Defining and refining your brand identity shouldn’t be seen as a “fluff” exercise, frequently put off against competing priorities. Instead, creating a solid brand identity is the critical foundation for articulating value in all areas of the company including marketing, sales, customer service and employee engagement.

Brand identity is the collection of your brand’s message, voice, values, mission, vision and visual identity. At its core, your brand identity is the personality of your business and the promise you make to your customers. This means that brand identity is not just your logo and color scheme—it’s what your customers, employees and other audiences think and say about you.

The first step in improving your brand value is establishing your brand identity. Then, the real work begins. Whether you are a start-up or an existing brand, it’s important to define and continually refine your brand identity. To get started, ask yourself the following questions:

1.   Who is your ideal customer? Factors to consider include industry, company size, company revenue, job title, age, education and location.

2.   What pain points do you solve for customers? Everyday challenges typically fall into five categories: positioning (lack of marketplace visibility), financial (overpaying for services or lack of profitability), productivity (wasting time, inefficiencies or long sales cycles), processes (lack of operational systems and/or internal resources) and support (external providers aren’t invested in the company’s success).

3.   What are your vision and mission statements? Your mission statement succinctly communicates what you are in business to do, who you serve and why you exist. Your vision statement articulates what your company will look like when it achieves success.

4.  What is your company’s personality? Your brand’s personality makes you relatable to your customer. Examples include rebel, bold, conservative, optimistic, sincere, down-to-earth, sophisticated, honest, exciting, traditional, innovative and exciting.

5.  Who is your competition? A competitive analysis is a helpful exercise to identify your corporate differential and value proposition. Look to your competitors for examples of excellent brand identity or of what not to do. Regardless of where they stand, use their identities as a starting place for creating one that is recognizably better.

6.  How do you make clients feel? Talk to your most satisfied customers about how they feel when working with you. Some examples include relieved, inspired, energized, motivated and appreciated.

7.  Why do your clients trust you? Ask your sales team and customers about why customers ultimately pick your company over the competition. Reasons may include transparency, expertise, flexibility, responsiveness and professionalism.

8.  What is your brand story? Not every organization has a compelling history of how it was founded. But every company has a story about the role you play in your customers’ lives. Ultimately, your brand story should place your customers at center stage.

9.  What are five words that describe your brand? Make a list of adjectives that describe your company’s brand personality, look and voice. These may include words like experienced, strategic, accessible, professional, trustworthy, collaborative and authentic. Here’s a great list to get you started.

10. What are five words you never want to be associated with your brand? Just as it is important to identify the words that do describe your brand, it’s equally important to identify ways you do not want your brand to be seen. Examples may include stuffy, traditional, irreverent, unstable or rebellious.

11. How would you describe your brand to a friend? If you have a concrete brand identity, you will be able to articulate your brand’s mission, value proposition and culture in 30 seconds or less. If not, your brand identity needs fine-tuning.

12. What’s wrong with your existing brand identity? Whether you are starting from scratch or have an existing presence in the marketplace, there are always ways you can improve your brand identity. Decide what isn’t working and use this exercise to correct it.

13. What brands do you admire? Look beyond your industry and make a list of brands that offer lessons you can learn from. Maybe you are fan of Amazon for its commitment to customer service. Or perhaps TOMS Shoes resonates because of its altruistic values. Take these concepts and incorporate them into your organization’s brand identity.

14. What is your audience’s language? Identify the words, terms and language your customers use to describe your industry, products and services. Keyword research can be a critical step in defining your audience’s language.

15. What is your brand voice? It’s important to have a consistent tone throughout when interacting with customers, prospects and other stakeholders. Examples of brand voice include academic, conversational, humorous, straightforward, educational and helpful.

16. What does your logo say about your brand? Your company’s logo is one of the most important parts of your visual brand identity. Consider whether your logo is original, timeless, adaptable, memorable and relevant. If not, it may need an update.

17. What is your brand font? The font you select for your brand can convey feelings about your company. Most brands use three or four fonts—one primary and several supporting—that are used consistently in all brand materials.

18. What are your brand colors? Colors impart human emotion, so your brand’s primary and secondary colors are another important element of your visual identity. Select colors that correspond with your brand values to subconsciously communicate your company’s mission. Here’s more about the psychology of brand colors.

19. How can you simplify your brand identity? As the business adage goes, you can’t be everything to everybody. Likewise, it isn’t possible (or advisable) to communicate everything about your company to your target audiences. Strip down your brand identity to the most important elements and focus on those that set you apart from your competition.

20. How will you test your brand identity? Once you’ve established your brand identity, it is important to test it with a group of existing customers or other stakeholders. This exercise can provide valuable insight before you launch.

When consumers instantly recognize who you are and what you stand for, you’ve become more than just a name and a logo. Developing a cohesive and professional brand identity is an important part of any effective marketing strategy. Before creating your marketing plan for the upcoming year, take time to develop a brand identity that supports your organizational goals and resonates with your target audiences. To learn more about how to identify, refine and document, your brand identity, schedule a call with Trade Press Services to see how we can help.