A brand identity is the visual identity of a brand as a whole – the colours, design, logo, name, typography etc. How your audience associates these elements with your brand along with your logo can be the defining difference to setting your self up to be a timeless brand.
Some great examples are Nike’s swoosh, McDonald’s golden arches and, of course, Apple’s apple. These are all great representations of how a brand is instantly recognised because their logos are easily retained in the mind of their consumers.
For a brand to become memorable and create the right impression, the people managing the brands have to create a lasting identity that has the potential to stand the test of time. In todays digital age, the world is more connect than ever before thus making it easier to reach audiences but it has also become easier for a brand to make or break its reputation.
Below is a list of 5 tips that can help you get started into creating a timeless brand.
1. Avoid the band-wagon
If a design or style is ‘in the moment’, it is unlikely to be in the future. People want something that stands out. Yes, a trend is cool, but only for a short period of time.
Be honest and creative when crafting your brand identity.
2. Be unique
Similar to the point above. If you try too hard to be like everyone else, you won’t be able to define your own unique brand identity.
Find out what you are about as a company, your core values, what you want to achieve, then determine how you want to communicate to your target audience.
3. Define your brand
Timeless brands often share their passion with their audience. Knowing what your audience wants, you can cater to their needs and wants more effectively – strengthening your relationships.
4. Consistency. Consistency. Consistency.
Audiences think of your brand by first recalling your name name and logo so remember to keep them consistent throughout your media.
Make sure your logo is distinct, easy to adapt across all media types and easily recallable.
5. Avoid being too descriptive
When launching your brand, stay away from a name or logo design that tries to describe everything that you do. Many start-ups tend to fall in this trap but adding a tagline along with their logo explaining everything they do.
By avoiding this, you can set aside a possible re-brand later down the line. Re-branding comes with uncertainty as it could cost you time, money and even loyal customers, at the very least you will confuse them.
From laying down a strong foundation from the start, you can focus on stabilising and investing to grow your business without having to worry about re-branding.
Conclusion
Brands that are in unison with its identity remain relevant over time, and every person involved knows why the brand looks, talks and walks a certain way.
Connect your brand with your audience meaningfully and you’ll be on your way to creating a timeless brand.
