By now, we've all seen those logo games, whether online or as a physical board game, where people guess the brand by being shown a hint of a logo, icon or even simply a brand colour. So, people are able to recall a brand by being shown a hint of a very well communicated brand identity.
Recall is the key word here. Anyone care to take a guess as to which brand topped the Forbes most recognised brands in the world?
I can hear you saying - this stuff is for the big guys. The Coca Cola's, Apple's and Nike's of the world.
No, no it's not and I'll tell you why. Determining your brand identity, and how it will be represented across different channels - social media, business cards, email signatures - makes your life easier. Similar to the tech entrepreneur who wears the same clothes every day, your brand should look the same, wherever the customer sees it. This means a well thought out look at things like;
- Colour scheme
- Tone of voice
- Photography style
- Fonts
- Logo suite
- Tagline
Once this work is completed, you'll have a clear idea as to what all your assets, such as your social media profiles, business cards, email signatures, flyers will look like.
This cohesion in brand will translate to your customer being able to identify you, wherever they see you. As they see an ad of yours on Facebook, then a post on Instagram, then maybe even an ad in a blog newsletter they read, they think to themselves 'There's that hair salon/ lender/ retailer again. They look professional. I should check them out'. They remember, or recall what your brand looks like, simply through the subtle repetition of using the same style and assets. Your brand should look the same, wherever your customer sees it.
Just as a strong, well thought out brand signals professionalism to the customer, the opposite also holds true. What do you think when you check out a website on your mobile and it doesn't render properly? Or check out the same business on Facebook and notice their image quality isn't right?
I guarantee it'll be something along the lines of 'Who are these guys? It doesn't take much these days to have a good Facebook profile/website/ad...what are they doing? I'll find someone else'.
It takes a lot to cut through the clutter and be found. Make sure that when you are, you're also chosen. Talk to use today to get your brand identity in order.
And PS, in case you hadn't guessed, Apple topped the list of most recognised brands in the world, for the 7th year straight.