MCs Blog: CCMC: Task 3 "How to create a visual brand identity?"

Main problem:

“How to create a visual brand identity?”

Find answers to:

LO1: What are visual brand identity elements?

LO2: What is the process of visual brand identity? (target market)

LO3: Examples of visual brand identity in different cultures?

Short overview, what a "brand" is:

It is important to distinguish between “brand” and “commodity”. The difference can be summed up by the phrase “added values”. A brand is more than just the sum of its component parts. It embodies for the purchaser or user additional attributes which, whilst they might be considered by some to be “intangible”, are still very real. To illustrate the power of these added values, it is only necessary to consider the preference given by consumers to successful brands by dint of the brand name, rather than because of any functional superiority that can be discerned in objective comparisons.

Successful brands tend to:

- Have a unique identity which is widely recognized by members of the target market

- Provide sustainable competitive advantage by being more attractive than most other identities or positions in the market

- Add significantly to the asset value of an organization as demonstrated when the organization is sold or acquired

- Require continuous investment to avoid the diminution experienced by some previously powerful brands, such as Hoover, Singer, Biro, and so on.

Components of a brand:

- Brand positioning (physical/functional aspects)

- Personality (characteristics of a brand, together = brand identity, influenced by POS, price, other brands of same manufacturer, use, kind of buyers, after-sales service, brand name, advertising, POS material, PR, sponsorship, etc.) influences the price, that can be charged for product

3 Sorts of appeal for brands:

- Sensual appeal: look, sound, feeling

- Rational appeal: way product performs (costs, what it contains, etc.)

- Emotional appeal: probably most important aspect, psychological rewards it offers

But: have to be consistent

(Marketing in a Nutshell, 113-116)

Here are some "outtakes" from the above linked YouTube video about "branding and visual identity for startup businesses":

Main questions to think about:

WHAT? - Product/Service
WHO? - Audience
WHY? - Story
WHERE? - Situation, where will visual brand be seen...
HOW? - Style

A good brand is: engaging, helpful, long lasting, relateable, honest, competitiveA good brand is: engaging, helpful, long lasting, relateable, honest, competitive

1. "What are visual brand identity elements?"

BRAND IDENTITY?

Brand and Brand Identity are words that are often banded about in business, but how many people actually understand what it means? We thought it would be useful to give you an introduction to the reasons for brand identity, its core elements and how to achieve a strong brand identity.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF A BRAND IDENTITY?

Navigation – to enable your business to stand out from your competition. To aid customers in navigating the huge array of competition and pick you out.

Reassurance – to provide reassurance to clients that they are making the right choice in choosing your company by communicating the quality of your service or product. Taking trust out of the buying process is key to a successful sales process.

Engagement – to help customers to identify with your company through the use of imagery and message. Without engagement your product or service will only compete on price.

WHAT ARE THE CORE ELEMENTS?

A brand identity is made up of a series of visual items which form a system. The strength of the system is in creating a visual language that is easy for a customer to understand, making it easy for the business to communicate their message and values.

When designing a brand identity it is essential to have mastery of all the individual core elements. This is to enable them to be combined into a powerful visual language for your business. The success of the brand identity will succeed or fail on the consistency and quality of the elements and how they are used.

Approach to designing a brand identity

It is important to understand the commercial and academic reasons for a strong brand identity and its structure. How many businesses and designers make choices purely based on aesthetic reasons? How many businesses make decisions on their own branding on their own personal taste rather than their target market? More than you would think, I would say. Using a structured design process can help overcome these problems in the discovery and definition stages.

2. "What is the process of visual brand identity?"

Brief & Research

Of course the design brief and brand strategy are starting points as these help to focus on the details and requirements to connect with your target audience. If you don't have this yet sufficient established we need to spend time doing so first.
To gain understanding I gather information about your business, have discussions and asking enough questions to get to grips with your objectives. In order to differentiate from your competitors I begin to research extensively, considering elements like background company, market trends, current situation, history, aspirations, competitors, colour research, target audience, font type research, and any other associations that comes to mind relevant for the project. Ideally some of these facts, if not all, could already be provided by the client or are gathered through the early stages of the process.

Reflect & Brainstorm

In finding the solution I spend time reflecting on all the information. During brainstorming I sketch rough concepts to help me generate a set of possibilities and explore different angles. Till the strong ones 'jump out' in order to be selected for digitising and conceptualising following a consistent design system, selecting appropriate font face to go along with the concepts.

Digitise & Present

After the concepts are vectorized in detail I will add colours and each will be shown in the appropriate and relevant context by using mock-ups to bring the brand to life. During this process I do have breaks to step back, always referring to the original brief making sure I stay on track with the aims and objectives.

Review & Refine

The client receives the presentation and gives feedback on how much the concept meets the design brief criteria. After review, any refinements (usually scale, balance, font and color) and agreed amount of revisions the project will be finalized. Artwork and any specific file requests are supplied via email and/or made available for download.

Deliver & Launch

Depending on how many merchandise and marketing applications the client requires in the design brief and in which way to engage and connect with the audience, the further implementation of the logo and brand is worked out and launced, following branding guidelines.

3. "Examples of visual brand identity in different cultures"

There are several issues that have to be taken into consideration, when creating visual brands in different cultures:

Austrian Brands:

... even with out the name the brand can be recognized...

Founded in 1987, the brand and it's visual branding is unique. Although it's already 26 years old, it has not been necessary to change the logo, it has remained from the beginning.