MARCH 19, 2015
NEWS & VIEWS
It amuses me (and baffles me) how little understanding so many people have about the role of designers and design agencies.
I have been asked so many times – but what do you actually do? So I want to explain one of the most important ways in which design agencies support businesses – through growing and developing brand identity.
So what exactly is brand identity?
Your brand identity is how your company is seen and perceived by consumers and is what differentiates you from your competitors. People are often mistaken in thinking that a brand identity is only a company’s logo. Logos are so important, but there are many elements that make up a company’s identity. Including all of its communications to graphical elements and name.
Like a person every brand has its own identity. A company’s personality, look and feel can have significant effect on its success. Your brand identity is what connects you to your consumers. Think about this – Why would you choose the more costly and well-known cornflakes brand over supermarkets own? That is Brand identity done well.
A strong brand identity is unique, instantly recognisable, consistent and meaningful. A good brand will never go out of date.
We all like to make good first impressions and this is no different for your brand. Your brand identity should draw in the viewer with its stylish design and pleasing aesthetics, creating a place for the brand in the viewer’s mind. What I’ve learnt is that even a small business can make a big first impression; a powerful identity can make a business seem much bigger than it is. Consequently, consumers are more likely to trust you and give you their business.
A strong brand identity also creates loyalty. Loyal customers will continuously purchase products from their preferred brands, regardless of price. Ultimately brand loyalty leads to more consistent business, an increase in profits and ultimately a decrease in marketing costs.
Stand out from the crowd.
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait till you hire an amateur.”
A weak brand is inconsistent, unprofessional and fails to connect with consumers. You could have the best product in the world but it will go unnoticed if the right people don’t identify with it.
I’ve found that businesses with weak brand identities have often decided not to invest in their brand, using amateur, poorly resourced in-house staff or ‘quick fix’ websites. Though these options are cheaper, they often produce a brand identity that is impersonal and badly designed. It can be very detrimental to the company’s reputation and long-term customer relationships and lead to spending more in the long term.
Get it right.
Design agencies are experts at taking the core values of your business and communicating them in the right way for you. Professional designers have years and years of combined experience and have dedicated their lives to creating brands that work.
What’s just as important as having a stylish and unique design, is the processes that an agency will go through before pen has been put to paper. Truth will put time and effort in to knowing your business inside out and develop a strategic plan for your future. Taking the time to go through these tried-and-tested strategic processes combined with our experience makes for a powerful and successful combination!
Written by
Angela Burnell
Creative Artworker – Truth
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