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Brand Identity in 2024: Simple Explanation + How to Develop A Superior One

Not quite sure what brand identity is?

Your business cannot excel in today’s marketplace if you ignore branding.

To succeed, you first need to create your brand identity.

In this post, Suffix Designs will tell you all you need to know about brand identity in 2024, and also show you how to develop a strong brand identity in 10 simple steps.

What is meant by brand identity?

What determines who you are? 

Is it your name or your face? 

Is it how you talk, how you walk, or how you dress?

Well, you’re a combination of all those things. Individually, none of them hold enough weight to define who you are, but when put together, we get a unique person, you.

That’s what brand identity is all about. The collection of different elements that work together to paint a unique picture of a business in the minds of its customers.

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“Brand identity is the collection of different elements that work together to create a perception of a business in the mind of its customers”

Suffix Designs

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What is brand vs brand identity vs logo?

People often mix up the terms brand, branding, brand identity, and logo. But they’re not the same thing.

The difference between branding and brand identity and logo

Brand – stands for a business that is trying to develop an identity for the world to see it in a certain way. It is usually represented by the business name. For example, Apple, the producer of iPhones and MacBooks, is a brand. So are Coca-Cola and Nike.

Branding – This is the process of developing a strong brand. It involves everything a business does to create and maintain its image in the marketplace. 

For example, Nike is a sportswear maker, especially known for its sports shoes. 

Everything they do is targeted towards pushing and maintaining that image of being the leading sports shoe company in the world. 

From their name, Nike, which is the Greek goddess of victory, to their logo, the swoosh, which represents speed, power, movement, and motivation, and also partnering with some of the best athletes in the world. 

All these things contribute to their brand image. And how they do all this is called branding.

Brand identity – Brand identity is an abstract concept, existing mostly in the minds of your audience or customers. 

It is simply what you want the world to think of your business. 

Coca-Cola wants the world to see them as a company that brings happiness, through the refreshing feeling of their drink. So all their branding is targeted towards building that identity in the minds of consumers worldwide. 

Many banks want the world to see them as safe, trustworthy, and sincere – because they deal with people’s money, which is extremely important. So their actions are targeted towards creating that image of a secure company in the minds of their customers.

Logo – a logo is just one part of your brand identity. It is like the face of your brand. 

Think about the bitten Apple, the Colonel of KFC, and the swoosh of Nike. 

When people can identify your brand only by seeing your logo, it signals that your branding is successful. Nevertheless, brand identity is more than just a logo. 

The key elements of brand identity?

There are at least five elements that make up a brand identity.

They all contribute to a brand’s identity.

Brand purpose

Brand purpose is the main reason why your brand was created. It could be to offer a service or to provide a product that solves a problem in the world.

Brand Name

Just like your name, your brand name is what people call your brand. Oftentimes, it’s the same as the business name or name of a product. Google for example, is the name of the search engine we use (a product), and also the name of the company that created and runs the search engine.

Logo

A logo is the face of your brand, as mentioned earlier. It could be a stylized representation of your brand name, like Google’s logo, or a symbol, like Nike’s logo.

Colors

Whenever you hear Coca-Cola, you most likely picture the color red. Or when Facebook comes to mind, you see its blue color. 

Colors play an important role in shaping a brand’s identity. The best brands pick their colors intentionally and ensure it’s used regularly across all customer touchpoints.

Typography

Typography deals with the font you use when communicating with your audience via text. It’s not only what you say that matters, but how it’s presented. The look and feel. 

Tone of voice

Similar to typography, tone of voice deals with how your message is communicated to your audience. It’s concerned with how you sound. It may be professional and confident, playful and high-spirited, inspiring, elegant, etc.

What is an example of a brand identity?

To further clarify brand identity and see how all the elements contribute towards a successful brand, let’s look at 2 popular brand identity examples.

Nike’s brand identity

Blue Ribbon Sports is a Sportswear company, known for its sports shoes. Their purpose is to make sports shoes that help athletes become the best in their game, and attain victory.

To embody that identity, they rebranded. Starting with the brand name, Nike. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. The name is a good representation of every athlete’s dream, to be victorious, to be a champion.

Next is their logo, the swoosh. The swoosh was inspired by the wings of the Greek goddess of victory and signifies speed, movement, and motivation, which are important attributes of athletes.

Nike’s font is Futura, which has a sporty look and feel. Their tone of voice is motivating, inspiring, and exciting, encouraging customers to unleash the champion within. This is summarized by their popular slogan “Just Do It”

Coca-Cola’s brand identity

Coca-Cola is one of the most popular brands in the world. Their purpose is to make soft drinks that refresh people of all ages. Their brand name is the same as their most popular product, Coca-Cola (coke). Coca-Cola’s Logo is a wordmark of its brand name, written in a special font called Spencerian Script.

Putting it all together, from a brand name that reflects its major product to a playful wordmark for its logo, an exciting color: red, and a cheerful tone of voice, their brand identity is cheerful, refreshing, and accessible, and they paint this image in the minds of consumers worldwide through their campaigns and advertisements.

[brand identity templates]

What makes a strong brand identity?

A well-defined brand identity starts with understanding your purpose and who you aim to serve.

After that, you need to check three boxes.

Appealing – To create a strong brand identity, it must appeal to your target audience. A bank wouldn’t want to put up a playful identity because it would come off as unserious and unable to secure the money of its customers.

Coherent – Every part of your brand identity should work together to paint the picture you desire. Your logo, colors, typography, and tone of voice should all align with your purpose.

Consistent – After creating your identity, ensure you appear the same, and speak the same message everywhere. Your tone of voice should be the same across all media channels. Your colors should be the same across all materials and packaging. From your website to social media pages, business cards, company merchandise, etc.

Why is brand identity important?

You may be asking, “What’s the essence of brand identity?”

Why go through the trouble of setting up your brand and maintaining it consistently?

Brand identity is important because the business world is becoming unified, and more competitive. For every real estate agent, there are a thousand and one others. To stand out, you need to create a brand that appeals to your target audience, building familiarity and trust over time.

The key function of your brand identity is to ensure that what people see you as is what you want them to see. You don’t want to leave their interpretation of you to chance.

The main benefits of establishing a brand identity include.

How to build a strong brand identity?

Now you understand what brand identity is, how do you create it for yourself/your business?

Brand identity design is usually not a one-person job. But whether you choose to do it alone, or get help from a design agency, you must do it right. Because breezing through your brand identity is only a waste of time and resources. It won’t help you achieve your goals until you do it right.

Here is how to create an effective brand identity in 10 simple steps.

[Guide to brand identity pdf download]

1. Establish Your Brand Purpose

The first step in creating a unique brand identity is to establish your brand’s purpose.

You need to know your brand on a deeper level. You can start by asking yourself “Why am I creating this brand? What problem am I trying to solve, which service or product do I want to give to my customers?”

Brands with a clear vision and a focused mission stating what they want to do in the world are well on their way to developing a strong brand identity that will stand the test of time.

[brand identity discovery questionnaire]

2. Research The Market

After establishing your purpose, you need to do market research. You need to find other businesses that are solving the same problem as you, or offering similar products and services. Look at what your competitors are doing, how they communicate with customers, their color choice, and tone of voice.

This isn’t to copy your competitors but to spot opportunities for standing out.

You also should look at how customers interact with your competitors. Are there specific things they usually complain about? What are their likes and dislikes? What traits do they share in common?

Your research should do 3 things

3. Choose a brand name

Pick a name that reflects your brand. Ideally, your brand name should be short, easy to spell and pronounce, and not used by any other brand in the world, online or offline. This will make it easy to get a domain name for your website, open social media pages in your name, and stand out from the crowd.

4. Create a logo

Your logo will be the face of your brand. Whenever your customers see it, it should ring a bell. Your logo could be a letter mark; a stylized drawing of the first letter of your brand name, a word mark: a stylized illustration of your brand name, or an abstract logo that combines design theory, knowledge of your business purpose, and creativity, to create a unique logo that represents your brand well. 

Check out this article on logo design tips.

5. Select Typography

Pick your fonts. As a brand, you’ll need to communicate with customers regularly via text. You may also advertise, create business cards, etc. Just as our handwriting looks different, a brand’s typography can set them apart. Your typography states which type of font you’ll use for Titles, Headings, Subheadings, and Body of text.

No matter what you choose, ensure it matches your brand’s personality.

6. Create a color palette

Whenever you hear of Santa Claus, you most likely picture his red clothing with white touches. It’s his signature color.

Your brand also needs its colors to stand out. Your choice should be guided by your brand’s purpose, and the expectations of your target audience.

Colors mean different things to different people and evoke different feelings.

You can brush up on color theory to see how this works.

7. Pick a matching voice and personality

An easy way to do this is to ask yourself “If my brand were a person, who would it be? Who will it sound like?” “How would it behave and react to situations?”

Apple, for example, is a brand known for innovation – for pushing the boundaries of what technology should be. They have an inspiring personality.

“Apple’s distinct brand tone is casual, yet serious, enthusiastic but respectful, and always focused on their products and innovation” – Filestage.

8. Create Your Brand Identity Guidelines

Many businesses overlook this, leading to an identity crisis.

A brand identity guide is a simple document that contains everything about your brand’s identity. From your purpose to your target customers, logo, color palette, typography, voice, and personality.

It serves as a reference for you and anyone else you work with to always stay aligned with your brand.

Example of brand style guide

Having a brand identity guideline keeps everyone on the same page – whether you’re hiring a writer or graphic designer, building a website, setting up advertisements, or putting out social media content, your brand shows up the same, talks the same, and feels the same.

9. Trademark Brand Elements

This is optional, but something you should consider. Trademark elements of your brand identity like your brand name, logo, and slogan.

This keeps you in charge of your brand elements and authorizes you alone to use them.

It protects your brand from bad actors who may want to steal your hard work and gives you an edge if any lawsuit arises.

It also ensures that you don’t infringe on the trademark rights of another business.

10. Promote your brand consistently

Promote, promote, promote. On social media, in your local area, with your friends and family, via a website, via online advertising, etc.

It may take a while before people start recognizing a new brand and referring it to other people.

Ensure you look at your brand guidelines when sending out a message from your brand, and share it with anyone you decide to hire.

Frequently Asked Questions about Brand Identity

Is brand identity the same as brand personality?

Brand identity is what you want people to see your brand as. The perception you want to create in the minds of your customers. Brand personality is what people see your brand as.

Simply put, your brand identity is who you say you are. Your brand’s personality is who other people say you are.

If you do a great job during the development and promotion of your brand identity, your brand personality will match it.

What comes first, brand or logo?

Your brand should come before your logo. A logo is a visual representation of a brand, serving as the face of the brand. So you shouldn’t make a logo and try to match your brand identity to the logo. Instead, you should be clear on what your brand is all about, your purpose, who you serve, and your unique selling point, before making a logo.

How much does it cost to get a brand identity?

Cost varies widely, depending on your business type, industry, the skill and popularity of the designer, and your unique business needs.

Generally, it can be anywhere from a few thousand dollars, to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What are the big issues with brand identity?

A brand that doesn’t know its purpose, that lacks vision may not be able to develop a strong brand identity. Market research is key to finding gaps in the market and spotting opportunities to stand out.

When you’re clear on your brand’s purpose, who you serve, and the reason you’re serving them, every other part of your brand identity development becomes easy. You only need to hire a skilled designer who can translate your identity into visual design elements that clearly show people how you want to be perceived.

Conclusion

No two people are the same. They could have a similar personality, but something always sets them apart.

Likewise, no two brands are the same. Sadly, some business owners haven’t developed their brand identity to help them stand out in a world filled with millions of businesses that sound robotic, lifeless, and generic.

Business today is not just about selling products or services, you need to go beyond the transactions and connect emotionally with your customers.

Developing and consistently maintaining your brand identity helps you stand out, attract the right people, and build a lasting business.

Wanna Join The Winning Brands?

At Suffix Designs, we’ve helped dozens of businesses develop their brand identity, giving their business more relevance and revenue.

If it worked for them, it can work for you too.

Send us a message to get started.