Whether it’s a signature hairstyle, the key roles they’ve played over the years, or an off-the-charts single, there’s always something recognizable about our favorite celebrities. They each have their own unique identity, and when they make it to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, everyone knows exactly why. For companies, it’s the same deal; there’s a show-stopping quality that’s uniquely yours. With a strong company brand identity, you can attain your own star in your industry’s Walk of Fame. Here are a few essentials to gaining that brand identity celebrity status!
Why a Strong Company Brand Identity Needs To Shine
Before we get into the specific spotlight essentials to a strong company brand identity, it’s important to recognize the marquee-ting reasons your company needs that identity in the first place.
A strong brand identity allows your company to stand out from the crowd (and depending on the industry and your product or service, it might be very crowded). If your customer target audience can immediately recognize your company by visual cues or name alone, you’re already stepping towards center stage.
Your brand identity isn’t your product, service, a logo, or your website. It’s more complex than a trendsetting celebrity look. Rather, it’s the soul of your company; the parts that are personal, genuine, and allow companies to develop a reputation with customers over time.
With a shining brand identity, customers are bound to give your company that red carpet treatment.
A Vision That Shoots for the Stars
We can all describe the plotlines of our favorite films and Broadway shows within the span of a sentence or two, right? Well, companies should be able to do the same. A company mission statement is the starting point; the first act. By recognizing your company’s vision, you show customers the value your business provides better than anyone else.
A mission statement defines your company’s purpose and acts as a structural building block for the rest of your brand. The Starbucks mission statement “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time” is reflected in their products, messaging, and customer service. After all, who doesn’t love seeing their name scrawled on the side of a white Starbucks cup?
By identifying that vision when developing your brand identity, you give customers a way to identify you, too.
Show Business Belonging
Every Hall of Famer has their fan base (such as Ed Sheeran’s “Sheerios” and Star Trek Trekkies). For a strong company brand identity, it’s essential to recognize who your target audience is and what they’re searching for. That way, you can develop a sense of community belonging with your customers (and maybe give them a cool nickname, too!).
To ring in the new year, Planet Fitness used a commercial to speak to their target audience. The commercial uses emotional appeal to tell a story and communicate a sense of belonging to their customers. It also corresponds with their mission statement: “We at Planet Fitness are here to provide a unique environment in which anyone–and we mean anyone–can be comfortable. A diverse, Judgement Free Zone® where a lasting, active lifestyle can be built.”
By recognizing your audience, you can provide them with a sense of belonging and gain your own fan base. That’s not just show business—that’s your business!
Timing and Industry Cues
Timing is everything, and you have to know your cues. Industries make major changes and advancements constantly, and it’s important to remain up-to-date with that stage direction. By remaining timely and acting on industry cues, you also remain relevant to customers too.
While the timing is different for every industry, and therefore every company, it’s important to consider a brand redesign, especially if you notice that old tactics are no longer working. One example is Old Spice’s rebranding initiative. Old Spice was previously viewed as a product for older generations, but their campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa as “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” revived the brand. By redirecting their messaging to be fun and compelling, Old Spice was able to target their brand towards younger demographics and stand out with something memorable.
Reviving your brand while keeping your brand identity in place can provide your company with a much-needed fresh start. As a result, you can discover new ways to engage customers while maintaining the parts of your company they love.
A Consistent Claim to Fame
The show must go on! It’s difficult to keep up with a musician who changes their stage name every year, or novelists who run through numerous pseudonyms (JK Rowling, we’re talking to you). With a brand identity that remains consistent, companies don’t have to worry about confusing customers or, even worse, losing them altogether. Consistency ensures companies remain recognizable and helps develop trust with customers as well.
While your brand needs to adapt to industry trends over time, the main components of your brand should remain consistent. Your target audience may grow as you develop new products/services, but your mission statement should remain the same. Brand and content consistency allow companies to retain customers for the long-term by developing brand loyalty. As a result, you remain in the limelight!
Show Biz Brand Loyalty
As you make your mark within the industry and gain a fan base of loyal customers, you can strengthen your brand loyalty and keep those customers. Nurturing brand loyalty early on will help you gain more returning customers—and as a result, more business.
As we mentioned before, a company brand identity can create a sense of belonging (beam me up, Trekkies!). That community mentality brings people together and makes them want to stay together. Once customers develop a sense of trust with your company, their more likely to remain loyal for the long-term. By showing customers invaluable quality and keeping to the promises in your mission statement, your brand identity can capture that love and loyalty from the get-go!
Curtain Call the Competition
A strong company brand identity also allows your business to stand apart from the competition. A unique brand personality allows companies to differentiate themselves from others in the same industry niche. The voice, message, and other key characteristics of a brand that appear on the company website, social media platforms, and even during interactions with customers help distinguish one company from another.
Research your competitors to keep up with competitive awareness, then determine how your company stands apart. That way, you can tailor your brand to answer the needs customers can’t find anywhere else. Shine a spotlight on those components within your brand identity, and your company will shine, too!
Now that you know these essentials to developing a strong company brand identity, you can develop your own applause-worthy brand. Break a leg!
Need some help achieving Walk of Fame status? We’ve got you.