The way consumers perceive or think about a particular brand is very important to its success and long-term existence. If you think about it, a strong image has helped quite a few of the biggest brands in the world like Coca-Cola, Walmart, and McDonald’s gain global recognition. The beverage company is associated with joy and happiness while the retail corporation is known for friendliness and comfort.
By building a strong and appealing brand image, you can not only make a name in your industry but also encourage lasting customer loyalty. According to a report, people can usually remember a brand’s name and products after coming across it five to seven times. If you can make a lasting impression during that, then your target audience will most likely think about your brand with positivity.
In order to do so, you can follow these top tips for designing a powerful brand image and take your business to greater success.
1. Focus on the Visuals
Visuals are a critical part of your brand image and can help people identify your products or services. From the logo design to brand colors and product packaging, you should focus upon each element that the consumer can see and remember your business by. Take this pet shop brand identity for example. The first thing that you notice is the proud and happy dog with the stylish ribbons, giving the impression that luxury accessories for pets are a desirable thing.
Other than that, the use of white space and different colors can bring out feelings of joy and balance which the brand identity promises with its brand message. Similarly, in order to create a powerful brand image, you should try and brainstorm various ideas to come up with visuals that best represent your business.
2. Clarify A Mission Statement
Well, this is not exactly your tagline or a slogan but the reason and purpose behind your business. Think about why you started it and what you hope to accomplish with your business in the future. Once you have clearly defined a mission statement, you can build a brand image according to that. It will also help you find your target audience and market your products and services effectively. Now, you might be wondering how you can incorporate a mission statement in your brand image. It is actually not that challenging. Basically, your visual identity, online presence, and brand personality can show what your mission is. If you take Apple for example here, their mission statement is about providing the ‘best products’ in technology to people around the world.
When you think of the brand today, that is what comes to mind. High-quality, innovative products have made life easier for consumers around the globe. And this is reflected in everything, be it their half-bitten Apple logo, their marketing strategies, and their website and social media accounts.
3. Highlight the Unique Factor
This is fairly easy and simple. In the end, you want to convince your target audience to buy your products and services over the competitors. This will most likely happen when the consumer knows that your business is unique and has an edge over the others in the market.
As a business owner, it is critical that you highlight the factor which makes your brand different and maybe even better than the competition. So pick out the color palette for the brand carefully and choose fonts and typography that represent the message in the best way possible. Other than that, define the voice or tone of your brand and be consistent with it everywhere.
For example, if you want your consumers to think of your brand as friendly or professional, then your brand voice should show that in blogs, social media posts, and promotions as well. Look at MailChimp’s web page for example. You will see how the tone is slightly informal and friendly but to the point and clear-cut. Overall, the company manages to highlight its unique factor with the visuals, colors, fonts, and tone.
4. Build Consumer Trust
According to the PWC’s survey, around 14 percent of the consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that they can trust. So in order to design a powerful brand image, you should be able to portray your business as reliable and trustworthy. Think about Nike, Toyota, or even Amazon.
They have managed to gain a large consumer base across the world due by getting people to trust their products and services. You can also build customer trust by adding reviews or testimonials to your website and social media accounts or collaborating with influencers and other brands.
5. Stay Consistent and True
Basically, in a strong brand image, consistency and truth are key. You have to try and make sure that your branding and marketing strategies, packaging, and logo design elements are consistent with the image that you want to establish.
Take Starbucks for example here. The brand has built a functional and supportive image that connects people together. Its brand identity design has historic elements which tell a story and make consumers relate to the business. The packaging and marketing are consistent with the brand’s identity and helps the customer associate it with energy and positivity.
To Sum Up
These are some of the best tips that might be able to help you design a strong and outstanding brand image. If you follow and apply them in the right way, you will most likely attract more consumers and create an impressive perception of your business in their minds.
Article by Jackie Rose
For the love of the word, Jackie has started writing since high school. Now she has made a career out of it with freelance writing and ghostwriting for her clients. She can write on any subject under the moon, and branding is one of her favorites. Loves chocolates and pet dogs to distraction.