These two important aspects of your business are often confused as the same but are very different. Your #visualidentity is how your business represents itself visually on the outside, #branding is the inner personality of your business. The two work in unison but are not the same.
Humans are visual creatures. From the way you create your logo to the images and colour palette you choose, the first connection with your business will often be a visual one and should be very carefully considered. #corporateidentity is a collection of visual elements that serve to represent and differentiate your business from your competition by sight. It conveys symbolic meanings that cannot be imparted through words alone.
Your branding reaches far wider and incorporates how you make your audience feel and respond to you. It includes the actions you take to create emotional reaction and build awareness.
Branding includes setting out your tone of voice, your values and your mission as a company. You need to ensure that the personality your brand portrays is authentic and consistent in order to build relationships and customer loyalty. Storytelling should be a key element of your brand as a way to successfully share who you are and as a medium to resonate with, and inspire your audience.
Your brand is your client promise. It builds confidence, creates passion, promotes loyalty and fires up people to take action. It needs to be clear enough that it creates a desire to ‘belong’ to it. Your goal shouldn’t be to talk to everyone but to understand your business values well enough that you can identify your ideal client with the same shared values and speak directly to them.
Don’t be fooled into thinking a visual identity is enough for a successful growing business. Spending time crafting both a visual identity and a brand, making sure they work together and compliment each other, are vital. Another pitfall can be opting for a visual identity that appeals to you with no thought given to if it truly represents your business or will make sense to your audience – don’t go for looks alone but use insight to find the best solutions.
In short, visual identity is what is seen of your business, your branding includes the way you craft how your audience feels and connects with you emotionally. The earlier you utilise both in the foundations of your #business the quicker you will grow.
