As a business owner, you are most likely aware that creating a memorable, consistent, and trustworthy impression of your company is essential to winning over customers and keeping them loyal. Without a good brand, your business might not attract as many people as you might have expected, and you might find they are going to one of your competitors instead.
To keep customers excited and interested in the services you offer, it is important to develop a strong brand identity and image that is trendy and recognizable to the naked eye. However, if you don’t know what those are, it can be tricky to figure out on your own, In this article, we will discuss the main differences between brand identity and image, as well as what you need to know in order to design a successful brand for your business.
What Is Brand Identity
Creating a brand identity is essential to building a successful brand. This includes elements such as colors, typography, and voice. The more unique and consistent these elements are, the higher the chance that people will remember and respect your brand.
Simply put, your brand identity is the message you want customers to receive, with the help of visual aids. It’s the overall look and feel of your business, and it encompasses everything from your company logo to the ads you make. This will help guide you when you’re making decisions about how to brand your business. Although, there are a few things you need to know about brands and what branding is before you can begin.
What Is a Brand?
A brand is a collection of specific thoughts and emotional reactions that comes to mind when people think about your business, which helps distinguish it from both neighboring and nationwide competitors. It’s what customers think and feel about your business, rather than its functional attributes.
The word brand is a catch-all term that is referring to your company’s corporate identity and marketing strategy. As a result, they play an important role in shaping people’s ideas of your business, the services or products you provide, and the identity of you as a business owner and your staff.
When these identifying characteristics are used, they can help you build your brand identity in what can often be considered an oversaturated market. They will also give you a significant advantage over similar businesses in your area, giving you a more competitive edge. If you are considering creating a new image for your business, you may want to look into trademark protections for your brands by registering your logo as a personal trademark.
What Is Branding?
The process of developing a strong and favorable image of a business by combining elements like logos, designs, mission statements, and a common theme across all marketing communications is known as branding.
The overall concept of branding is to link the image of your business with products and services you provides in a way that is recognizable in the eyes of consumers. Your brand comprises various elements such as your name, designs, logo, and any other characteristics that set it apart from others on the market. Effective branding will allow your company to stand out from its competition and cultivate an ardent client base that is consistent and loyal.
What Is a Brand Image
Your brand image is the face and personality of your company, and it is what potential customers remember when they see or hear about your business. This includes your business name, company logo, colors, and even developing your own tone of voice. A strong brand image will help your company name and logo appear on everything related to the goods and services you offer and make your business more unique than others so that it can stand out against competitors in the market.
It is also important to remember that a brand image that induces positive emotions in its audience is more likely to be favored over others. People want many different things from brands, and so as a successful business owner, you are going to have to find ways to sell the same product by defining it from others in order to attract more consumers and increase your brand visibility.
How to Create Your Own Brand Image & Identity
With numerous businesses attempting to establish a presence for themselves, having a strong brand is more important than ever before. If you are seeking to create a distinct brand image or identity, it’s crucial to understand what goes into making a brand.
Here are some tips on how to develop a unique brand:
- Study market trends: make sure to update your brand when the market changes
- Create a brand guideline: this stores your original brand values of your business
- Establish a brand monitoring dashboard: keeps track of how your brand is doing
Another way you can build your business’ brand identity or image is to keep learning about your brand, remaining consistent in your design and tone of voice when you need to make changes, and by establishing standard templates that are customers can easily identify. Websites like storyboardthat.com are a great place to keep your personalize templates you create together and organized.
So, What’s the Difference Between Brand Identity & Brand Image?
The main difference between brand identity and brand image is that brand identity is the message you send to consumers about your brand, while brand image is the way consumers perceive your brand.
Both are equally important in creating a successful brand for your business. Your brand identity should be strong and unique, so that it can stand out against competitors in the market. Meanwhile, your brand image should be positive and memorable, so that potential customers will think of your business first when they need the goods or services you offer and be more inclined to leave a positive review.
The Bottom Line
Developing a strong brand identity and image takes time and effort, but it is worth it in the long run. By investing in your brand now, you can set your business up for success in the future.
However, it is important to remember to keep marketing trends in mind and make sure that your brand is giving off the desired perception you want in your customers. Contact a marketing specialist today if you have questions or need assistance designing your own brand.
