What is a brand identity?
According to Wikipedia: “A brand's visual identity is the overall look of its communications. Effective visual brand identity is achieved by the consistent use of particular visual elements to create distinction, such as specific fonts, colors, and graphic elements. At the core of every brand identity is a logo.”
Your company’s brand identity starts with a logo.
There are four characteristics of a great logo:
A great logo is unique. Your logo should stand out and be recognized among the slew of others in the same market space.
A great logo is adaptable. Strong logos translate well across different mediums. Will your logo evoke the same meaning on a business card as it will on a billboard?
Make It timeless. A great logo will last for years.
Make It appropriate. Before embarking on any sort of marketing campaign, you must first nail down your target audience. A logo needs to accurately reflect a company's culture and values: the company's essence. Color is a major attribute in determining the appropriateness of a logo design. Different colors are associated with different meanings in different cultures. It's important to think about how the colors in your logo reflect your brand values and the services or products you sell.
A great logo is one that you can recognize what it is without the text of the company name. Or, if you hear the company name you visualize the graphic logo.
If I say, "Red and White Bullseye" you visualize the Target logo.
A business logo sets the foundation for brand identity. This identity is seen by audiences and then attracts your ideal customers because the perception your company depicts. The perception of your company to customers is established from the the design style of print and digital collateral.
The business design style brands your company as "insert adjective." Is your business depicting a distinct style? Is your design style projecting an upscale or classy feeling? A technical refined feeling? Or, a whimsical and relaxed feeling?
A business with a consistent brand identity use consistent fonts and colors with coordinating design themes on print, web and social media. It all starts with a logo design.
Does your business logo meet the four characteristics of a great logo?