What is Brand Identity? A Guide to Creating Brand Identity

What is brand identity?

Brand identity is the collection of all visual, verbal, and emotional elements that represent a brand and helps it be distinguishable from competitors. It’s how a brand presents itself to the world and how consumers perceive it. Brand identity can often be confused with branding or brand image, but the identity is more of the tangible expression of a brand’s values, mission, and personality.

Brand identity can be made up of the following: 

Visual elements

• This includes the logo, colour palette, typography, imagery, and overall design style. These elements should be consistent across all platforms. 
• Think of it as the ‘face’ of your brand and what you picture in your mind when you think of it.

Core values and personality

• Brand identity also encompasses the underlying values, mission, and personality of a company.
• It’s about conveying what your brand stands for and how it wants to be perceived.

Communication style

• The tone of voice used in marketing materials, social media, and customer interactions is a crucial part of brand identity.  
• Are you friendly and approachable, or professional and authoritative? How you come across in your communications says a lot about your identity. 

Overall brand experience

• Brand identity contributes to the overall customer experience, from the moment they encounter your brand online to their interactions with your products or services.  

In essence, brand identity is how a company shapes its public perception and builds recognition – it’s the collection of all the things that make your company, your company and different to all the others

What are the elements of a strong brand identity?

There are several key elements for creating a successful brand identity:

1. Defining your brand purpose and values

Before designing any visuals, it’s important to define what your brand stands for. You and your team should brainstorm and think about the answers to these types of questions:

• Why does your brand exist?
• What problems does it solve?
• What values does it uphold?

A well-defined purpose helps guide all branding decisions and ensures authenticity.

2. Creating a striking logo design

Your logo is the face of your brand and the memorable aspect that an audience recognises. A great logo should be:

• Simple yet distinctive
• Memorable and versatile
• Reflective of your brand’s personality

3. Establishing your colour palette and brand tones

Colours have a bigger part to play than you may think when it comes to brand identity – they have the power to evoke emotions and influence perceptions. Choosing the right colour palette can reinforce your brand message. Here are just a few examples:

• Blue conveys trust and professionalism – many social media platforms tend to use blue tones for this reason. 
• Red evokes excitement and passion 
• Green symbolises nature and sustainability

4. Typography and fonts

You might not think about it much, but the font a brand uses actually says a lot about their identity. A traditional law firm will subtly project reliability with a classic font, while a creative agency will use a modern font to reflect their innovative nature.

5. Imagery and design elements

You want people to see your images and instantly think of your brand. So, whatever style you choose – clean photography or hand-drawn art  – make sure it reinforces the feeling you want your brand to give off

6. Brand voice and messaging

Your tone of voice should reflect your brand’s personality. Ask yourself, is your brand:

• Friendly and conversational?
• Professional and authoritative?
• Playful and humorous?

Consistency in brand messaging builds trust and makes your brand more recognisable across different platforms.

We believe that a strong brand identity is the foundation of a successful business. Yes, it’s more than just a logo – it’s the entire experience you create for customers and how you make them feel. At CHS, we specialise in helping brands create unique, compelling identities that capture attention and build lasting connections.

Whether you’re launching a new brand or refining an existing one, investing in a solid brand identity is one of the most important steps you can take. Need help with your brand identity? Get in touch with CHS today, and let’s bring your brand to life!