To create a unique brand identity, which will lead to strong branding and equity, you have to know what your brand identifiers are. Brand identifiers are those elements of your marketing strategy that play a significant role in making your consumers aware of your brand.
Those are the elements that will make your target audience think “Aha! I know this brand, and I know what they sell!” For example, brand identifiers are the style and voice, the logo, brand ambassadors, USP (unique selling proposition), etc. Companies use brand identifiers not only to communicate with their target audience and let them know what the brand is about but also to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
What Factors Affect Brand Elements?
1. Memorability
If you see an apple that someone’s taken a bite of, does a particular brand pop into your head? That’s because that logo is Apple’s brand identifier. It’s memorable and impactful, which means that people retain it as a memory for a long time. All valid brand identifiers are like that — easily recallable and impressive.
2. Significance
Aside from being memorable, your brand identifiers also have to be significant and applicable. Your consumers should be able to understand what your brand is about instantly. That’s why your logo, for example, has to be significant and suitable for the product you’re selling.
3. Design
Furthermore, the factors that have a substantial impact on brand identifiers are design and appearance. Those elements have to be appealing, but they also depend on the product category and your business field. Design and presentation don’t fall under the same standards for industrial production and consumer products, for example.
4. Application
Application of brand identifiers is also essential. Some brands have names, logos, and styles that are versatile, while others don’t. Let’s take the brand Virgin as an example. People associate them with air travel or financial services. However, brands like Toys R Us are only associated with one thing — toys.
5. Symbolism
When choosing your brand identifiers, it’s important to keep cultural differences in mind. Not all symbols hold the same meaning everywhere. A swastika is regarded in different ways in Germany and in India, for example. To Indians, it is a symbol of luck, while the German population looks at it in an entirely different way. Therefore, do your research before choosing symbols and logos as your brand identifiers.
6. Flexibility
You should never be rigid with your brand identifiers. Everything changes and, therefore, you should be flexible and adaptable. Diversifying your brand elements is crucial nowadays. Including other demographics, ethnicities, and cultures in your adverts, for example, is essential — you have to be appealing to every part of your target audience. Some time ago, ads on TV only showed white people. Today, things are much different — you can see commercials for American beers showing people of all nations and ethnicities enjoying it. The reason for this is the brands’ aspiration to be appealing to a broad audience and to make the ad relatable to every member of their target audience.
7. Intellectual Property Rights
Lastly, you should make your brand identifiers unique to your brand and protected under the law.
Brand Name and Slogan
The most significant brand identifier is its name. It should be easy to remember and pronounce, and it should also say something about the brand. Furthermore, the name itself should advocate to the consumer what precisely the brand is offering.
Additionally, a brand slogan is an inevitable brand identifier. In fact, it might be one of the essential ones, as a slogan can convey the entire brand image and the value that the brand represents. However, not all slogans can stand the test of time, so be prepared to be flexible with this element as well.
Packaging is also very significant for building strong brand equity. It should evolve with your brand and represent it in the best possible light.
All these elements are crucial for the building of brand equity. They are essential not only separately but collectively as well. The interdependent relationship of these elements will create a memorable, positive impression with the consumer.
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