An identity is everything.
It’s what makes up most of what we encounter. Identities are everywhere, and are the true makeup of brand interaction – they lead us around the ideas of an expectation. Identity is one the most important tools to establish at the forefront when designing a brand, as this is what the brand will end up carrying as their foundational layer in order to spark an emotional reaction and a sense of belonging among their consumers. Once created, the identity of the brand is important in sparking a reaction among consumers, and the success of a brand will depend on the accounts of others. The experience of this brand identity determines the initial decision of a consumer in regards to whether or not the brand is alluring or “worthy” of their time. As such, identities complement the factor of the invested time we, as consumers, choose to share. So with all of this in mind, let’s dig a little bit deeper into why the identity of a brand is so important.
Big brands – household-name type-of-brands – have identities that consume our interest. For example, let’s take a look at IKEA, one of the multitudes of big brand names that we encounter daily.
Why is IKEA so successful at captivating our time and money? It’s because of IKEA’s foundational brand identity that we can find in their customer journey. IKEA has strategically mapped this journey of discovery by crafting an at home like experience within their retail stores that is consistent and keeps their customers inside long enough to make a purchase. From the beginning, IKEA’s vision has been to “create a better everyday life for the many people” and this is reflected in every part of their store layout. The IKEA way-finding system guides us down every department with inspirational arrangements of their products and then right into the checkout lanes for us to make a purchase. Think about it: how many of us have walked through the entire store of IKEA without grabbing at least one item?
The products are simply too well-priced and convenient to pass up. There’s a visible ‘friction’ in the IKEA customer experience that feels almost intentionally woven into their process. IKEA seems to have mapped out this in-store journey by using this ‘friction’, and through this idea, they’ve brought about a commitment of effort, which in turn produces a positive, memorable and thus rewarding experience. For so many people, IKEA is at the top of innovation and this follows through not only in their identity, but also in their design.
Successful identities target an emotional reaction to sensory synergy.
When it comes to a company’s exposure to public interaction, a brand needs to ground itself upon a first impression. Typically, but not for all cases, brands look to build trust, security, reliability and security through communication and design. A brand should portray all labels of applicable key attributes for that particular entity. These are the keys for projecting a brand’s value, along with what we call the “internal culture of a corporation”. We feel that identity leads with these three key points for success: First Impression, Emotional Reaction, and Securing the Interaction.
What is your brand identity comprised of?
