The way you run your Jacksonville business serves as the foundation of your brand. Everything from the look and function of your website to the way you communicate with customers, affects how people identify with your brand. And with the endless choices customers have at their fingertips, having a brand identity that people want to associate with is paramount.
“Brand identity is what a brand stands for and how it is perceived in the world,” says Dennery Sanders, author of Style & Stance: How to Create a Compelling Brand. “It’s the words, thoughts and images that come to mind when the consumer engages with the brand in some way – and how it makes the consumer feel.”
A compelling brand identity needs to be authentic. The best way to be authentic is to use messaging and design to showcase what your company is all about.
Think Apple, or better yet, Think Different. They’ve told customers for years to think different, and along they way, they’ve taught companies to be different. Apple wouldn’t be nearly as successful if they had only relied on their technology. Instead, they put considerable effort into creating an authentic brand identity that makes us feel emotionally connected to a heap of metal and software.
Don’t be afraid to let your personality and philosophy come through in your brand identity, especially in the way you communicate with your customers. Believe in sustainable business practices? Are you a startup with a David-vs-Goliath mentality? Verbally and visually let the world know. And do so with pride.
Conversely, businesses that don’t stand for something and let their personality shine have trouble standing out in the crowd.
This is where working with advertising agencies can do wonders. But just how no two businesses in Jacksonville, FL, are exactly alike, no two advertising agencies in Jacksonville, FL, are the same. Some agencies in Jacksonville are digitally-focused, while others are good at design. But to get the most out of your brand identity, having an advertising agency that can seamlessly blend form and function will give you the best of both worlds.
At C7 Creative, we accomplish this by first getting to know our clients, doing a deep-dive to find out what makes them tick and what separates them from their competitors. Once we fully understand our clients, we’re able to draw on our extensive digital and graphic design experience to create brand identities that tell their stories across every touchpoint.
“There are many, many ways in which you come in contact with your customers,” says Dennery Sanders. “Think about ways you can infuse all of these brand touchpoints with the ethos and meaning of your brand.”
We accomplish this by first creating a logo and color scheme.
The color scheme we created for rock and roll Hall of Fame inductee Carlos Santana’s new line of men’s shoes. The colors portray Carlos’ unique spirit and confident style, and help to tell the brand’s story.
Next, we’ll create everything from websites and mobile apps to package design. This is where the fun happens. There’s nothing like seeing a brand’s identity seamlessly come to life at every interaction with customers.
Your brand’s identify should come through at every touchpoint. An ordinary shoe box would not have accurately reflected the brand or created an emotional connection with the customer.
Doing this will increase your equity and help you create a loyal following. Customers will be loyal to you if they tell an authentic and consistent story that people can relate to, or are inspired by. The majority of our purchases are based on emotions, which means creating an emotional connection with your audience isn’t just a bonus—it’s a necessity nowadays.
If you take away anything from here, let it be this: If you want to better your position in the marketplace, don’t be another “X” in a sea of Xs. With the right branding from the right creative agency, Jacksonville businesses can rise above the competition and create brands that customers love.
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