Cohesive Brand Identity: What & How

Your brand, wether it be you or your business, needs to stand out while being recognizable to your audience. They will see it everywhere; your website, social media, business cards, advertisements. So when they see it, they need to instantly connect your brand with its identity. 

Your brand’s identity includes various items that will be the first impression to your audience. So it is important that this impression is inviting, clear and easily recognizable across all platforms be it digital or print. Meaning your logo is just the beginning. A well designed website that looks good, is easy to navigate and provides valuable information your audience can use is a major key even if they don’t instantly realize it. Things like this create lasting impressions and may eventually convert some of your viewers into paying customers. 

If you want to build the kind of cohesive brand identity that sticks with customers and gives the impression of polished professionalism, you’ll go beyond the logo and look for all the ways you can add consistency to your visual branding.

- searchenginejournal.com

Your website is the foundation for your brand’s identity. It should layout your brand’s colors, voice and overall mood. For example, does your logo match your website colors? And are those colors cohesive on your social platforms? These are things to ask yourself when contemplating on if your brand is uniform wherever your audience may see it. Let’s go over the key components of your brand ID. once you’ve got it down, download the free brand id checklist to see if you’ve covered all the items and have a cohesive brand id, or if you’ve still got some work to do.

the brand logo

the logo is the most important and sometimes the quality is overlooked due to being rushed. take your time when contemplating your design. ensure your brand’s name is clear, it’s not over crowded with graphics and most importantly make sure you have different versions of it for your branding needs. meaning, have a transparent copy, black and white copy, low-res copy, etc.

the style kit

this is your go to guide on your brand’s id. it’s important you have this designed and on hand at all times to ensure your brand’s colors, fonts, and other important items are the same as this is your main brand style reference.

brand colors throughout the interweb

where your brand can be found, if you can customize the channel, do it. always ensure your brands colors are the same on everything; from your website, to your business cards, to your instagram feed.

clear, modern and informative website

this is the obvious. your brand’s website is the home of your brand. it should be easy to navigate, informative, and of course it should match your brand’s style guide. if you don’t have a brand website ye, it’s time to get started on it. schedule a consultation with me and let’s get your brand off the ground.

branded domain and email

i’ve talked about why a branded email is important for your brand’s recognition before and trust me, nobody really wants to have to type in ‘yourbrand.whoeverbuiltit.com’. in fact, this actually drives away potential clients, as everyone seeks a reputable brand. a branded domain and email is a must. not only does this make it easier to find you online but it gives your brand the official touch it needs to instill trust within your audience. this goes for your contact email as well.

use the same name on eveeeerything

the easier you are to find online the better. make sure your handles and domains are the same on everything; social media, marketing materials, web address. i cannot stress this enough.

brand voice

how does your brand interact with your audience. does your brand have a professional tone, or is it more casual and relatable. lately, the trend has been casual. brands want you to read their captions in your voice therefore further connecting you with them. this makes it a bit more fun when creating copy for your website or instagram captions. defining this will set the tone, literally, for how your brand speaks to your audience and is important because you want the same voice on all platforms.