How to Build Strong Brand Identity in 10 Steps (+Examples)

A strong brand identity, which is achieved through marketing and communication with customers, can help the business you are working for boost its sales, get more new customers, and increase customer loyalty.

In this guide, I'll share some advice on how to build a strong brand identity that will help you connect with existing and possible clients.

Brand identity refers to all the elements of a business that can differentiate it from its competitors in consumers' eyes, which includes the colors you are using, the logo, design, fonts, corporate culture, and your business objectives.

A company's brand identity is crucial as it helps the brand to stay relevant to the customers. It is all about how the company presents itself through visual, auditory, oral, or tactile associations.

I finished setting up my commercial photography studio business a while ago, and I'd like to share every step with you on how to build a strong brand identity on my example.

It doesn't have to be a long paragraph, just tell why you exist as a brand.

You can also add some information about what is so unique about the company you are working for and why people should use your services. If you work for a company with an already formed mission statement, consider what advertising purposes would best support the firm's and your customer's needs.

To identify your target audience, you can conduct research by gathering data from surveys, focus groups and interviews to identify what consumer group you should be aiming your promotions and services at.To identify your target audience, you can conduct research by gathering data from surveys, focus groups and interviews to identify what consumer group you should be aiming your promotions and services at.

You can also break your potential customers into different sections, this is known as market segmentation. It will help discover different groups within your market based on age, area, income, values, opinions, lifestyle, etc.

Furthermore, to protect your brand and customers trust, you may want to set up DMARC which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It will restrict the use of your domain for emails so that only authorized senders can use it.

This type of authentication can help reduce the risks of phishing attacks and fraud which could harm your company's image.

Think about what your brand is like—is it all about having fun or solving problems for customers?

The company's voice should also stay consistent while you are building a strong brand identity as your choices and decisions may affect it. It takes a lot of elements, from the name and logo to colors and writing style, to create a consistent brand.

Create or redesign your logo. It is a visual symbol that can help the consumers identify the brand and let the business stand out. The logo is like a sports team mascot, as it defines the brand and its personality.

If you need to create a logo but your budget is tight, you can use very popular now AI logo generators and play with them or find inspiration.

Don't forget about packaging, promotion or your website and its design. These elements can affect your unique selling point, which may impact your brand. You might want to consider the following characteristics:

Colors. This is worth consideration since using your brand's colors boosts brand recognition and may help to differentiate from competitors. It is particularly essential if you are trying to build a brand on social media with photography. For instance, picking a light gray color may express calmness, while choosing a bright color like green may make you seem more confident.

Shape. The shapes the company uses for their packaging or their products can also help with brand recognition. For example, when consumers see a soft drink's square-shaped bottle or the shape of a game controller, they can identify the brand without looking at the label or the logo.

Graphics. Unique patterns can also make people remember a brand, which is beneficial when building a strong brand identity.

Text design. The size and the font can express the personality of the business you are working for. Decide what you want to show with your font, if you are trying to seem more relaxed, you might want to use light and airy font and if you want to seem more traditional and stable, you may use Times New Roman.

Your slogan could reflect your mission statement or your brand's position. Some businesses make their slogans brief and with rhymes so that the customers can easily memorize them.

The specific words you use as a business play a significant role in shaping your brand and what people think about it. The way you talk and interact with the customers can also affect what type of customers you attract and how demanded you are as a business.

Your brand's tone reflects your personality and style. For example, your business might use a casual tone if it's focused on fun, while you might want to use a caring approach if the brand you are working for sells medical devices.

Consider how else you can make consumers think and remember your brand. The approach when marketing appeals to all 5 of customers' senses is called sensory branding.

Sound. If a brand has its sounds or songs, it might help to promote the business and increase brand awareness. Sometimes, music or lyrics could remind customers of the brand or their product, which will help build a stronger brand identity.

Taste. Taste is particularly important if your business is related to the food sector. For instance, restaurants may offer some unique secret sauce with their dishes, or a soft drink brand may claim to have 25 drinks with different flavors that are distinguishable from each other. 

Touch. Companies that sell products may want to consider how their product feels if it's smooth or rough, or how heavy the packaging is, as different factors like these may contribute to their branding. 

Scent. If you are selling beauty products or any other product with different smells, you could identify the scent that customers might associate with your brand.

Do not forget to keep track of the feedback about your brand and its performance, as it will help you see if all your elements and the effort you put into your branding influence public awareness and brand loyalty. It may also let you identify ways to improve your branding strategy or even totally change its rirection.

Now, I recommend looking at some great examples of brand identities to see how to create one for your marketing strategy. You can learn from the best brand professionals and use their approaches for your own marketing plans.

When you hear the name Coca-Cola, the first thing you are probably thinking about is their logo, but you might also imagine the color red, the polar bear, or their "Share a Coke" promotion campaign.

The brand identity begins with a red and white logo and fancy letters. The red color makes people feel confident about drinking Coke, and the script text shows that it's all about having fun and enjoying every moment.

For instance, coffee is a drink people usually have in the morning before they go to work or college, Coca-Cola, on the other hand, is a drink you usually drink with your friends and family in the afternoon when you finish all the work and assignments. This is the brand's "face".

Another interesting thing is that Coca-Cola is the company that uses its own uniquely shaped bottles. This shows the consumers that they are getting a real thing, not a copy. Doing this helps Coca-Cola build its brand identity and credibility.

The company, Burt's Bees, started as a small beekeeping business selling honey. Now, it has expanded by offering eco-friendly natural personal products. Burt's Bees aims to "make thoughtful choices to reduce our impact on nature and work to protect biodiversity, which preserves our place in the world."

Their original logo emphasizes simplicity and modesty. This logo helps the business to stand out from the fancy visuals and logos of their competitors, which are beauty and personal care brands.

Burt's Bees is also an ethical company, responsibly sourcing the ingredients and packaging finished goods with recyclable materials. They also support conservation projects and donate to environmentally friendly initiatives.

The company's mission is to help humanity succeed by allowing the world's teams to work together easily. In Sanskrit, "Asana" means a certain yoga pose in which yogis sit. The business name centered around Buddhist ideas of concentration and harmony.

Asana uses a lot of space to help people focus. They also add splashes of color to "inject energy" in the workplace. The logo includes three dots that are grouped to form balance and collaboration.

Marcella NYC was partially brought up in Siyani Huszar's apartment and converted into essence classic chic staples combined with off-hand, unpretentious, cool. She partly founded the brand out of sheer frustration due to the failure of accessibility to affordable, high-quality basics.

To support the dedication to empowering women, each clothing item purchased contributes to supporting a week of school for girls in need that is a great way to promote your brand and make good things. This includes all the essential items: books, uniforms, hygiene products, and other supplies.

Marcella NYC uses organic and sustainable fabrics when making their clothes and uses recycled materials and biodegradable packaging. Being eco-friendly is a must-have for any modern brand now.

Pop Fit is one of those amazing brands that have a unique identity representing pink, purple, and yellow tones. But even that is not something outstanding in their identity, so I guess the most unusual thing about this brand, to my point of view, is how different and bold its messages are.

The POP Fit promotions actively support inclusivity, so you can view unretouched images of their models representative of different body types, even women of color, and one in a wheelchair.

Moreover, their product is one of the best products in the athletic apparel industry, as it takes the needs in women's workout into account without having the rolled-up waistbands, no pockets, and transparency in its products.