What makes a strong, instantly identifiable brand?

Sharpening your brand’s personality sets you on the right course for a strong brand identity.

Whenever an audience interacts with a brand, they make assumptions based on what they've seen and heard. But as the world gradually turns into a digital 0 or 1, so too are opinions: People either ‘like’ or ‘dislike’—and if they can't make up their minds, they search out reviews by strangers online to help inform them of their experiences.

The fact that consumers seek meaningful and honest relationships with their chosen brands means that creating a strong presence and standing out is much more complicated than previously, but it is potentially much more rewarding.

Our brand Storylines process helps established businesses looking to reinvent themselves and new brands. Here’s a brief overview of the key areas where our messaging and development process can help create a cohesive brand.

Brand voice

Building a consistent presence and personality immediately recognisable to your current and potentially new audience is key to creating a powerful brand. Your brand voice is central to this.

Take the Shark as an example. It is a triumph of streamlined design with looks that match its ferocious personality, and an excellent example of a cohesive brand. Conversely, we often portray a Bear as a big, cuddly fur ball that would be a great sidekick for your human cub. But if you used a bear as a babysitter, your human cub would soon be minced meat. The Bear is, therefore, a confusing mismatch of a brand.

Including the right level of emotion, professionalism, or humour in your company’s communications helps you build an honest, worthwhile relationship with your audience that will not confuse them.

Visual identity

David Bowie was never going to walk on stage dressed as an accountant. But then, you wouldn't expect the accountants at Old Mill to go to work dressed as Ziggy Stardust, either. Talking about yourselves one way and then acting entirely differently does not benefit you. It does not look authentic, and in today's world, authenticity must be at the heart of your brand.

When we create your brand's visual identity, our designers and marketers will collaborate with you and use our data-driven research to develop a carefully underpinned brand ID that will grab your audience's attention.

Clear, consistent guidelines

Brand guidelines aren't just rules; they also contain key information about a brand's appearance, feel, and voice. Guidelines help unite all marketing materials, acting as a platform for constructing a robust and far-reaching business strategy. With our versatile, easy-to-digest guidelines, you will be ready to build for the future.