Brand Identity
Brand Identity is all about personality. Whether it’s ours, yours, the Marco’s and Sarah’s of the world, everyone has one, and it is reflected in all those visible characteristics that make us unique and distinguishable from others. Having said this, not everyone feels the need to be that guy donning fluorescent green hair in their company… While we could also choose to simply blend into the crowd by not expressing our individuality out loud, when it comes to your business – that tactic might prove to be a very dangerous gamble.
To be successful, your company needs to be instantly recognizable, to stand out anytime and anywhere your potential customers meet you. Does this mean it has to be the equivalent of that person with fluorescent green hair? Not necessarily. However, the look of your brand cannot be such that it is invisible or easily forgettable; unless you do not want to be chosen from among all the other brand competitors.
The task of creating your brand must therefore A. Distinguish your identity from every other Marco s.r.l.’s or Sarah Inc.’s in the field, and B. Clearly express who you are to all those who come into contact with you. Here are some of the weapons you have at your disposal.
How to build brand identity:
LOGO
We live in an era where it is acceptable to communicate exclusively using emojis: it should be obvious why, more than ever before, your logo is vital and relevant.
company coordination
Business cards, letterheads, folders, gadgets, newsletters, covers and social profiles: not coordinating these aspects would be like saying “turn right!” and then proceeding to turn left.
PACKAGING & LABELS
There is an old saying that states “robes do not make the monk”, in this context it should point to the fact that first impressions count a lot. This is also true for your product and its perceived value.
BRAND BOOK
BRAND BOOKA middle ground is found in that space between “instructions for use” and “words for posterity”: this means having an explanation of the assets related to your brand identity, how to use them and how to respect them for possible future designs.
The process with Just Do The Work:
Information and research
Everything starts with you. We ask you to tell us the story behind your brand, your vision and what aspects you care about most. We then do a competitive trend analysis for your market segment. Built together, this is the most important phase of the project.
Logo design
Mood: mood. Board: notice board. We collect a coherent set of colors, fonts, images and other elements that will suggest a particular identity. We prepare more than one mood board, with different “looks and feels”, and we submit them to you to help you determine which direction you want us to go in and then we’re off to a flying start!
Mood board realization
The creation of a logo is much more complex than it seems. The graphic signage you see is just the tip of the iceberg. Even before pencils touch their iPads, there is a lot of inspiration, research, strategy, translation and breaking down of individual concepts.
Drawing up the brand
Consistency is fundamental to achieving solid brand identity. To help you maintain this element at all times, even after we part ways, we provide you with a guide that will cover every aspect of your professional look, from size and color, to the rules that apply to the brand for your web page & social media marketing.
Coordinated image creation
So, we have a mood board, we have a logo and we have a brand book: now we have to incorporate all these elements to make up the rest of your look, both online and off. Your business will now have that new pair “of bottoms” -metaphorically speaking- but it can’ t go out without a shirt, a pair of shoes and accessories!