Brand Visual Identity: Why Does It Matter?

Visual identity is a key component of establishing a brand. Unfortunately, visual identity is often confused with branding. Those are two different things.

This article will give a clear definition of visual identity and how you can create one for your business.
 

What Is Brand Visual Identity?

In simple terms, a visual identity expresses the values and the visions of a business. It is a crucial part of the branding and it’s more than just the logo. Other components of the visual identity include:

• fonts
• photos
• colors
• shapes
• forms
• other visuals

Branding on the other hand is how you communicate the values of your business. In a way, your branding is your overall promise to the consumer. Part of delivering that promise is the visual appearance of your brand and business. That appearance should be in line with the rest of the branding.

As a business, one of the most important parts of successful branding is credibility. The overall look of a brand should inspire confidence in people.

Branding and Visual Identity: What’s the Difference?

There are those that use visual identity and branding in an interchangeable manner. That’s wrong because the two are distinct from each other.

Here are the key ways that these two are different:

1. Branding is more like a comprehensive strategy and process that seeks to develop a brand from the voice of the business.
2. Visual identity is the guideline that is set for creating the look and collaterals of a brand.
   

By that definition, visual identity is actually a part of branding.

Why Visual Identity Matters

Visual identity is a major part of branding. Without defining how the brand will look and without setting those standards, any attempt to create a brand will fall flat on its face. Here are a few additional reasons why you need to work on visual identity:

Better Brand Awareness

Think about the top brands in the world. Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola. What sets those brands apart from the others in the same market that they are in? As a consumer, the one thing that you would notice about them is their brand identity. One look and you know that it’s them.

That is the power of a good brand visual identity. Just the logo or the colors of your brand and you can make people aware of what your brand is all about. The visual identity of your brand can speak for yourself right away.

It Makes It Easy for Your Target Audience to Identify with

By coming up with an appealing visual identity and one that they can easily understand, your audience will find it easier for your audience to identify with your brand. When creating the visual identity for your brand, keep in mind that it will be the face and front of your business. If possible, try to make it look humane and appealing. Don’t use disturbing images.

It Can Convey a Distinct Feel for Your Products

You can actually use your brand’s visual identity to convey certain emotions and feelings about your brand and your product. Apple’s visual identity for example conveys a feeling of confidence because of their austere and simple designs. There is nothing frivolous about Apple products. This gives their products an air of reliability that cannot be found on other tech brands.

You can give your brand a certain air that your audience can feel.

Visual Identity Creates a Sense of Continuity

According to research, presenting a brand with consistency across all platforms can increase revenue by as much as 23%. That consistency includes the brand visual identity of course. By making sure that your brand will have the same look on all platforms, you can increase the money coming into your business.

Remember, people hate change and the same thing is true with your audience. Even if you make changes with your brand visual identity, try to make it as minimal as you can. Stick to what works for you.

It Sets You Apart

What’s the main reason why you need to build a strong visual identity?

One of the main reasons should be because you want to distinguish yourself from the competition. You want to be different from the other businesses that are in your niche. That’s why your identity should be unique.

Just think if you don’t have an identity that cannot be distinguished from your competitors. Your customers won’t care if they bought from you or from somewhere else.

Before Creating Brand Visual Identity for Your Brand

So, you know about the benefits of having a brand visual identity. What’s next for you? What’s your next move?

Here are a few steps that you have to take before creating a visual identity for your brand:

1. First of all, you need to study and learn who your audience is. The visual identity of your brand is meant to speak to your audience. That means it should be geared towards appealing to them. Is your target audience made up of younger people? Then your brand visual design should be meant to appeal to them.
2. Once you know more about your audience, the next thing to do is to define what your brand’s purpose is. Is it to get more customers? Is it to build up the image of your business a customer-friendly? You have to define those before you can create your brand.
3. Tell a story through your brand that can evoke emotions. That way, people will care about your brand. You can do that through ads but the designs and visuals you use can also play a role.
4. Finally, you need to define the roles of the various aspects of visual identity. The brochures will serve a different purpose from the social media ads for example.
   

These are the things that you need to establish before you can create a visual identity for your brand.

Now, if you need help with developing the visual identity of your brand, check out what Delesign has to offer. They can help you out with all the visual aspects of your business.