6 Tips For Mastering Visual Branding and Developing A Memorable Brand Identity

In a sea of first impressions, having your company stand out might seem like a mission impossible. That’s where mastering visual branding matters. Because – developing a brand identity is not simply creating a logo.

In fact, you can often do that online using many free tools.

But, this is only the first pebble on the road to creating a memorable brand impression. Branding takes time like any other transformation and it’s a continuous process. With the right strategy in place and some tips on achieving the best visual impact, your business stands a chance.

If you want to learn more about visual branding and how to build an identity that sticks with customers, keep on reading!

What Is A Brand Identity?

In simple terms, brand identity comprises all visible aspects of a brand, including logos, fonts, colors, and images. It is a representation of the perception that companies want their customers to have of them.

The sole fact that large companies have entire departments dedicated to building brand identity, speaks volumes about the importance of mastering visual branding.

Although smaller companies don’t have the same commodity, it’s even more vital for them, especially in competitive industries and markets. 

Because, sometimes, even superheroes need help with branding.

Ultimately, effective visual branding and identity lead to higher awareness, strengthen credibility, drive customer loyalty and retention, and attract new customers.

Main Elements Of Visual Branding

Surely the first brand that comes to your mind when you think of coffee is Starbucks. But that didn’t happen overnight.

The company has created a unique experience around coffee, focusing on customer service and atmosphere using the famous green mermaid logo, special and consistent branding of…well, everything, including their stores.

Mastering visual branding is a result of multiple vital components, each important for making a difference and creating meaningful connections with your audience:

• Brand name – The name is the first impression a customer has of a company.
• Logo and its variations – It’s a symbol of a company, and it needs to be adaptable, scalable to different platforms and channels.
• Wordmarks, graphical elements, colors, typography, content, and images – All of these elements combined should produce a consistent and unique feel of the brand across all touchpoints.
• Slogan – A perfect tagline should be easy to remember but also prompt positive emotions.

Together, all these elements create or should create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity.

Why Mastering Visual Branding Matters?

In today’s changing digital landscape, building a brand is equally as important to individuals like bloggers, and freelancers, as well as, companies that wish to make a lasting impact.

It matters for so many reasons, but in the core of all that lies one reason – additional value. Whether it is to promote your skills as a freelancer, or expand and attract new business for your company, branding is a tool to achieve just that.

One effective way to achieve that is by focusing on your customer base. In fact, proper branding helps you grow your customer base and increases their retention and loyalty.

To illustrate it better, 64% of people want brands to connect with them, as a recent survey of customers, conducted by SproutSocial reveals. A lot of potential, don’t you agree?

What’s more, when they feel connected to a brand, 57% of consumers will increase their spending. Moreover, 76% will buy from that brand, rather than a competitor.

By now, you probably understand why branding is significant, so let’s move on to the right techniques for mastering visual branding.

6 Tips For Mastering Visual Branding For Your Business

Don’t think for a second that by selecting logos and colors, you are done with your visual branding. First, you need to complete a thorough market research. Only then, you can bring a memorable visual brand experience to life.

Here are some guidelines to get you by in the whole process:

• Tip 1 For Mastering Visual Branding: Start By Defining The Target Audience

Avoid generic messages to your customers. Constantly tailor your messaging and efforts in this area. But to do that, first, you need to understand who your customers are and what they want.

Only by learning about your audience, you can build up a brand people connect with visually and emotionally.

• Tip 2 For Mastering Visual Branding: Craft Brand Message, Purpose, And Values

The next step is to devise a clear message that resonates with your customers. In this message, a defined target audience needs to hear your values, mission, and purpose.

Define what sets you apart from the competition and what is your unique selling proposition. What is the purpose of your brand beyond profit? The latest survey by Razorfish has shown that 82% of customers prefer to buy from brands that have a larger purpose than simply making money.

After all, what shapes a brand is how it acts and the values it upholds. Of course, to better build your brand identity, you need to carefully convey them to the customers.

• Tip 3 For Mastering Visual Branding: Brand Design

We come to the point where you need to develop elements like colors, logos, imagery, and more to visually represent your brand.

First, research your competitors’ design approaches, and check out industry trends. It might help if you conduct some surveys with the right audience.

• Tip 4 For Mastering Visual Branding: Design An Unforgettable Logo

A logo might not be the only representation of a brand’s identity, but it surely is an essential one. At the same time, it’s the most challenging one, as you need to deliver the brand mission, purpose, and values in one symbol.

To do that properly, try to achieve balance using your color palette, but also by utilizing all the white space and contrast. On top of that, have a central focal point with a clear hierarchy that is simple to follow for those looking at the design.

• Tip 5 For Mastering Visual Branding: Color And Typography – Brand Champions

Some colors evoke more emotions than others and that’s a fact. That’s why defining a color palette is equally important to brand visual identity as a logo.

Color is, in fact, the main communicator of the brand’s personality. The same goes for typography.

Take for example Coca Cola. Wherever you see their distinct red and white colors and name in a specific type style, you will know what it stands for.

To select the right colors, first, do your research and learn what emotions each color stirs in your target audience. And there are plentiful colors to choose from. Just keep in mind that for mastering visual branding, your main palette of colors needs to express your brand’s voice.

Of course, don’t forget to choose a secondary palette so it easily follows in the background the main colors and supplements them in the right manner.

The same goes for typography. For this part, you should follow a few simple tricks:

• Pick one or two typefaces for the brand and use them always;
• The headings font should be the most expressive;
• Use uppercase, script in marketing materials so they are easy to read;
• Use the same font for headings in subtitles and body, but use a different style or size.

• Tip 6 For Mastering Visual Branding: Finally, Always Remain Consistent!

The ‘easy’ part is done, but the ultimate hint for mastering visual branding is consistency. This is the cornerstone of the brand’s identity.

Ensure that you use the defined templates and designs wherever your business is present to maintain the voice of your brand. Of course, this doesn’t exclude flexibility and adaptability to changes.

What does it mean? Well, don’t shy away from adjusting your visual identity in campaigns or overall, as long as you stick to the main principles and remain interesting to the target audience.

Just don’t forget that the change in one place needs to drive changes in all touchpoints for consistency.

To Wrap Up

These are just steps you need to accomplish for mastering visual branding. But if you want to learn more about how to develop a unique brand for your business, check out our guide.

Remember, when your audience associates your business with a color or a logo, you have succeeded. But to get there you need patience and dedication.