What is Identity? Why do I need it?
Every company is represented by something; most often it is by an identity. Identity consists of a logo with a branding (the look and feel of a company). Together, the group of colors, fonts, photography style, grid style, etc that support your logo are what form your branding. A good identity is one that accurately positions the product and personality of a company or organization and causes their audience to view them in a positive light. An identity that is not working can be nothing more than a lame logo or word-mark that causes a company to look unprofessional or behind-the-times in the eyes of their customers.
So, does your identity need a face-lift? The answer lies in how your audience currently perceives your company versus how you want your company to be perceived. If there is a negative discrepancy between the two, it’s time to take a fresh look at what your identity is saying to your customers.
When you work with Baron3 to develop a new identity, we treat the project like a new relationship. We start by:
1) Getting to know you.
Before pencil even hits the paper, we get to know you in order to figure out who you are. Our goal from this initial exercise is to figure out what you DO, who your AUDIENCE is, and what type of PERSONALITY you have. After we know you a little better, we want to talk to you and others to verify how you are perceived verses how you think your audience perceives you. This is a critical step in figuring out the shape that the identity will take.
2) Determining the best way to interact.
When perceptions are nailed down, we begin to arrange multiple positive encounters between your company and your customers. These positive encounters are known as your touch points. Touch points to your brand are things such as business cards, envelopes, brochures, signage, website, your front door, the reception area, essentially any communication that your customer may come into contact with.
Ideally, by the end of these exercises we will have established a visual representation of the company/product that includes multiple touch points between your company/product and your customers. This is important because everyone has an opinion about your brand, good or bad. The challenge is to convince your customers to believe that you are who you say you are, and to use each touch point to reinforce that same message.
3) Setting a Look and Feel.
Once we know you and the desired response of your customers, we begin sketching thumbnails. Utilizing the above information, we think through imagery related to your company, what typestyles match your personality and how each color will affect your product and your audience. In addition to that, we take into account your working environment and the visual expectations that people have of your industry. In the end, we give you a solution that fits the company personality and causes people to react in a positive way to your company.
Identity can be a useful tool for your company or organization for many, many years, or it can become a hindrance to acquiring business and actually hurt your bottom line.
