Your brand identity (also known as a company identity) is the way you present your business holistically to your prospective client base, which  these days can be worldwide. Your brand identity consists of a corporate identity and company profile.

How to shape your brand identity

You need to become familiar with the following concepts and be able to answer all the proceeding questions before you can start developing your corporate identity and company profile.

Personalisation and engagement

Personalisation, engagement, and overall connection; these are important indicators that will heavily dictate your brand’s relatability. You want your audience to get a good sense of your personality and the character that is portrayed. Specifically, zone in on your unique selling proposition (USP). What makes you stand apart from the competition? 

 

Positioning the brand for your audience

There are four basic questions
  • Who is your target customer?
  • What’s your product or service category, e.g. B2B or B2C?
  • What is your USP?
  • What sets your product/service apart from your competitors?

These questions work in synergy, and once you can say ‘yes’ to all of them, you’ll have a better idea of where – and how – you can carve out and grab a piece of the market share. Furthermore, it gives you a foundation from which to craft your brand identity.

 
Does it break through the ‘barrier’?

People receive ads and promotional material from companies via a plethora of marketing channels on a daily basis. It’s so common that it’s rendered many of us immune to the attempted allure of a click-through – and that’s the challenge digital brands face.

It’s crucial to gather, analyse and interpret data to see whether people are taking notice of you. If you see quality traffic to your website, a rise in click-through rates and conversions, you’ve created a formidable brand identity.

 
Identify the voice, tone and style of your brand

A distinctive voice, tone and style are needed – your brand must ‘speak’ to the customer and have a tone that provides continuity across the spectrum. Basically, your audience should recognise your brand no matter what digital marketing channels you use to communicate with them. In addition, it’s crucial that it also has a distinctive style. The best way to achieve this is through creating a style guide to which you adhere across all brand channels and platforms.

 The make-up of a corporate identity

  • The logo
  • The colour palette
  • The typography
 

An attention-grabbing logo

  • Your brand’s logo is the core visual representation of your business. It is one of the most valuable assets because it must convey a high-level view of your company’s purpose to prospective customers.
  • Design horizontal and vertical representations of the logo and logos with and without the brand’s tagline.
  • Specify the acceptable sizes in which the logo can be reproduced, e.g. the size/resolution of the logo for a letterhead, a presentation, a business card, etc.
  • Provide a variety of colours in which the logo can be reproduced.
 
Develop a distinctive colour palette

Provide the Pantone colours of the brand’s colour palette:

  • Include primary, secondary, and tertiary colours at the very minimum.
  • Decide how these colours can be used in the logo, which will appear on all branded communications.
  • Provide the PMS, RGB and CMYK equivalents of the colours in your colour palette for varied uses.
 

PMS: Pantone® Matching System.

RGB: Red, green and blue.

CMYK: Cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

 

Have a unique typography

Determine the fonts that you feel ideally represent your brand and will be used on all branded communications. Factors you need to consider include typeface size, line height, kerning, etc. Not sure what typography suits your business? It would be a good idea to chat with a graphic designer who can understand your business and provide samples for you.

 

Decide on your logo’s dimensions

A CI must also explain where your logo can be positioned in ads, on promotional items, on letterheads, business cards, etc. Also, include the acceptable sizes and the amount of clear space that should be around your logo or other brand elements to ensure continuity. For example, it’s common for a CI to state that there must be clear space at least half the width or height of the logo.

 

Have the images that visually represent your brand

Your business is moulded around a purpose; you have a vision of how you want materials and communications to convey your brand’s ethos. This isn’t a simple process; there are numerous aspects to consider, such as

  • A brand persona
  • Target audiences’ demographics, behaviour and expectations

Your CI must show examples of image types that can be used to fulfil these requirements. Now, let’s move onto your company profile.

 

Company profile

A company profile generally begins with an index of what will be included, such as an executive summary, product and/or service offerings, your USP, contact information.

 

Executive summary

  • Explain your brand values: What’s your brand’s purpose?
  • Brand promise: What value does your company offer prospective clients?
  • Brand image: What perception does the public have of your brand?
  • Core brand message: This should be a clear and concise message directed at your target audience, defining your brand’s purpose. Highlight your unique service proposition (USP) too.
  • Goals: What do you want to achieve for your brand? An example could be that you wish to be listed on the stock exchange in five years.
 

Explanation of service and/or product offerings

Break down your services and/or products into relevant categories and provide detailed descriptions so that the reader has a comprehensive understanding. You must explain to prospects why they should choose your company over competitors.

 

A contact Us page

Make sure that you include a page containing all your contact information and web presence, e.g. social media platforms.

A brand identity is the audiences’ perception of your company. In a sense, it needs to have its personality that evokes feelings, connection and engagement organically. Remember, a brand’s identity will always evolve with changes in market stimuli and customer expectations, behaviour and sentiment.