafting a branded and harmonious appearance.
  
  

• Brand Face: Many people find it challenging to connect with an impersonal and faceless brand. By incorporating a recognizable human figure into your branding efforts, you provide your audience with someone relatable and familiar, fostering a deeper resonance with your company.
  For instance, A standout illustration of brand personality is embodied by The Colonel from KFC. This prime example showcases how a historical figure can evolve into a captivating brand mascot, resonating deeply with the audience. 
  
  
  
  
  

By giving The Colonel a persona and identity, KFC has crafted a compelling brand personality that extends beyond the food itself. The character conveys a sense of tradition, authenticity, and perhaps a hint of whimsy, enhancing the overall customer experience.

• Characters: A brand character is a powerful tool to infuse your business with a distinct personality. Whether it's a cartoon figure, an animal, or an object, this character becomes an instantly recognizable and relatable representation of your brand.

• Vectors/Illustrations: Brand vectors and illustrations are indispensable components of your brand's visual identity, serving as unique and stylistic extensions of your overall brand message. These visual brand elements encompass a range of forms, from minimalist lines and shapes to distinct icons, each carrying specific functions that resonate with your audience.
  
  For example, icons and buttons strategically placed on your website have a direct impact on your customers' user experience, influencing their interactions with your brand. These brand elements guide navigation, enhance usability, and contribute to a cohesive online presence.
  
  

• Package/Product: A brand’s packaging is a powerful touchpoint for creating a meaningful connection with your customers. The physical wrapping or container in which your product is packaged carries a story—a story of your brand's values, personality, and quality. It's an extension of your brand experience that can evoke emotions and communicate messages even before the product is revealed.
  In fact, studies reveal that a significant 40% of online shoppers consider branded packaging a compelling factor that influences their likelihood to recommend a product. This statistic underscores the impact that well-crafted packaging can have on customer perception and engagement.

Messaging

Brand messaging involves carefully crafting the tone of voice, language, and core message to convey the essence of your brand, its mission, and its unique value proposition.

• Tagline: A brand tagline is a concise and catchy statement that is an integral part of a brand's messaging strategy. It is designed to swiftly convey a clear idea of what the brand brings to the public. Incorporating a brand's personality, target market, and communication approach, the tagline plays a pivotal role in encapsulating the essence of the brand. As seen in examples like Nike's "Just do it," AT&T's "Your world delivered," Tylenol's "Feel better, Tylenol," and Red Bull's "Red Bull gives you wings," these slogans create immediate associations with their respective brands, forming a bridge between the brand's identity and what it offers.
  
  
  

• Mission / Vision: A brand's vision outlines what the brand aims to achieve or become in the future, often reflecting its core values and differentiating qualities. An effective vision statement should be inspiring, and ambitious, yet grounded in reality. On the other hand, a brand's mission statement clarifies what the brand does, how it does it, and why it matters. A well-crafted mission statement and vision communicate the brand's unique selling point and the benefits it offers to its target audience.

  For example, Google's vision of providing access to the world's information with one click illustrates a clear and inspiring long-term goal. This vision has been instrumental in guiding Google's development of innovative products and services that prioritize information accessibility and user convenience.

• Personality: Brand personality shapes how people perceive a company and evokes emotions. It drives positive actions from consumers and is relatable when similar to their traits. There are five main types of brand personality: Excitement, Sincerity, Ruggedness, Competence, and Sophistication.
  
  For example, Nike's excitement-driven personality, ‘Just Do It’ appeals to motivate athletes, using bold visuals and inspirational messaging.
  
  

• Values: Brand values are the fundamental beliefs that a brand embraces and consistently follows in its endeavours to fulfil its mission. These values represent the actionable steps or behaviours that the brand adheres to to accomplish its objectives.
  
  For instance, consider the brand value of "Transparency." This value might entail a guiding principle of proactively communicating with customers about the origin and manufacturing process of the brand's products. This commitment to transparency could extend further by openly publishing the brand's pricing strategy, demonstrating a genuine effort to share important information with customers.

Nike’s brand logo, the simple yet impactful swoosh, encapsulates movement, energy, and progress, making it a cornerstone of Nike's visual identity. Its taglines, like "Just Do It," resonate deeply, capturing the essence of Nike's mission. This memorable tagline motivates and empowers people to take action and overcome challenges.

Nike's mission, "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world," demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement and pushing boundaries. This mission aligns with its brand identity by driving innovation and setting new industry standards.

A case study of a Coca-Cola brand

Coca-Cola is a great branding example that is synonymous with happiness, sharing, and refreshment. Its brand elements like smiling, red-labelled bottles, and joyful depictions in advertisements reinforce this emotional connection, making it more than just a beverage but a symbol of positive experiences and connections.

• Vision: Coca-Cola's vision revolves around the concept of "happiness," which is at the core of its brand identity. Coca-Cola aligns itself with feelings of happiness, creating a strong emotional connection with consumers. Its Advertising impressions, often delivered through multimedia campaigns, reinforce Coca-Cola's happiness-focused brand identity. These impressions showcase moments of joy, togetherness, and celebration, which resonate with the audience and further solidify the brand's image as a purveyor of happiness.
  
  

• Packaging: Coca-Cola's unique glass bottle packaging is a cornerstone of its brand identity, symbolising the brand's trustworthiness, credibility, and enduring legacy. The glass bottle's unique design has also become one of the most recognizable branding examples worldwide. Its contour shape, embossed logo, and vibrant red colour scheme contribute to a strong brand visual identity. This visual identity encapsulates the essence of Coca-Cola – its refreshing taste, rich history, and cultural impact.