Parker 1 Sarah Parker Norman Clevenger Graphics 110 4 May 2011 The Importance of Brand Identity “A great brand raises the bar – it adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience, whether it’s the challenge to do your best in sports and fitness, or the affirmation that the cup of coffee you’re drinking really matters. ” -Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks Whether you want to admit it or not, each and every one of us has been swayed by a particular brand at one point in time. It may have been due to a strong advertising campaign, a new eye-popping logo or a celebrity endorsement.

This is a result of brand identity. According to Businessdictionary. com, brand identity is “the visible elements of a brand (such as colors, design, logotype, name, symbol) that together identify and distinguish the brand in the consumer’s mind. ” Delving a little deeper into that, brand identity is the basis for some of the most successful companies in existence today and is responsible for their staying power. Building a brand is something that few companies can avoid nowadays.

With the addition of such social outlets as Twitter and Facebook, and a twenty-four hour news media, it has become crucial now more than ever to grab the attention and to hold the interest of consumers. A brand is essentially the image, or the image you want portrayed, of your organization. It establishes who you are as a company. There are so many choices Parker 2 and options available in the twenty-four hour world, how does a company manage to stay afloat and also convince consumers that their product is the best? Answer: brand identity.

Creating a logo, ad campaign or tag line, grabs the attention, and/or creates buzz for the company and their product. Brand identity promotes “the big idea” and is meant to grab the consumer’s wants and/or needs and fulfill them. These tools emote name awareness, take a product or service, and invoke character and personality that a shopper can relate to. By making things interesting, intelligent, and/or compelling, it guides consumers through the many different options available to them, and convinces one to make the “right” choice.

Using a strong logo or ad campaign also helps a company stand out from their peers. It is not just that alone, utilizing aspects of the brand’s personality such as superior customer service or exclusive offers also play into the success of the brand. By doing this, it strengthens the brand and communicates its place in a world of so many options. This also boosts the company’s reputation which is its most valuable asset. This in turn will create loyalty and build brand equity, leading the consumer into buying the product or service.

Greencrest. com, a marketing, advertising and, public relations firm states “Determine where you want your company to stand among competitors. The strongest and most successful brands have a distinct position in the marketplace. ” All of these things, if done correctly, lead to brand awareness and customer loyalty. Those two things help make a company more successful. Which then lead to the most important things of all: growth, market share and, increased sales. Growth and increased sales, being the main goal to begin with.

Parker 3 Going back to those successful companies that have remained constant and on top of the game in their field, you have to ask; where would Nike be without the ‘swoosh’? McDonald’s without the golden arches? Or an iPhone without the apple? Without brand identity, they would be nowhere. In conclusion, brand identity’s importance is key. Without it, you could not promote or maintain trust, an image, loyalty or deliver a promise to the consumer that they are receiving the best value for what they are paying for.

With the global demand for better, stronger, faster, being present now more than ever, brand identity is one of the most important things in our culture and defines our world. Works Cited ? Greencrest. com, July 2007, “Building Brand Identity” ? Wikipedia. org, article-Brand Identity (Starbucks CEO quote) ? Articleclick. com, Author Joshua Taylor, (I could not locate the date), “The Importance of Brand Identity-More Than a Logo” ? Businessdictionary. com ? Norm Clevenger, professor