Super Easy Formula For Writing Your Brand’s Identity

Stuck? Not sure what to call your brand line? Or how to choose a logo that expresses what your product is and why should people should buy it?

Lots of new business owners spend wasted time agonizing over their branding. Many times spending weeks and days working out names and logos of their brands.

The reality is that it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Distilling the foundation of your brand is a relatively simple process  when you spend the time with the next 6 questions.  Grab your notebook and let’s walk through this process together.

Below is my super easy formula for choosing a brand’s identity:

1. History: Why did you create this product?

What was the story behind why you created your product and what problem is it trying to solve? For example, I have a client who created an amazing lotion to help her family member go through chemo. It was designed to offer him comfort and soften the skin while not harming or conflicting with the chemo treatments.

Maybe you started your company because you couldn’t find any products that worked as well as they promised or maybe there was none in your category. Whatever it is, the history is important and a step not to be missed. Take some time to write out your history. This truly is the foundation and starting point for identifying your brand’s message.

2. Core of the brand:  What does your brand stand for?

What problem is it solving? Often times, the core of brand comes organically when you take the time to write out your history and why you created the product.

You’ll start seeing words like inspiring, beautiful, results, and effective just pop out at you when you write out the history.

Those descriptive words than can become part of your copy, name and brand story. If writing is not your thing, talk it out into your phone or with a friend. As you do, you will begin to hear a theme of the core of the brand.

3. Name: Keep it simple 

A name is important, it needs to be easy for customer’s to understand what the product is and does. If people don’t get it than they won’t buy it. Period.

If people are intrigued, they may ask, if you can get them engaged in a conversation. But keep in mind that most business is done in the digital world where face to face conversations don’t occur as often. Be sure to choose a name that connects with your customer and expresses the product well and is easy to spell.

4. Logos are the same: Keep it simple.

If you need help with this, spend the money to hire a graphic artist that can interpret your words into art.  Consider providing examples of other people’s brands to your artist so they can capture the elements or at least know what you like. You can get ideas from magazines, Pinterest, and Sephora. Ideas are everywhere!

One thing to consider is to keep it easy to print. Since we are all product owners, and will need to either print labels or silkscreen products, be sure that your logo is easy to print, able to go in 3 colors or less  you can do more if doing a label) and is sizable for the printers.

5. Connection factor: How do people (customers) connect to your brand?

People buy from people. Even Pepsi realizes that it’s not their cool logo, it’s the fact that big name stars representing it make their product more relatable. It’s the the same with your product.

How do you customers connect with your product? Does the name resonate? Do they look at your brand, marketing material and product and purchase it? If not, we need to re-evaluate how your brand and marketing collateral are being received by your customers.

6. Put it all together

Take the history+core+name+logo+connection factor = the foundation of your brand’s identity.

Got comments? I’d love to hear them! Please leave a comment or let’s connect on Facebook!