Starting a business is more affordable than ever these days, but its long-term success is far from guaranteed. How long a startup company will stay on the market depends largely on three things: a quality business plan, a good brand strategy, and a memorable visual identity.
In this article, we'll look at what makes a startup memorable, what a visual identity is and why it's important, and of course, the steps to building one.
What makes a startup company memorable and successful
"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, will it make a sound?" The answer is no. Even if you have the best product, service, idea, etc., if no one knows about it, it doesn't exist.
According to the theory behind the question, first posed by philosopher George Berkeley in the 18th century, "to be is to be perceived," and the easiest way to do this is by creating an effective visual identity.
If your brand identity is the character of your business, then its expression to consumers is through your visual identity. Building it is crucial for any business that seeks to establish a unique and recognizable presence in the market.
What is visual identity
All the distinctive features of your brand in the form of visual elements build its visual identity. Thanks to these details, you stand out among other businesses, creating a specific recognizable and sustainable image in the mind of your audience.
Mass consumers are more likely to perceive and remember visual elements such as images, colors, graphics, and more, and therefore engage. Therefore, if you properly communicate through these elements, causing an emotional impression in the viewers, the sustainability and development of your startup company will certainly be successful.
Excellent examples of good brand-user communication based on visual identity are companies like Airbnb, Spotify, Coca-Cola, and many other successful brands.
Elements of Visual Identity
Visual identity is a combination of a full range of aspects of graphic design. This includes:
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Logo
The company's logo, or its "business card", is decisive for the impression that will be created on the user. It is one of the most powerful tools to convey the message we want to send to our target audience.
There are 7 different types of logos to choose from: abstract (example: Nike, Pepsi), pictorial mark a.k.a. brandmark or a symbol (example: Apple, Instagram), monogram a.k.a. lettermark (example: NASA), typographic a.k.a. logotypes or wordmark logos (example: VISA, Google), mascot (example: Michelin, KFC), combined (example: PayPal, MasterCard) and emblem (example: Starbucks, Stella Artois).
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Brand colors
Visual identity is largely manifested in the palette through which a business communicates. Each color carries a certain emotional suggestion at a subconscious level and influences the reactions and associations of users. With properly selected brand colors, you can indirectly convey your message to the target audience.
This is a highly effective technique used by many companies, such as LinkedIn and McDonald’s.
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Typography
Another distinctive feature of your brand can be the font you use. Just like a person's handwriting, a business's typography speaks to its brand identity and can convey a message.
The font should always be appropriate to the field of activity, the tone of communication (friendly, neutral, official…), and the target audience (in terms of age, gender, interests…). For example, a company dealing with finance is more likely to use a simple, neutral, and easy-to-read font than a brand offering products for metal music fans.
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Visual aids
To build an outstanding visual identity that communicates with people, you need to know how to properly use visual media such as short-form video content, images, graphic elements, infographics, etc. The resources are truly numerous.
By creating a visual brand identity, you build a bridge between the business and the target audience. Using visual content can make a startup company more impressive and attractive. In addition, it is easy to perceive and creates a sense of authenticity and emotional closeness. Through visual content, you can easily tell your story or share something more about the values of the brand.
What are the main steps to creating a memorable startup
What are the main steps to creating a memorable startup
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Defining vision, mission, values , and target audience
A fundamental moment in the construction of a memorable visual identity is the clear definition of the vision, mission, and values of the brand. For your message to properly reach your target audience, it must include carefully selected relevant visual elements that clearly express your identity.
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Analysis of the competition
It’s important to research the competitive market well before starting to avoid possible similarities with other companies, which would destroy the authenticity of your brand.
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Development of brand strategy and plan for digital marketing – tone of voice, slogan, storytelling
Clarifying the steps and elements of a brand strategy will better guide you on what and how you want to say to your target audience. Using a slogan is a good way to convey a message in a concise, creative and memorable way. On the other hand, storytelling would give the feeling of closeness and authenticity.
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Designing the main elements – logo, design, fonts, colors, etc.
Graphic design is a key step in building a memorable visual identity. Content in the form of photos, videos, and graphics is more attractive and preferred by consumers in today's digital environment, so don't underestimate the power of this tool.
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Engaging and building a relationship with your audience and making them loyal
According to research from Sprout Social, consumers seek and demand emotional closeness and social engagement from brands. Engaging with the target audience, through presence on social networks, collaboration with famous personalities, or giveaways is a good practice for achieving sustainable development.
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Maintaining a good brand reputation
Consistency of visual communication and the right personalized attitude will not only win the trust and loyalty of consumers but also testify to the qualities and characteristics of your brand.
The importance of working with professionals in building a memorable brand identity
Turning a start-up company into a successful and memorable one is not an easy task, which requires not only creativity and persistence but also knowledge about the behavior and habits of different segment groups, strategic thinking skills, knowledge of the market, and much more.
Building an effective visual identity involves many specialists such as marketing strategists, graphic designers, copywriters, and analysts. Working together with them can significantly improve the presentation of the brand, shape the desired visual identity in detail, and communicate correctly with the target audience.
For start-up companies, StartUp Pack services are an optimal option for development and successfully occupying a stable position on the market.
What working with marketing professionals can offer
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Creating a marketing strategy.
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Building a brand identity.
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Planning the SEO & Web infrastructure of the company's website.
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Web development and setup of tools to track and analyze results.
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Strategy development for selected channels such as paid advertising, social networks, email marketing, and more.
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Support of selected channels for the first 3 months after launch.
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Final stage – provision of reports and preparation of the client's internal teams.
In conclusion, "visual identity" is key to building and positioning a successful startup company, as well as to effective communication and engagement with the target audience.
For visual communication to be effective, it must resonate with the needs, desires, interests, and habits of the target audience. This connection is made through the company logo, the color palette that defines it, the consistent graphic elements, and last but not least the images, video content, and graphic elements.
The process of developing and refining all these distinctive features takes time and effort and requires in-depth work, knowledge, and skills in various fields. It should also be borne in mind that identity is not something that can be created once. Your visual identity is maintained, nurtured, protected, and optimized against the constant changes of the market world.
Brands that resonate emotionally and have a compelling message, stay authentic, and adapt to changing landscapes… They have a better chance of leaving a lasting impression on their audience, which ultimately leads to business success.
If you need professional help and a team with experience in creating a memorable visual identity, we at CreateX are here to help.