A trademark is the logo or trade name that a product or service uses to distinguish itself from its competitors and define its position in the market. A brand also includes the vision and message that products or services carry, and the feelings and impressions that their use arouses in customers.
Identity is the form by which the brand is recognised, and includes the color, logo, and font used in marketing and advertising. Identity is influenced by the values and vision held by the brand, and is considered an important factor in creating a successful media image that helps attract and retain customers.
The importance of branding and identity lies in building a positive image of the company, determining its position in the market, and increasing the ability of products and services to attract customers. Brand and identity are also considered factors that make a company unique and distinct from its competitors, and are one of the main drivers of success in business.
What are the key factors to consider when creating a brand and identification?
When creating a brand and identity, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration to reach a good and cohesive result. These factors include:
Define the company’s vision
Owners and managers must define a clear vision for the company and what they are trying to achieve with it, and think about how they want their products and services to stand out from their competitors.
Study the market and competitors
You should study the market well and learn about competitors, how they differ from each other, and whether there is an opportunity to make a difference with products and services.
Determine the awareness that is intended to be sent
You must determine the target group for products and services, and think about how a clear and attractive message can be delivered to these customers.
Determine the appropriate logo, color and font
You should select an attractive and easy-to-remember logo, and choose the appropriate color and font to best represent the company’s vision.
Building a cohesive identity
The different elements of the brand must align cohesively, appearing as a single framework that represents the company’s vision and is aligned with the marketing strategy.
Think about long-term strategy
Brand and identity should be viewed as a long-term investment in a company, so choices made around brand and identity must be carefully considered.
Create a brand guide
A brand guide should be prepared that includes all the different elements used in the brand and identity, and how to use them correctly and properly. This helps ensure consistent messaging towards customers and ensure identity cohesion.
How can brand and identity increase the value of products and services in the market?
Branding and identity increase the value of products and services in the market in several ways, the most prominent of which are:
Attract more customers
The brand and identity give a positive image to the company and help attract more customers by contributing to building trust between them and the product or service.
High price of the product or service
When a product or service appears accompanied by a strong brand and cohesive identity, this changes how customers view it, and thus its demand may increase even if its price increases.
Distinguishing yourself from competitors
Branding and identity help to position a product or service in the market and differentiate it from competitors, enabling the company to increase its market share and thus generate more revenue.
Increase customer loyalty
It helps customers quickly recognize the product or service offered through brand and identity, thus increasing the likelihood that they will use the product or service again and increasing their chance of loyalty to the company.
Establishing a relationship of trust between the company and customers
Branding and identity build a relationship of trust between the company and customers, and this increases the opportunities for customers to interact with the company, communicate with it, and refer it to others, thus increasing the value of products and services in the market.
How can brand and identity help generate more sales and attract customers?
Branding and identity help achieve more sales and attract customers in several ways, the most prominent of which are:
Attract customers’ attention
Branding and identity help attract customers’ attention thanks to the shape, color and fonts used in its design and thanks to the ideas and concepts they activate.
Find a motivation to buy
Branding and identity help create a strong motivation to buy among customers by supporting a positive image of the product or service, and displaying it in a distinct and attractive appearance.
Enhance the reliability of the product or service
Brand and identity build a positive image of the product or service, enhance its reliability and quality, and thus encourage customers to purchase it and deal with the company permanently.
Clarifying the company’s mission
Branding and identity help articulate a company’s mission and philosophy, making it easier for customers to understand and therefore more likely to buy the product or service.
Identify the most popular products and services
Branding and identity help identify the most popular products and services among customers, enabling the company to determine appropriate marketing strategies to market these products and services effectively.
Develop successful promotional campaigns
Branding and identity help in developing successful promotional campaigns, as attractive and effective advertisements can be designed to market products and services, thus attracting more customers and increasing sales.
What is the role of visual identity in building a successful media image for the company?
Visual identity plays a crucial role in building the company’s successful media image. The role of visual identity can be summarized in the following points:
Distinguishing yourself from competitors
Designing a unique visual identity helps you stand out from competitors and position your products or services in the market.
Positive image of the company
Visual identity helps build a positive image of a company, enhances its reliability and quality, which enhances marketing campaigns and increases the likelihood of purchasing products or services.
Advertising and marketing
Visual identity contributes to attracting customers and increasing sales through the distinctive design of advertisements and other marketing tools.
Enhance loyalty to the company
Visual identity helps achieve an emotional connection between customers and the company, and increases the opportunities for customers to interact with the company, communicate with it, and refer it to others, thus increasing the value of products and services in the market.
Create a unified identity
Visual identity design creates a unified identity for the company, making it easier for customers to recognize the products and services the company offers and making them more likely to purchase them.
First impression
Visual identity helps create a positive first impression for customers about the company, and this increases the chances of attracting more customers and increasing sales.
Can the company’s brand identity be changed later, and what are the implications of that?
Yes, the company’s brand identity can be changed later, and the reasons that prompt a company to do so vary from one case to another, and among these reasons are:
Development of company strategy
Sometimes, the company’s direction or strategic direction may change, and thus the company needs to change the brand identity to match this change.
Being exposed to a crisis
If the company is exposed to a fundamental crisis, such as corruption scandals or quality problems, the company may need to change its brand identity to rebuild customer trust.
Changes in market competition
The company may need to change the brand identity to match the changes occurring in the competitive market and to differentiate itself from competitors.
Company merger
If the company merges with another company, the company may need to change the brand identity to unify the image and define the new identity of the unified company.
As for the effects that could result from changing the company’s brand identity, they may include:
Loss of customers
Changing your brand identity may cause you to lose customers who may feel frustrated by the change.
Internal disorders
Changing the brand identity can cause internal turmoil in the company, especially if the change is not compatible with the company’s vision and goals.
High costs
Changing the brand identity may cause high costs due to the changes that must be made in all the company’s marketing and advertising tools.
Loss of tag image
Changing the brand identity can cause a loss of brand image for the company, which may lead to a loss of trust among customers.
How can we determine the font that suits the company and what is its role in the brand identity?
The font that suits the company can be determined by following some guidelines and standards that help determine the appropriate font. The most prominent of these guidelines are:
Determine the form of the company
You must take into account the shape of the company and the nature of its activity, and try to choose fonts that fit and suit that shape.
Sculptural relief
It is preferable to use smooth lines free of excess detail, characterized by clean and simple shapes.
Reading clarity
You should choose fonts that can be read easily and clearly, and avoid fonts that are confusing and difficult to read.
Harmony with the visual identity
You should choose fonts that fit with the rest of the company’s visual identity elements, such as the logo, colors, and avatars.
Distinguishing yourself from competitors
Fonts that distinguish the company from competitors and reflect the company’s vision and philosophy should be chosen.
Modernity and creativity
It is preferable to use modern and creative fonts that reflect the spirit of the times and are in line with market developments and technological developments.
Font is an important part of a brand’s identity, as it helps enhance a company’s image and define its personality. A font can be an expression of a company’s unique personality, whether simple, dynamic, bold or traditional. The font can also be used creatively in advertising and promotional designs, which can help attract customers’ attention and achieve the desired effectiveness of the advertisement or promotion.
What logo suits the brand and how can you create an attractive logo that is in line with the company’s vision?
A logo is a symbol represented by a drawing, word, or phrase that carries meanings and symbolisms specific to the brand, and its primary goal is to quickly identify the brand through it. A successful logo can help enhance the brand’s image and increase its popularity.
To create an attractive logo that is in line with the company’s vision, the following steps can be followed:
Understand the company’s vision
The company’s vision, goals, and values must be understood, as this helps determine the message the logo should carry.
Study competitors
You must study competitors’ logos and learn about the methods they use in designing their logos, and then try to stand out from them.
Find the appropriate design
You must look for an appropriate logo design that is in line with the company’s vision and the character of its activity, which can be simple or detailed in form.
Choose colors
Colors should be chosen that are in line with the company’s vision, as they can express enthusiasm and excitement, confidence and stability, or innovation and creativity.
Experiment and modify
The design must be experimented with and modified until the final design that expresses the company’s vision is reached.
There is no perfect logo design, but it is important to work on a logo design that is attractive and expresses the brand’s personality, and it should be easy to remember and recognize.
How can brand and identity help build customer loyalty and increase revenue?
Branding and identity play a crucial role in building customer loyalty and increasing revenues, because they help enhance the company’s image and make it distinctive and memorable in customers’ minds. Branding and identity can help in several ways, most notably:
Create a unique identity
Branding and identity can contribute to creating a unique impression on customers, distinguishing the company from competitors, which encourages customers to prefer the company.
Improve customer experience
Branding and identity can be used to improve the customer experience and make it distinctive and wonderful. This increases customer satisfaction and increases the likelihood of repeat dealings with the company.
Educating customers
Branding and identity can be used to educate customers about the products and services a company offers, by highlighting company incentives and product features in the brand.
Create emotional connections
Branding and identity can be used to create emotional connections with customers, by highlighting the company’s values and the company’s social and environmental processes, which helps build customer loyalty.
Providing distinguished services
The brand and identity can be used to provide distinguished services, which are characterized by quality and reliability. This increases customer confidence in the company and motivates them to prefer it.
In addition, the brand and identity can be used to apply various marketing strategies such as promotion, creating advertising campaigns, and using social media, which increases the company’s visibility and presence among potential customers, which helps increase the company’s revenue percentage.
How can brand and identity be used within a digital marketing strategy?
Branding and identity can be used within the framework of a digital marketing strategy in several ways, the most prominent of which are:
Website design
The brand and identity can be used in designing the company’s website, as the website design must be in line with the brand’s identity, through the use of colors, fonts, and images that suit the company’s vision.
Content creation
Brand and identity can be used to create content published on social media pages and blogs, by including the brand and identity in published photos, videos, and articles.
Create advertising campaigns
Brand and identity can be used to create digital advertising campaigns, by including the logo, colors, and images that match the brand identity.
Use SEO strategies
Branding and identity can be used in SEO strategies, as the brand name and similar phrases can be used in targeted search keywords, increasing the company’s visibility in search engine results.
Email management
Branding and identity can be used in email management, as emails can be designed with the brand’s colours, fonts and logo, which increases company recognition and enhances customer loyalty.
In short, branding and identity can be used in all aspects of a digital marketing strategy, helping to enhance the company’s image and increase engagement with it by the target audience.
What are the best practices for managing a brand’s visual identity on social media and the Internet?
Managing the brand’s visual identity on social media sites and the Internet is crucial in improving and enhancing the company’s image and making it distinctive and memorable in the mind of customers. Below are best practices for managing a brand’s visual identity on social media and the Internet:
Adherence to the company’s colors and fonts
The company’s colours, fonts and styles must be adhered to, by using the same colors and fonts everywhere the brand appears, whether on the website or social media pages.
Distinctive image design
Graphic styles and distinctive images can be used to create unique and distinctive content that expresses a brand’s personality.
Pay attention to details
You must pay attention to details in designing the content, for example, choosing the appropriate font and using the same background or template in each image.
Use the logo in a reserved manner
The logo must be used in a conservative manner, as it must appear in an appropriate size and be in the correct format on all platforms on which it is used.
Maintain a clear brand framework
A clear brand framework must be maintained and not deviate from this framework, as graphics, images and texts can be used to enhance the brand identity and maintain unity.
Maintain constant communication
You must maintain constant communication with the brand’s audience, and respond to their inquiries quickly and effectively.
Follow up and measure results: Results must be constantly monitored and measured to improve performance, achieve desired goals, and enhance brand identity on the Internet.
SAMEEM, Digital Marketing Agency in the Middle East, has been involved in design, marketing, creating and promoting for more and ambitious brands since 2010.