Branding is what defines your company, gives it a character, and helps it stand out. Since it has so many layers, you might choose to only implement some of it. For example, if you do not need a full-blown brand book with every little detail, you are still going to need a sized-down version. But how do you know what to keep and what to leave for later? If you are new to the scope of branding in marketing, you’ve come to the right place.
There are 8 essential brand elements that every company needs. But what are brand elements?
Brand elements definition: Brand elements are the components of a brand that differentiate your company from others. In other words, brand elements are the building blocks that ultimately make up your brand identity.
Whether you’ve only started creating your brand or want to rebrand your existing company, this branding guide will make your job easier. We’ll answer questions like “what are the elements of brand identity,” “what are the brand elements to build brand equity,” and introduce you to the most important aspects of branding.
Keep on reading through to discover the elements that define your brand, plus dive a little deeper into what branding actually is.
What exactly is branding?
Before we get into the essential elements of a brand, let’s cover what exactly branding is. In short, branding is the combination of brand elements and symbols that identify your company, making it different from your competitors. Those elements could be logos, fonts, and even specific user experiences.
In essence, your brand is what your customers perceive it to be. At the end of the day, those perceptions are formed by your branding efforts.
In essence, your brand is what your customers perceive it to be. At the end of the day, those perceptions are formed by your branding efforts.
Although you can identify branding when you see it, it can still be tough to do it for yourself. That’s why we decided to break it down into bite-size portions. Finally, let’s take a look at the 8 steps to creating a new brand.
1. Logo
First things first, your brand needs a logo. Your logo is essentially the “passport picture” of your company, the defining icon of its personality. It is the most vital brand element that can completely identify your brand, aside from its name.
In this day and age, it would be hard to find a brand without a logo, even if you tried. You’ll be using your logo on almost every brand asset you have, so it must absolutely be an all-encompassing symbol of your brand.
2. Color Palette
The second essential brand element on our list is the color palette. Why so? Well, colors have a tendency to invoke emotions and convey key values or even personality traits. The psychology of colors is a wide field, so choose your color palette carefully when creating your brand.
Note: You can have 1-3 primary colors and even up to 10 general colors in your brand guide color palette.
Some brands are so easily identifiable by their signature colors that they’ve decided to trademark them. Examples include Tiffany Blue, Coca-Cola Red, Barbie Pink, UPS Brown, etc.
3. Tagline
When you hear the words “Just Do It,” you automatically think of Nike.
When you hear the words “Think Different,” you automatically think of Apple.
When you hear the words “I’m Lovin’ It,” you automatically think of McDonald’s.
This is how powerful taglines can be.
That’s why taglines are the third most important brand element for a company. Carefully articulated taglines present your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) in the shortest and sweetest way possible. Think of it as an extension of your logo, giving a little more context as to what you do and how you do it.
4. Fonts
Next up on our essential brand elements list, we have “Fonts.” Similar to the way colors convey feelings, fonts also invoke emotions. Some fonts are inspiring, others are happy or scary. Essentially, fonts dictate the way your text should be read.
Tip: Choose your fonts carefully and make sure they reflect the personality of your brand.
Here’s an entertaining example of how different texts can sound with different fonts
5. Shapes
Shapes are yet another critical component that’s essential for any brand to have. Will your brand be round and fluffy or pointy and sharp?
You don’t have to limit yourself to one type of shape, so long as you stay consistent and in-tune with your tone of voice.
6. Tone of voice and language
Speaking of tone voice, this is yet another essential brand element that’ll help you stay consistent and keep up appearances. Think of your brand as an individual. How would they speak and behave? What phrases would they use, and what words would they never pronounce?
Answering these questions can help you define your brand’s tone of voice, which will guide all your brand communication. Plus, tone of voice is one of the main brand elements to build brand equity.
7. Images
Coming in at number 7, the next essential brand element is imagery. This refers to your choice of images, graphics, and patterns you use in your packaging, ad campaigns, and more. This doesn’t necessarily relate to your choice of shapes but rather a general understanding of the energy that your imagery will carry.
8. Positioning
Last but definitely not least, we have “Positioning” as an essential brand element. Brand positioning is how you fit in the market, what price range you offer, or how your products compare to competitors’.
Your brand positioning influences all other essential brand elements. For example, if you are a more budget-friendly brand, your imagery, tagline, and tone of voice should reflect it.
Is there an easy way of creating a new brand?
Brand creation is a complex process that involves many types of specialists. You need copywriters, design specialists, marketing specialists, and even your sales team needs to be involved. That’s why the easiest way of creating a new brand is to get help from brand development companies.
If you’re looking for a branding agency in Sydney, we have good news for you. Odessi Group is one of the leading branding agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide. OG is home to stunning branding services which are fulfilled by the best branding specialists and branding consultants for small businesses.
Final Thoughts
Branding has so many branches and can cost 10’s of thousands of dollars to develop, however it also becomes one of the most valuable tangible assets of your business. For all the beginners out there, we decided to define the 8 essential brand elements your company needs to succeed. If you’re just starting to build a brand, you can use these 8 elements as your checklist and know exactly what the main elements of brand identity are. Now turn on your creativity, and good luck.