It’s simple: if the brand is not in the top of mind of its public, it is not consumed, it is not sold… It does not exist. When building a brand, it is essential to work to ensure that its identity is as close as possible to its image. If this happens, congratulations: we are talking about a success.
When branding is mentioned, various technical terms arise that can confuse rather than clarify, both for clients and colleagues in the communications world. We need to differentiate what each of the concepts surrounding branding means in order to use them and speak the same language.
First of all, we cannot talk about the logo, image or slogan of a brand without having defined its identity. They are part of it, but separately they mean nothing. There must be a line of coherence that, as a whole, associates all the elements. This is how the identity becomes essential to continue with the construction of the brand.
But what is brand identity?
Suppose we see a person who, physically, is one way: female, medium height, shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes. Her clothing is relaxed: jeans, a white T-shirt and trainers. When we talk to her, we find out about her tastes, hobbies, age, profession or trade, favourite colours, strengths and weaknesses, experiences, tone of voice, language, way of speaking, among others. All these aspects create someone’s personality.
However, it may differ from how we see it. We can form an impression, which will be positive, negative or the worst: indifferent. So it is with brands. You can work on an impeccable identity, but it may be different from how the public perceives it. This perception is the brand image. So it can be different for any one of us, but if many people agree, it can be deduced that this is the brand identity. This is where the danger lies, because it can stray from what the brand intends to portray.
If a brand, for example, positions itself in the market by carrying out activities that help society, collaborates with foundations and participates in events that help the environment, it is highly likely that its image in the public eye will be positive as it shows concern for the world around it. Not only do you care about making a profit with your business, but you also have a sense of social responsibility. But here comes the motto ‘to be and not just to appear’.
If these kinds of facts are just a screen, sooner or later they will come to light and the public will punish the brand to such an extent that it can escalate into a crisis, which can lead to a change of corporate identity, one of the most difficult situations to handle. Especially today with social media.
Brands are now being asked to reflect what they really are, because consumers are becoming more informed and aware of everything.
Some definitions of brand identity
- Kotler and Keller, 2006. Brand identity is a set of brand associations that represent what the brand is. These associations are what identify the brand and imply a potential promise to consumers who want to buy it. This means that it can be perceived as a strategic objective for the brand, which sets its tone, with the intention of furthering the company’s objectives.
- Nadan (2005). He sees brand identity as originating in the organisation that is responsible for creating a differentiated offering with unique characteristics. It is essentially the way a brand seeks to identify itself.
- Meyer (2004). He understands that brand identity is the way a brand expresses itself visually and verbally. To maintain an effective brand identity strategy, it is necessary to understand that brand identity equals brand value. A brand cannot rely solely on its name, even if it has a high brand awareness.
Three successful case studies between brand identity and brand image
- Nike: has achieved an emotional connection with its consumers that goes beyond the sale of sporting goods. The brand has built a strong identity based on innovation, quality, performance and self-improvement, communicated through its iconic ‘swoosh’ logo (symbolising movement and speed) and the ‘Just Do It’ slogan, which encourages people to keep moving without overthinking (‘am I going to train or not?’).
- Coca-Cola: a brand recognised worldwide for its visual coherence and way of communicating since its beginnings. Its success is due to its ability to create a positive and emotive image that transcends borders and generations, associating the brand with happiness, togetherness and sharing.
- Apple: despite not being the first company to launch a smartphone, it built its image on creating a unique and memorable user experience. The company managed to become a premium, innovative and aspirational brand that is characterised by its minimalist design, the quality of its products and an effective marketing strategy.
The call is to be responsible, clear and authentic when creating a brand identity. It is necessary to be and to look, so that the image is as similar as possible and to achieve the success of being perceived by the public as what it really is.
