Standing out from competitors is very challenging for many brand companies today, especially in this generation; because designers and promoters have access to social media and other advertising platforms. To make your brand stand out from the rest, you need to have winning visual brand identities.
Visual brand identity refers to how people perceive your brand. It is how people get motivated by the image you are trying to portray. The following article includes tips that every designer needs for creating winning visual brand identities.
- Determine your audience
Determining your audience is the first step to creating a winning visual brand. When identifying your audience, you have to be specific. You need to locate them geographically, where they reside, their age, gender, marital status, educational level, and employment. Through this classification, you will be able to categorize their style, preferences and the language they use. Once these classifications are set, you will be able to recognize what elements to use in your design.
- What is your value?
Your visual brand is more than just an identity. It is the face of the product you offer. People should recognize the product you represent just by looking at your visual identity.
This is also called the product value or the value proposition, and it is more than the price clients pay for. It is the connection you establish between your brand and your clients the moment they engage with the product. Your value offering should be able to address the needs of the clients and they should recognize it just by looking at your brand title.
- Be consistent
In this ever-changing world, it is very important to stay consistent, especially when creating a brand visual identity. Your logo should be consistent across all aspects – whether promotions are done via social media, television, or print ads.
Consistency ensures clients that your brand is established and is here to stay. It also creates a cohesive appeal – everything is in its proper place. Consistency is reflected through the color, fonts, images and texts that you use in your logo. The most classic and effective way to describe consistency is “Coca-Cola”.
- Create a brand, not ‘just’ a logo.
Visual brand identity is far more than just a logo. Although logos are a very important part of branding, but there’s more to it than that. A brand is what people perceive once they have seen a part of your logo or heard a part of your tagline. A brand is something people feel an entitlement to when they avail your product or service. They are not just paying for it, they want to experience it.
- Changing the game
Your brand should be a symbol of change, something new, something that people look forward to. Everyone likes to look to the future, and we tend to trust forward-looking brands. Without this vision, your brand will just be an afterthought in comparison to the rest of the market.
- Delivering the big idea
The big ideas that you see being used by famous brands today did not just come out of no where overnight. They are a bunch of ideas combined together to form one brilliant idea.
- Own the winning moments
Everything is just a matter of perfect timing. Find this timing and revel in it as it is one of those winning moments that can excel your brand.
- Don’t be afraid
A great journey starts with a single step. Dare to take the leap and be prepared for where it might bring you. When attempting to create a winning visual brand identity, you must be able to let go of every fear that consumes you inside. Nothing will happen if you keep your bright ideas to yourself.
- Weird things actually work
Creativity does not conform to the norm. Trust those crazy thoughts of yours and transform them into something unique. Crazy ideas are worth trying when it comes to brand identity.
- Involve people
Designs are for people who appreciate them. It is not something that business indulge in alone. Learn the value of people as the centre of your designs; then you can’t go wrong.
- Research and research some more!
Learn everything about the market and the people who need your visual brand. Research about your competitors; how they do business and compare them to your processes. Researching will equip you along every step of your planning, designing, and execution process.
- Determine your goals
Set your mind on what you want to achieve and put all your efforts into it to make it happen. Your goal determine a higher position for yourself than where you are now. Without a clear goal, you will not be able to go forth and achieve your target.
- Speak their language
Your visual brand identity should be able to speak the language of your target market. For example, if your audience is a set of young bloods, you should not use Victorian style designs and old stuff in your brand. You must involve their preferences in terms of texts, colors, dimension, etc.
- Utilize social media exposure
Social media is a powerful tool today when creating and promoting visual brand identity. It is the next big thing to overnight fame. This is because it uses interlinked platforms. You can upload your logo on Facebook and be able to share it to your friends and followers on Instagram and Twitter. However, using social media, it is important to use the right tools and languages to make it work.
- Be Reliable
Your visual brand will be useless and all your efforts will be in the trash if people cannot relate to what you are trying to convey. To create a reliable visual brand identity, you must use the right language and be able to adjust to the preferences of the market you are trying to cater to. Your brand should also promote authenticity, honesty, and transparency. People need to see how sincere you are in delivering your brand and the product or service you represent. Connect with them in every possible way and make sure that you are there to address their queries whenever necessary.
BONUS!!
Did you know? If you’re having a hard time coming up with a good visual brand identity, Designs.net actually offers plenty of brand identity templates that are customizable by just getting in touch with the designers.
Check out some of our top selling brand identity templates here:
by bybayu
A linear art set of brand identity containing corporate letterhead, blank paper with logo, business cards and envelopes. Let this architectural theme set of multipurpose design and logo help increase the company’s value. This is a great step for any business or service line to be recognized in the market.
by yougun
A complete pack of brand identity complete with letterhead, presentation folder, business cards, envelopes and stationery to represent your restaurant. The design enables you to add in your tagline to further boost your restaurant’s branding. This template comes complete with vectors and are also fully layered for any customization according to your own style.