Brand Identity - why is it so important?
Every company has a story to tell. Creation, management, activity: it’s all done for a reason. To tell a story and make themselves known, a company first needs to develop its own identity. Cultural identity, also called ‘corporate culture’ is the first step. It governs the positioning, operation and strategies of the organisation and influences decisions. The second step is the visual identity. It adds more depth and gives people something to remember the company by. In this article, we are going to explore the value of visual identity and why it is essential if you wish to succeed in business.
What is visual identity?
To function properly, a company must develop its own identity, based on a unique design and well-defined graphics. All of these components make up the ‘visual identity’. Consisting of the name, logo, font, colour and signature style, the visual identity is essentially the story of a company and the values that it wishes to convey. It is essential for a brand asserting themselves through both print and online media, and is one of the fundamental pillars of the communication strategy of an organisation.
A key element of the visual identity is, of course, the logo. It allows an organisation to not only be recognised, but remembered. The creation of a logo is not something to be taken lightly, and it is always a good idea to meet with professional designers. Specialists in communication and design identify your needs, tastes and personality and bring them together to build a powerful logo. An integral part of visual identity, it gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself from competitors.
In order to remain uniform in its communication, it is necessary to follow graphic standards. Effective graphic standards are crucial for a company wishing to maintain consistency in their graphic identity. Do not hesitate to contact our creative team who can assist you in this process and offer more information.
The benefits of a strong visual identity
Today, a company no longer builds its reputation solely on products or services. The image that it conveys is also seen to be a measure of its success. Before embarking on the creation of a visual identity, you must explicitly and precisely identify the strategic goals of your business: Why is it so important? Which media should I utilise? Why is having a visual identity so important?
A visual identity must fulfill three essential functions:
It is recognisable: by being simple and clear It gives your business personality It stands out from competitors
If you properly develop your visual identity, you will draw many benefits, including:
Awareness: as your identity becomes more developed and thus recognisable, awareness of your business will grow. Positioning: symbols, values, culture, projects. All of these help to encourage and foster any progressions within your business. A bond: from the customer’s point of view, a strong identity creates a sense of belonging and reliability. Staying power: Control over your identity will allow you to respond quickly and effectively to changes, thus ensuring the immortality of your organisation. Savings: a well-designed early identity will save you lots of money! No need to constantly reinvent graphics, your identity is well-established and solid.
And afterwards? Once your business is started and your corporate identity is in place, you need to maintain what you have so carefully created. For this, you need to utilise a new, powerful and incredibly valuable communication tool: social media. Many companies, in addition to their usual communications strategies, choose to present their services, enhance their reputation or simply create a community of existing and potential clients through the medium of social networking. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social networks are a great way to convey your values, so do not forget to solidify your visual identity on these. A community manager in our team will be happy to help you in this process.
Do you think you have a strong visual identity? At Drimlike, we know that every business is unique, and we take care to use the right words and colours to create your life, or company story. Do not hesitate to contact us for our unique insight and advice.