As a small/mid-sized business, it can feel daunting to cut through the marketing noise of competitors to stand out. These days everyone has a “brand” and is vying for attention. But why? Well, the short answer is that a strong brand identity lets customers know they can trust you. One of the quickest ways to communicate that fact (and reinforce it with consistency) is with strong brand visuals.
The importance of a strong brand visual identity cannot be overstated. It’s not just about looking good; it’s about creating a lasting impression that sets your business apart from the competition. Here’s why investing in a well-crafted visual identity is essential for your business’s success.
Defining Your Brand's Visuals
At its core, your brand’s visuals are the branded, optical representation of your brand. It includes everything from your logo and color palette to your website design and marketing materials. Essentially, it’s what people see when they think of your brand (and eventually, what they see that reminds them of your brand). Here’s a breakdown of what makes up a visual identity we adapted from Hubspot:
- Graphics: Icons, buttons, and other design elements that enhance your brand’s visual appeal.
- Typography: The fonts and typefaces that convey your brand’s personality and style.
- Logo:The central visual symbol of your brand.
- Color Palette: The set of colors that represent your brand and evoke specific emotions.
- Imagery: The photos, illustrations, and graphics that support your brand’s message.
- Store Design, Packaging, Uniforms: Physical elements that display your brand in various settings.
- Marketing Materials: Flyers, brochures, digital ads, and more.
1. Creates Brand Recognition:
A strong visual identity ensures that your brand stands out and is easily recognizable. Think of iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, or Google. Their logos, color schemes, and overall visual style are instantly recognizable, no matter where you see them.
2. Differentiates from Competitors:
A strong visual identity ensures that your brand stands out and is easily recognizable. Think of iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, or Google. Their logos, color schemes, and overall visual style are instantly recognizable, no matter where you see them.
3. Establishes Consistency and Trust:
Consistency in your visual identity builds trust with your audience. When your brand’s visual elements are coherent across all channels—website, social media, print materials—customers perceive your business as more professional and reliable.
4. Invites an Emotional Connection:
A well-designed visual identity can forge an emotional connection with your audience. Studies show that customers are more likely to spend more with brands that they feel emotionally connected to. In fact, 57% of customers increase their spending with a brand they connect with emotionally.
5. Streamlines Communication:
A strong visual identity makes it easier for clients and audiences to instantly recognize your brand’s communications. Whether it’s a social media post, an email, or a flyer, your visual elements help convey your message at a glance.
What is Visual Identity?
While strong visuals are a critical marketing component, it’s important to understand how they differ from brand identity. Think of brand identity as the personality of your business, while visual identity is how that personality is expressed visually.
- Brand Identity: Includes your values, mission statement, tone and voice, style guides, brand persona, and unique value propositions.
- Visual Identity: Focuses specifically on visual elements like logos, color schemes, and design styles.
Examples of Strong Visual Identity
Besides mammoth brands like Apple, Disney, and Google, here are some other companies that have nailed their visual identities. True, they have larger budgets and teams than most small/mid-sized businesses, but you can look to these companies for elements of inspiration:
- Spotify
- Casper
- Chobani
- Dropbox
- Delta Airlines
- And Hubspot itself
How to Begin Building Your Own Visual Identity
Creating a compelling visual identity starts with understanding your brand’s personality and values. Here are some high-level steps to get you on the right path:
1. Define Your Brand’s Personality:
Understand the core values and personality traits of your brand. Are you playful, professional, innovative, classic, on and on? The sky is the limit when it comes to options but choose 2-3 traits to become known for and go all-in on those few.
2. Design a Unique Logo:
Your logo should be simple, memorable, and representative of your brand. Check out our guide on design tips for non-designers for more help here.
3. Choose a Cohesive Color Palette:
Select colors that reflect your brand’s personality and create a cohesive look across all materials.
4. Select Appropriate Typography:
Pick fonts that align with your brand’s style and are easy to read.
5. Create Consistent Imagery:
Use images and graphics that reinforce your brand’s message and style. This can look like a focus on images with warmer tones, prioritizing using images with people, preferring illustrations over photos, etc.
6. Ensure Consistency:
Apply your visual identity consistently across all platforms and materials.
Ready to Elevate Your Brand?
Developing a strong visual identity is more than just a design exercise—it’s a strategic investment in your brand’s success. If you’re unsure where to start or need help refining your visual identity, we’re here to help. With our design expertise, we’ll assist you in defining and implementing a visual identity that will help your brand grow, scale, and stay consistent.
