When you think
of identity, you think about the attributes that make someone the person they
are. The parts of themselves that make them unique. Their identity can include
the sort of person they are — their sense of humor, their personality, the
things they think and believe — as well as the way they present themselves to
the world — the way they dress, their general style, and any other badges they
may choose to display.
A brand identity
is no different, but instead of pertaining to an individual, a brand identity
describes a company or a product line, or both. A brand identity is the
entirety of a brand’s expression of itself to the world. So how does a brand
accomplish this? How do we think of identity in terms of companies or products?
And how can your business benefit from a comprehensive, cohesive identity?
The Two Facets
of Brand Identity
Like a person, a
brand’s identity can be defined through internal characteristics or features
that describe the sort of “person” a brand is on the inside, and external
characteristics, or visual features that describe how the brand looks and
presents itself to the world.
Expanding the
analogy, the internal characteristics of a brand — the values it espouses and
the personality it prefers to inform its external characteristics. A person that
really enjoys country music is fairly likely to make clothing choices that
reflect this preference as a signal to other people. Same with brands. A brand
that considers itself eco-conscious is fairly likely to make logo choices that
reflect this in order to signal consumers of that particular value.
How these two
facets relate to each other can be the deciding factor on whether a brand’s
identity is successfully communicated or not. A brand’s external
characteristics are far more immediate than its internal ones. If these don’t
adequately capture the essence of the brand's “inner life” then it becomes much
more difficult to convince consumers that the brand is what it says it is.
