BRANDING &

VISUAL IDENTITIES

 A logo is not your brand, nor is it

your identity. Logo design, identity
design and branding all have
different roles, that together, form a
perceived image for a business or
product.

WHAT IS BRANDING?

In a nutshell
You could describe a brand as an
organization, service or product with
a personality that is shaped by the
perceptions of the audience.
On that note, it should also be stated
that a designer cannot make a
brand only the audience can do
this. A designer forms the
foundation of the brand.

Corporate image
Many people believe a brand only consists of a
few elements some colors, some fonts, a logo, a
slogan and maybe some music added in too. In
reality, it is much more complicated than that. You
might say that a brand is a corporate image.
The fundamental idea and core concept behind
having a corporate image is that everything a
company does, everything it owns and everything
it produces should reflect the values and aims
of the business as a whole.

 It is the consistency of this core idea

that makes up the company, driving
it, showing what it stands for, what it
believes in and why they exist. It is
not purely some colors, some
typefaces, a logo and a slogan.

Apples Branding Strategy

Easy to use; ergonomic designs
Focused on the needs, individuality, and style
of ordinary people, rather than the conformity
and technical mandates of big business
Superb user interface
Apple computer to Apple Inc.
Accessibility iTunes, Appstore, iBooks, iCloud
Community among its consumers illusion of
belonging; of being loved

Apple a humanist brand

Strong corporate ethic, one which is
characterized by volunteerism, support of
good causes & involvement in the community.
Apple is an emotionally humanist brand that
really connects with people when people buy
or use their products or services; they feel
part of the brand, like a tribe even. It is this
emotional connection that creates their brand
not purely their products and a bite sized
logo.

What makes a brand

successful
1. Audience Knowledge
The best brands have a thorough
understanding of the demographics of their
target market, what their interests are, and
how they communicate.
Understanding the target market is critical
because it provides direction for the tone and
reach of a marketing campaign, along with
the overall identity of a brand, while helping
to create an organic, human connection
between a business and its audience.

2. Uniqueness
Establishing a brand identity requires
something distinctive
It needs to have one special thing that
separates it from the competition.

3. Passion
While its certainly possible to build a
brand in the short-term without passion,
its almost impossible to sustain it in the
long run.
Consumers often become just as
enthusiastic about a product or service,
leading to word of mouth advertising
and referrals. Passion also helps
businesses persevere through inevitable
setbacks.

4. Consistency
No one wants to deal with someone they
cant rely on for consistency.
With so many industries being saturated
with competitors, inconsistency is often
enough of a reason for consumers to
take their business elsewhere.

 An example of a brand who offers amazing

consistency is McDonalds. This powerhouse of
the fast food world provides patrons with a menu
thats consistent across the world.

5. Competitiveness
For a brand to make a name for itself,
team members should thrive on
competition and constantly strive to
improve.

6. Exposure
Another big part of being recognized as
a distinctive, successful brand is the
ability to reach consumers through
multiple channels.

7. Leadership

REBRANDING

 A brand is a living and breathing thing that

interacts with your customers.
Over time, if your target audience shifts,
the market evolves, or the brand's
products and services change, it may be
time for a rebrand.
The main challenge with rebranding is
trying to maintain familiarity and
consistency so that your customers will
remember you.

WHAT IS IDENTITY
DESIGN?

 One major role in the brand or

corporate image of a company is its
identity.
Identity design is based around the
visual devices used within a
company, usually assembled within a
set of guidelines.

 These guidelines that make up an identity

usually administer how the identity is
applied throughout a variety of mediums,
using approved colour palettes, fonts,
layouts, measurements and so forth.
These guidelines ensure that the identity
of the company is kept coherent, which in
turn, allows the brand as a whole, to be
recognisable.

Visual devices
A Logo (The symbol of the entire identity & brand)
Stationery (Letterhead + business card + envelopes,
etc.)
Marketing Collateral (Flyers, brochures, books,
websites, etc.)
Products & Packaging (Products sold and the
packaging in which they come in)
Apparel Design (Tangible clothing items that are worn
by employees)
Signage (Interior & exterior design)
Messages & Actions (Messages conveyed via indirect
or direct modes of communication)

The Identity System

The identity system usually starts
after the logo is complete.
The purpose of the identity system is
to form a systematic visual language
around the logo one that
compliments the design thinking of
the logo and offers a family of useful,
flexible elements that will help to
design marketing and business
collateral.

 All of these things make up an

identity and should support the
brand as a whole. The logo however,
is the corporate identity and
brand all wrapped up into one
identifiable mark. This mark is the
avatar and symbol of the business as
a whole.

WHAT IS A LOGO?

 Think of logos like people. We prefer

to be called by our names Juan,
Bechay, Violeta rather than by the
confusing and forgettable description
of ourselves such as the guy who
always wears pink and has blonde
hair. In this same way, a logo should
not literally describe what the
business does but rather, identify the
business in a way that is
recognizable and memorable.

 It is also important to note that only

after a logo becomes familiar, does it
function the way it is intended to do
much alike how we much must learn
peoples names to identify them.

TO SUMMARIZE

THE DESIGN BRIEF

 It's important to have a design (or

creative) brief if the brand identity
project is bigger than one designer doing
work for a small local business.
A design brief should contain summaries
from the research phase, such as:
target audience(s)
messaging objectives
values and mission of the brand
the brand's products/services offering.
budget, project schedule, file formats for
delivery, and other practical needs.

Case study: Steep This!

Client
Start-up loose leaf tea company called
"Steep This!"
Objective
Immediate objective is to develop a logo,
but with additional brand suite materials to
be added over time, thinking about a
unified, strategic brand image now will help
increase the overall effectiveness of the
brand's messaging and reach in the future.

 Background
Main source of inspiration for the brand's values
and messaging were the U.S. civil rights
movements of the '60s and '70s. When doing their
research, they came across a grainy black & white
mug shot of Jane Fonda, taken upon her arrest in
1970, raising her fist in an act of solidarity. This
image, above all others, really helped mold the
Steep This! core values, as it communicated
powerful themes of strength, empowerment,
conviction, and the act of defending one's beliefs
at all costs.

 Target Audience
A younger, more discerning crowd of both tea
drinkers and those who wish to explore tea, but
haven't yet.
They feel no sense of brand loyalty.
These "What about me?" tea drinkers want to
belong to a "tea scene" specifically for like-minded
individuals
They're liberal, medium to medium-high income,
and environmentally conscious.
They're leaders, not followers, and are not
interested in buying something because others say
it's cool.
These people feel lost and ignored by the current
state of tea. They're angsty. They're looking for a
company like Steep This! to come along and say,
"You. Yes, YOU. We want YOU. You belong here.

 Tone
While pulling messaging inspiration directly
from the plight of civil rights activists of the
'60s and '70s, avoid the often gritty, overly
militaristic visuals or hippie psychedelia
often associated with that era.
They want to portray boldness and a core
value strength, while still maintaining a
semblance of fun, energetic, youthful
whimsy.

INSPIRATION/RESEARC
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