How to build your brand identity

We often associate brand identity with large corporations - iconic logos, meticulously planned marketing campaigns - you know the ones. Apple's bitten apple, Nike's swoosh, and McDonald's golden arches immediately come to mind… symbols embedded in our collective consciousness that we recognize instantly.

But brand identity isn't exclusive to market giants. Small and medium-sized businesses can (and should) establish a strong foundation to stand out, enhance visibility, and build trust.

You don't need enormous resources or an overly complex concept. A meaningful name, a recognizable logo, consistent colors, and an authentic tone are sufficient elements to structure your brand image.

But precisely, what constitutes a brand identity? What elements comprise it? And more importantly, what's the most effective way to build a brand with impact?

Before diving into details, let's clarify what brand identity truly encompasses.

Brand identity is everything that makes your company recognizable and distinctive in consumers' minds.

While often limited to just a name and logo, these crucial components are part of a broader concept. Brand identity encompasses all visual, textual, and emotional elements that define your brand's "personality."

For example:

• logo and name
• colors
• graphic style
• typography
• slogan
• communication style
• sometimes even a signature melody or scent

When used consistently, these elements anchor your brand in people's minds.

Consider how the deep yellow and blue colors immediately evoke a certain Swedish furniture giant, even without seeing its logo. Similarly, distinctive sounds have become inseparable from their brands - Netflix's "Tudum" or Intel's famous five-note chime serve as perfect examples.

No discussion of brand identity would be complete without mentioning Kapferer's Prism. Jean-Noël Kapferer, a renowned French marketing specialist, developed this practical, actionable framework in the 1990s to structure brand identity.

It consists of six core elements:

1) Physicality

This encompasses all visual and physical elements representing the brand: logo, colors, packaging, graphic style, typography, etc.

2) Personality

This answers the question: if your brand were a person, how would you describe it? Bold, refined, innovative, warm? This dimension manifests in your tone, visual style, and communication approach.

3) Relationship

This focuses on the nature of the connection between your brand and its customers. Is it friendly and approachable, premium and exclusive, reassuring and expert? The relationship type significantly influences customer loyalty and engagement.

4) Culture

Your brand conveys unique values linked to its origin, history, and commitments.

5) Reflection

This corresponds to the image your brand projects of its customers. In other words, what perception do people have of someone who uses your product or service?

6) Self-image

Similar to reflection but with an important distinction: this concerns the internal feeling customers experience when purchasing or using your product or service. It's not about the image your brand projects, but the positive personal emotion it evokes. What feelings arise from experiencing your brand? Trust, pride, belonging, freedom?

Creating a brand identity is essential for all businesses, from large corporations to small and medium enterprises.

But what tangible benefits does it provide?

• Differentiate from competitors:

  A well-defined brand identity establishes a unique personality, preventing your business from being perceived as generic or interchangeable with competitors.
  
  

• Enhance visibility and build connections:

  A brand with a strong identity is more noticeable and memorable. It captures attention, generates interest, and fosters engagement.

  
  Beyond visibility, a strong identity creates meaningful connections with your audience. A company that clearly communicates its personality and values naturally attracts the right people: customers who identify with your brand and want to engage with it.
  
  

• Strengthen your company's credibility:

  A well-constructed brand identity inspires trust. Clear messaging, consistent communication, and a polished image send positive signals to potential customers.

  
  Imagine an e-commerce site with a blurry logo, inconsistent colors, or awkward communication. Even with quality products, customers will hesitate to place orders. Conversely, a clear, well-structured site with refined visual identity and smooth communication immediately puts visitors at ease. Without conscious thought, they trust your brand more and become more likely to purchase.

Before considering logos or colors, it's essential to establish your foundation: who are you as a brand?

It's a significant question. Here are key points to explore:

• Who are you?
• What do you do, for whom, and how? What problem do you solve?
• What is your mission?
• What are your company values?
• Who is your target persona?
• What do you promise your persona?
• What emotions do you want to evoke in your audience?
  
  

Try to think deeply; don’t take easy shortcuts. The more precise your answers, the more coherent your brand identity will be and the easier it will be to implement in your communications.

Only after establishing these foundations should you proceed to concrete elements: creating a logo, selecting a name, choosing colors, and defining your communication tone. Everything flows from this critical first step.

Once you've defined your brand personality, it's time to translate it visually. The goal? Create a clear, easily identifiable identity.

Your visual identity relies on several key elements:

• Logo

  It should be simple, memorable, and appropriate for your industry. A good logo is recognizable within seconds. Ensure it's versatile: does it work as a favicon, in email signatures, on billboards?
  
  

• Colors

  Colors play a crucial role in brand perception. Color psychology can help convey coherent messages.
  
  Common associations include:
  
  

  • blue: trust, professionalism, reliability
  • red: dynamism, energy, action
  • green: nature, health, sustainability
  • yellow: optimism, friendliness, youth
  • black, white: minimalism, luxury, elegance

  You don't need to follow these conventions strictly, but choose colors that align with your brand positioning and desired image.
  
  

  Aim for a coherent, balanced palette typically including: - a primary color: representing your brand and most visible - one or two secondary colors: creating contrast and enriching your visual identity - an accent color: drawing attention to key elements (buttons, calls to action)
  
  

• Typography

  Typography influences your brand's personality. Do you want to project a modern, clean, elegant, dynamic, or bold image? Prioritize readability and avoid overly complex fonts.
  
  

• Graphic Style

  This includes all visuals accompanying your communications: photos, illustrations, icons, patterns. Harmony is essential; ensure all elements work together cohesively and reflect the same atmosphere.

As mentioned, brand identity extends beyond visual elements. Your brand name is crucial - it should suit your business and ideally be memorable and distinctive.

Verbal identity touches on a ton of elements. Tone and communication style are equally important.

How to define your brand’s tone of voice 🗣

Consider these three simple questions:

1) Who are we speaking to? Who is our audience?

• If targeting professionals (B2B), what types of companies or professions? Freelancers, startups, large corporations?
• If targeting individuals, what are their profiles (age, interests, lifestyle, needs)?

2) What personality should the brand embody?

• This should be easily summed up with simple adjectives like accessible, premium, committed, etc.

3) How do we want to be perceived?

• Be realistic. Think of valuable characteristics like expertise, proximity or even innovation.

Should your brand adopt a more formal and precise tone, or a spontaneous and engaging one? Should you emphasize educational expertise, or focus on emotional connection?

This one’s challenging: your brand needs to maintain consistency across each and every potential touchpoint.

Use the same logo, colors, and graphic style everywhere. Your tone should remain consistent and recognizable. While you can adapt subtly to each channel's specifics, don't compromise your core identity. For instance, using a humorous tone on Instagram but a corporate tone on your website creates inconsistency that may confuse your audience.

The best way to ensure consistency is through a formal brand charter (or brand book). This document includes all visual and textual elements defining your brand. It maintains unity in your communications, especially when multiple people create content (writers, designers, community managers).

Your brand book needn't be exhaustive but should include:

• Visual identity 🎨
  • your logo with variations (monochrome, versions for light/dark backgrounds),
  • your color palette (with specific hex/RGB/CMYK codes),
  • fonts used, with variations (titles, body text, taglines).
• Verbal identity 💬
  • your tone and communication style guidelines,
  • your value proposition and slogan,
  • preferred keywords and phrases (including language elements to avoid).

Entrepreneurs often invest significant time and energy perfecting their brand identity while overlooking a crucial aspect: legal protection.

To protect your identity, register your brand and logo with your country's intellectual property office (such as the DPMA in Germany, the UIBM in Italy, or the OEPM in Spain) or consider EU-wide protection through the EUIPO.

Without registration, you lack genuine protection for your brand and logo, even after years of use.

Want to learn more? We've written a comprehensive article on brand protection. Looking to launch your business? From drafting statutes to capital deposit, legal announcements, and company registration - Qonto handles all creation formalities from A to Z.