Creating a strong Corporate brand identity is about combining a variety of elements to generate a public awareness surrounding your business, products or services. These elements include but are not restricted to the following strategies:
1. The Identification Process
The first step is to research the company, product or service through identifying:
– Their unique features;
– The key message;
– The goal or aim they would like to achieve;
– The current market awareness or perception;
– The target market demographics;
– The character, personality or identity they would like portrayed;
– The current industry competition.
It is advisable to use a professional market research organization to fully identify the product market, market positioning, target demographics and competitive scenery.
2. The Brief Process
The information can then be compiled into a brief that will include proposed design elements, a timeline for the project as well as budgetary requirements. The brief will allow you, the client, and the brand building team to collaborate until an understanding of what is required from each party is reached and all the details are tied down.
The final brief will form the documented design plan that should be followed throughout the brand building process. Stick to the brief and it will be less likely that you will encounter problems along the brand identification route.
3. The Design
This is possibly the most important features of building a strong and easily identifiable brand. The creation of a logo, the choice of color, font, typeface, images and other design elements should all be aimed at attracting the specified target market.
These design elements need to be incorporated into every aspect of a marketing campaign and should be formulated into a Corporate brand identity manual. This manual will be used in all printing processes to ensure that the colors, fonts and graphics are identical.
The design process will also involve the creation of catch-phrases, jingles or written content that will capture the immediate attention of an audience.
This can be a lengthy process as each design element needs to go through an approval process. However, it is important not to get too hung up on the details and understand that the bigger picture is often more important than just getting the design elements right.
4. The Evolutionary Process
The top brand identities did not reach their current high level of public awareness overnight. Building a strong brand awareness is often an evolutionary process that grows or changes as a better understanding of the product features and the market are developed.
It is best to keep the design elements of the brand building process simple at the start and add features as and when necessary. If the brand identity is not achieving the goals determined in the identification process or specified in the brief, it may be time to rethink the entire process and start from scratch.
You also need to keep in mind that a good brand identity needs to be maintained and worked on to reach the greatest level of success.
If you require assistance with creating your brand from a professional, Adorn Media Studio specialises in assisting start-up companies with their corporate brands. Be sure to view some of our logo designs or view more information about our Corporate Identity services.