8 Branding Elements That You Should Know

What makes a brand? If you ask marketing experts, they would probably discuss in details the elements that make up a brand. This article will go through some of the most important branding elements that you should know about.

What’s in a Brand?

It’s not easy to define a brand. It can be a logo, a symbol, a word, a slogan, a drawing, or any other element that companies, businesses, and even certain individuals use to identify themselves.

A combination of the elements would make up a brand identity. Remember, a brand is the overall experience of the users. It’s not just an element but a combination of the elements and how those are used.

To build a solid brand identity, you need excellent brand elements. We have listed here some of the leading brand elements that you should work on:

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The Brand Name

This is arguably the most important brand element of all. The brand name can be a word or it can be several words that would be the main identifier of the “product”. This is both easy and hard at the same time. One can come up with a brand name with ease, the difficult part is coming up with a name that actually works, that actually has the potential to become iconic.

To be fair most of the iconic brand names now did not start out that way. They became iconic because of the overall appeal of what they represent but they definitely contributed to the overall appeal of the brand.

Coca-Cola, Apple, Windows, Nike are just some of the iconic brand names that have become household names now. They all have a few things in common. They’re easy to remember and easy to pronounce. So, resist the temptation to create a brand name that is difficult to pronounce or hard to remember.

The Logo

A logo does not only represent a brand. It also helps with brand consistency, visibility, and recall.

A logo is a visual mark that gives identity to the brand. There are so many examples of logos that worked and have become iconic. The Nike check-mark and the Apple logo are easily recognizable. There is no need to add the name of the companies to the logos. People will still recognize the brand they represent.

Coming up with an iconic logo is not something that you can do easily but you need to give some thought as to what your logo will be.

Theme Lines

A brand element that is quite important but is often overlooked is the theme line. When the theme line is effective people don’t really notice it anymore. It just becomes part of the everyday language. Again, Nike would come to mind here. “Just do it” has become part of the Nike brand that the phrase automatically identifies the company.

The thing about theme lines is that they don’t really have to be updated. If it works, you can keep on using it for years to come. You can also develop sub-themes under those lines to freshen up the use of the line.

Physical Shape

If you are selling a product then it is possible to come up with a shape that would make it distinct and would be easily identifiable as the logo itself. The best example of a shape that enhanced branding is the Coca-Cola bottle. Another great example is the Volkswagen Beetle. Both of those shapes have become iconic but more importantly, they are easily identifiable.

Graphic Design

On top of the logo itself, graphic elements can also help in developing a brand identity. They are not as important as logos but graphic designs are very useful in making a brand more memorable to consumers.

Brand Colors

Carefully chosen brand colors can be major brand identifiers. The blue and red colors of Pepsi for example are readily identified with the soft-drink brand while the metallic grey has been associated with Apple products.

It’s important that you spend time picking the right colors to use for the brand. You have to see to it that you’re not choosing a color that is associated with a competitor. The colors you will pick must also be matching or at least they should not clash.

Audio

The other senses can be utilized for branding too. A unique sound for example can be associated with a product. A great example of this is the sound of the Nokia phones or the sound of the Windows operating system when starting up. Those sounds have been forever associated with those brands in the minds of some people.

Taste and Smell

Just like sound can be made to identify with a certain brand, taste and smell can also become a trademark. KFC for example has made a big deal about its secret recipe for their chicken because its taste is quite unique. Certain scents too have been trademarked because they are unique and distinctive.

Those are the eight of the most crucial branding elements. It’s very helpful to become very familiar with them. It’s not necessary to use all of these elements for your business. You just have to pick the ones that are really useful.

Branding Tips

Now that you know the more important branding elements, it’s time to learn about a few branding tips that you can use to make the most out of the elements we have listed.

• Make sure that your branding will clearly identify who and what your business is. Fun and catchy names might be cool but if it does not identify who you are then it defeats the purpose of branding.
• Don’t make it difficult for people to understand what your business is. Don’t make them wonder whether you’re running a bakeshop or a car repair shop.
• Think of ideas that are for the long term. Don’t use fads that will soon be forgotten.
• Try to tell a story with your branding. People connect with stories and it will make them remember your brand.

Remember, branding is all about the impact that your business has on people and how that can send a message to them. If you need more help in improving your branding elements, you may reach out to Delesign.