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SMEs Guide: Can a Strong Visual Identity Make You Stand Out?
24 May 2024
In today's oversaturated market small businesses face a similar challenge. How can they attract attention without seeming pushy?
The world around us changes and evolves at great speed and now it is accepted to say that making your business stand out in a big city is more difficult than ever. Urban areas are becoming increasingly saturated with businesses competing for attention, making reaching and maintaining consumer loyalty a chore.
In this busy environment, a well-crafted corporate identity that tells your story will not only help you stand out but will ensure that your brand remains memorable in the minds of your consumers/customers.
Let's start by clarifying some concepts. A corporate identity is not just a logo. However, in this article, we will talk about “visual identity”.
"The message and strategy
you follow, shape the personality your customer will perceive."
Your corporate identity is the DNA of your business and consists of 3 main elements:
1. Your brand strategy and voice
2. Your visual identity.
3. Your customer experience.
The message and strategy you follow shape the personality your customer will perceive. They reflect your core values, goals and promise to them.
On the other hand your visual identity covers the more “fun” areas like your logo, color palette, typography and overall design style.
Customer experience is about the interactions and perceptions customers have with your brand at every touchpoint. More understandable: How will your customer feel when he uses your product, visits your store or receives your services?
All of these elements together have the ability to create a consistent and recognizable look that will communicate the essence of your business, express who you really are and provide a positive experience for your customers.
For now, let's go back to the visual identity, which concerns the issue we are going to analyze.
What is visual identity?
Your visual identity
is your way of saying "Hi, that's me".
The visual identity of your business is the way you introduce yourself to your audience, and by extension to your customers. It's your way of saying “Hi, that's me” and how you'll be remembered. If we had to compare it to a situation, this would be the outfit you choose to go to a party. You will definitely think about the perfect combination of clothes (the colors), and your accessories (the logo) but also how to do your hair (the typography). If you want to feel comfortable at the party, then you need to wear an outfit that will perfectly reflect your style. In the same way, your business should reflect its character and values.
More specifically, the visual identity consists of:
1. The company logotype
Logotype Sample
(We do not own the rights to the depicted logo)
The main symbol of your company.
2. The color palette
Color Palette Sample
Specific colors that will be associated with your brand.
3. The typography
Typography Sample
The fonts and writing style your brand will use on its website and on its printable or digital graphic materials.
4. Images
Selected photos, illustrations & graphics.
5. General design
Overall look and feel including any layouts and patterns.
Is it possible for a visual identity alone to make your company stand out and where should you be particularly careful?
The first impression is everything
You only have a few seconds to make a good first impression on your customer.
According to research conducted by Princeton University in 2006, people tend to form an opinion about a stranger's trustworthiness and attractiveness in just 1/10th of a second. Companies are treated with the same logic. When you encounter a product's logo, website, or packaging for the first time, the impression you form can influence your future purchasing decision.
Looking at the issue from a broader perspective leads to the thought that even the best quality products or services have no value if no one gives them a chance to prove it. The first impression someone will form of your company acts as a bridge of credibility. If it is not attractive enough and does not earn trust fewer people will attempt to cross it.
Brand Awareness: The role of consistency in consumer memory
Repetition and, by extension, consistency is the secret ingredient that makes a brand memorable. Constant exposure to the logo, the same colours and the same messages creates strong associations in the mind of the consumer. In a study by the Journal of Business, it was proven that consumers do indeed tend to recognize and remember companies with a consistent visual presence. This means that every time someone sees your company's logo, colors or style, they will recognize it much more easily and it will be there in a part of their brain the next time they need related services or products. If you're still not convinced, consider looking for a friend in a large crowd. If that friend wears a distinctive red hat all the time, wouldn't you recognize him or her much more easily? Something similar applies to companies with their visual identities.
Emotional connection
A carefully designed and well thought out overall image of your company can create an unbreakable bond with your customers. When colors, logos and general aesthetics reflect the values and personality of the business, an emotional connection is created with customers, making them more loyal to your brand.
Consumers are easily influenced by the emotional connection they have developed with a brand. In this case, this brand has become more than just a product or service for them. On the contrary, they now see it as part of their life and identity.
Of course, there is no more important proof of this phenomenon than the strategy of the Apple company. Through the excellent design of its products, the sense of quality and the simplicity of its interfaces, Apple has created its own fan club where users feel a long-term loyalty and emotional connection with its products. This emotional connection is naturally strengthened through constant consistent updates, her social media presence and support through her services.
Research such as that of the Millward Brown company and Harvard in the Harvard Business Review found that indeed consumers who feel connected to a brand are more willing to invest in it and support it over time.
The other side of the coin
It is generally accepted that even a perfect visual and corporate identity are not enough to ensure the success of our company.
Many things come into play, such as the quality of the products or services, pricing, customer service, the marketing to be applied and the sales strategy.
The success of our business is the result of a holistic approach where all the elements that make it up will work harmoniously. The visual identity will play its role as a beacon that will attract the interest of consumers and create a positive first impression, but this should also be supported by the real value that the company will offer. If the quality of products or services turns out to be low, customers will not return again, no matter how good and "beautiful" the visual identity is.
We must not forget that the reasons for a company's success are as numerous as the reasons for failure. For example, a company may have the perfect visual identity but fail in the market as it may not have been able to reach the right audience, it may not have been well managed or it may not have adapted to changes in the market and competition.
After all, a company's visual identity is of course the first step to winning a first battle, but not the war.
How can we as a creative company help your brand to acquire a strong corporate identity?
Our company has expertise in design and visual storytelling and has the ability to develop a cohesive visual identity for your brand that will align with its mission and values.
‣ We understand your brand's goals, values and target group.
‣ We create logos, color palettes and other visual elements that are both attractive and meaningful.
‣ We ensure that all visual content, from social media posts to packaging, maintains a consistent style and message.
We are here to help you stand out in the market and achieve your goals.
Choose the communication method that suits you and let's discuss together about your own corporate identity.