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When you think of Frosted Flakes, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Tony the tiger. When you pass a McDonald’s you see the Golden Arches, but if you’re old enough you still picture Ronald McDonald sitting cross legged on a bench waiting to take a picture with you. When you think of Disney, who’s face do you see? It’s not Walt Disney himself, it’s Mickey Mouse.
That is brand identity. It’s the mental image that’s retained by its consumers. The image that distinguishes one business from the next of its kind. It’s what makes a brand’s first impression, makes it stand out, makes it get recognized and remembered. This comes from many things, and it goes far beyond just the design of the logo. Although that does play a huge role.
A good logo for your business is crucial because it needs to grab the attention of your potential customers. A good logo and slogan should be memorable enough to separate you from your competition. It should show your audience that they are what your company focuses on, because without your customers you have nothing.
Like I said, building an image for your company goes far beyond the logo though. Once you get past the surface, there are deeper things that impact your brand’s identity. The company’s beliefs, what it stands for, what is your why? Why did you start? What keeps you going? What parts are you the most passionate about? This all helps contribute to the overall brand identity of your business.
There seems to be some confusion between branding and brand identity. Brand identity is all the elements of your business and how they collectively create one image. Branding is the actions you take to build that image. Brand identity has to start somewhere, and once that’s happened, branding is crucial. Consistency is key when advertising for your company. So when hiring a graphic designer they will keep your logos, your slogans, and your branding relevant to your company, and relatable to your customers.
Brand identity begins to get recognized the more its in people’s faces. We don’t think of the mom and pop restaurant down the street nearly as much as we think of fast food, simply because we don’t pass it on every trip we take and there aren’t tons of commercials playing on a loop to remind us. The point is, although that restaurant has probably built its own infamous reputation among the community, it’s not as likely to attract new customers.
This is why consistency in advertising is important. It brings your business to the forefront of your community and it offers its services to more than just the locals. Who knows who’s just visiting the area or new in town and might want to stop in, but you have to find ways to let those people know your business exists! Keep your ads relevant and consistent and the next thing you know you could have seasonal regulars who drop in when they’re passing through.
