Brand Elements

Whenever we see a logo, slogan, colors, it associates us with a certain company, its values, products, etc. That’s a brand. The first important part of a brand is its identity. Identity consists of logos, slogans, texts, photos, colors, etc.

In this lesson, we will learn more about:

• Brand names
• URLs
• Colors
• Logos and Symbols
• Text
• Photography
• Brand Mantra
• Slogan
• Packaging
• Jingles
• Consistency
• Choosing Brand Elements

Brand Names

Choosing your brand name can be very difficult because it is as much a science as it is an art. It is important to follow 6 basic principles when creating a name. 

6 principles we should follow are:

1. Memorability,
2. Meaningfulness,
3. Likeability,
4. Transferability,
5. Adaptability, and
6. Protectability.

You have to be especially careful when creating a name because you will not change it later. The name will be related to everything you do, it will be associated with your products and your company.

URLs

As companies searched for space on the Internet, the number of domains increased drastically. There is no three-letter and almost no other English word that is not registered as a domain. So today, when someone wants to register their URL, they have to use word coins or buy someone else’s domain.

Colors

Colors are more important than we can imagine because the choice of color is very important for every brand. Colors are associated with all kinds of feelings. Colors and their combinations can have a significant impact on your users. Different cultures and age groups prefer different colors. Men and women have preferences for different colors. Orange is the color of encouragement (Cherry, 2019). The combination of yellow and red makes the orange color of excitement, warmth, and enthusiasm (Cherry, 2019). This is the color of extroverts, sociable and attractive, exudes happiness and joy. Orange is a motivating and enchanting color, it is attractive for young people (Cherry, 2019). It stimulates the appetite and is associated with healthy good (Cherry, 2019). However, the negative connotations of orange include insincerity, exhibitionism, and complacency (Cherry, 2019). Only one color has so many associations. Imagine now so many associations for each color. So you need to be careful when choosing the colors of your brand. For example, if you are making fun games for kids, you don't want everything to be black and gray, you want happy colors.

Source: Pixabay

Logos and Symbols

Many think the logo is the same as the brand. The logo is one of the most important elements of brand identity. A logo is a great way to get customers' attention and a great way to be remembered and distinguished from others. The logo can be associated with what you do and you can use the colors you have previously selected. The logo will be in all your communications with clients and customers, so create it carefully.

Text

In addition to what you will actually communicate with your channels, the font type, and font size have a great influence on the visual identity. Choose a font based on the defined characters of your target group. Some fonts are comical so their purpose is for the younger population while some fonts are more serious and are intended for companies that communicate professionalism. Always follow the rules of simplicity. Also, many logos are created as a company name in a certain font and color.

Photography

When choosing a photo, it is important that they are original. You will place them through your communication channels along with a slogan or specific text. Photos can show your products, service processes or something else that is associated with your brand. The photos will show your logo and the colors you have chosen.

Brand Mantra

A short statement of what the brand represents, what its essence is, or the image it wants to project. With the brand mantra, the tone of the statement is the most important.

• Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance (Keller, 2013).
• Disney: Fun Family Entertainment (Keller, 2013).
• BMW: Ultimate Driving Machine.
• Fanta: Fun Friends Drinks
• McDonald’s: Fun Folks Food

What we can see in these examples is that each of them has three main components. The first word is an emotional modifier, the second is a descriptive modifier and the third is a brand function.

Slogan

The slogan should be short, clear, memorable. A slogan is a motto or phrase that is used in different contexts as an expression of an idea or purpose, with the aim of convincing the public or the target group of people.

A few tips for writing slogans are:

- Short and simple - it would be good if your slogan contained less than 10 words.

- Consistency - the slogan should complement your logo and company name.

- Why are you different - you can also present your niche

- Timeless - use words that are timeless so you don't change the slogan when changes occur in the market

- Independence - the slogan should not be a mystery. It has to be able to stand alone and let people know they mean your brand.

- Input - Through questionnaires, you can find out what your users think about a potential slogan.

Packaging

The packaging is the activity of designing and manufacturing packaging or packaging for production. From the perspective of the company and consumers, product packaging must achieve certain goals (Keller, 2013):

• Brand identification

• Provides a description and convinces the customer to buy the product

• Facilitate the transport and protection of products.

Jingles

We all remember childhood jingles. Even decades later, these catchy songs remain in the memory and are a great way to promote the brand.

Consistency

Brand consistency is crucial to maintaining brand strength. Brands that spend less on research and marketing communication run the risk of becoming obsolete, irrelevant or forgotten (Keller, 2013). You want to constantly use the same colors, the same logo, and the same type of text to make users remember you, trust you, and make your visual identity evoke positive feelings in them.

Choosing Brand Elements

The choice of brand elements can be made based on the following criteria:

• Memorability is criteria useful for brand Recognition (Keller, 2013).
• Meaningfulness help Reinforce almost any type of association of a brand (Keller, 2013).
• Likability can help visual and verbal appeal (Keller, 2013).
• Transferability is good for logos and symbols, Packaging and Signage (Keller, 2013).
• Adaptability helps redesign and modify brand elements.
• Protectability is important to have unique elements of brand identity. Packages can often be closely copied.

Conclusions

Brand identity needs to be carefully created, paying attention to many factors that can influence.

Here you have the contents of the lesson in PDF: