Core\Character\Composition
We all have core values and viewpoints about who we are and the society we live in. The most crucial element of a good brand is the Core, which comes first.
Your company is guided by its basic principles, which serve as a basis for the second principle, character.
This is where the brand’s personality may be found. All of your actions, how you communicate, how you interact, what you say, and the experiences you offer are influenced by the character of your brand identity.
Following the definition of these first two components, you can continue to the composition, the final and third components. Following the definition of these first two components, you can continue to the composition, the final and third components.
The overall design presentation that fits your brand and the brand’s visual identity is what makes up the composition.
Too many companies skip the Core and Character definitions and rush immediately to step three when they begin with a logo.
This defect is fatal. Your brand is perceived from the outside in by consumers, but you must communicate from the inside out. Design must communicate the value you provide, which is why it’s crucial to define those elements initially.
Take into account the following: Have you ever known someone who didn’t take the time to figure out who they are, and then seen them, date a person, after the person only to watch it go very poorly?
Customer interactions with brands that haven’t established their basic values and character often seem similar to this.
If every interaction with a new consumer is like a blind date, it’s crucial to present yourself in a way that allows them to learn about you and the value you provide, as opposed to constantly changing your brand messaging to appease everyone.
Values, if clearly stated, are like a sturdy foundation; they will hold the structure of your organization for years even though culture will change.
CORE
When disregarded, this is by far the most crucial element of a brand and leads to unwise decisions in both life and branding.
Many companies launch their branding efforts without first considering the value they provide. Your message is in your branding, not in your marketing. This is so because beliefs, which form the basis of who you are, flow from behaviors.
And you’ll know the appropriate choices to make when deciding how to market and sell once you know what your company values and beliefs.
Every client engagement, as we’ve said before, is like going on a blind date, and if you don’t know what you have to offer, you’ll strive to be who other people want you to be.
The issue is that nobody gets what they want; the client doesn’t receive value, and you misplace your identity in the process.
The objective of your firm and your own beliefs must be understood to start creating the core of your organization.
Your company’s core is its heart and soul, and just as a person cannot survive without their heart or soul, too can your business.
The brain, which is at the center of each individual, is crucial to their ability to function. The business plan in this instance serves as the brand’s brain.
Your heart and soul are the centers of belief and direction, while your brain is the center of thought and strategy.
Even if it’s a simple one to get you started, it’s crucial to have a business plan.
Your mission statement, market analysis, and business objectives are all parts of a lean business plan.
Your brand name, which ought to in some way embody your values or brand promise, is also a key component. It also contains messaging from your business. Your company one-liner can be found in your company messaging.
It responds to the query: What does your business do?
It’s significant to note that nobody ever inquires about this to learn more about your routine services. This query has a subtext and is: How can you help me?
If you are unable to provide a succinct, value-driven response to this, you should give your company’s underlying values and mission additional thought.
Now that you have defined this, we can start constructing your Customer Profile.
It implies that you put yourself in your client’s position and consider their wants.
Remember that this is an empathic marketing strategy, so it’s crucial to take these demands into account so you can connect with them and provide superior service.
You’ll then evaluate your brand about the competition.
You might start by conducting a SWOT Analysis to conduct a thorough competitive comparison.
This is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
You’ll evaluate your top three rivals’ strengths and weaknesses, including what they do well, what they do well, what they don’t do well, and what they don’t do well.
Next, you’ll consider any dangers or opportunities in your industry’s market.
These are external elements that are beyond your control but may have an impact on your company.
You can determine your Unique Value Proposition if you are aware of how you compare to the competition (UVP).
This demonstrates to your audience what you have to offer that none of your rivals can.
This could be a proprietary technique, an original approach, or a service you provide that would be challenging for others to duplicate.
CHARACTER
As we covered in the previous section, it is crucial to establish your brand’s core if you want to create a successful and genuine brand.
You’ll be able to direct business actions from that base once you’ve determined what your brand values and beliefs are.
Your brand identity and personality are shaped in part by the foundation.
Understanding your brand personality or brand voice in branding can assist your audience form an opinion of who you are as a company, what your company is like, and what it’s like to work with you.
The characteristics of your personality and the tone of voice you use to communicate your message both reveal your personality.
The environment or experience is what entices you to return repeatedly. Their distinct personality and constant tone make the interaction very memorable.
Having a positive experience at all of your brand’s touchpoints and interactions is what developing an atmosphere in your brand is all about.
Your audience will either have a positive or negative experience depending on the usability of your website and how clear and approachable your messaging is.
If you do this incorrectly, your audience will probably spread bad rumors, which could harm the reputation of your company.
In the end, this will influence how other people view the personality of your brand.
Because it determines your personality, tone, and how everything fits together to create a distinctive Character for your business, the Core of your brand is crucial to its success.
COMPOSITION
Most people mistakenly believe that branding consists just of the visual components that make up a company’s identity, including its logo.
Many companies make the error of starting this step without having a clear understanding of who they are.
Similar to trying to tell a joke when you only know the punchline, this is making travel plans without having any clue of where they are going or how to get there.
Your roadmap is made up of the first two elements: Core and Character. Without them, not only will you get lost, but anybody who travels with you will as well.
Revisit the first two parts and complete them.
They must be completed to build a successful brand.
Starting from this point would be equivalent to trying to build a house without a foundation, painting wet clay without first molding it or letting it take shape, or building a successful relationship without knowing what value you wish to provide.
Never forget that business is a relational transaction where two parties trade value to enhance the lives of the other party. Business is more than just products and services.
Once you’ve established the essence and personality of your brand, it’s time to get to the exciting part: the look and feel.
Here, we discuss the logos, colors, typefaces, icons, illustrations, graphics, and individual brand photographs that make up the brand.
A brand like this will not only look gorgeous when the design is applied to a well-defined Core and Character, but it will also be able to have a conversation and charm the living daylights out of everyone in its prospective audience.
A logo represents your company and is more than just a random image. obtain a concept of the design you desire for your logo.
Just like a nation’s flag represents the ideals and ideas of that nation, a logo is an iconic symbol that invokes the ideals and beliefs of your brand.
Think about how Apple conjures up the image of ingesting knowledge by depicting an apple with a bite taken out of it.
Or how to progress and forward motion are represented by Nike’s swoosh.
Without knowing the colors and types that will be utilized to make it, you can’t have a logo. Your mood board’s components will aid in giving you a feeling of what to pick to make that design.
Remember that these have psychological significance as well; don’t just pick what appeals to your eye. Think about what each color and typography are saying.
Color is used by nature to arouse desire, deter predators, and attract mates. It can be applied similarly to branding.
Red makes people feel hungry, which is why fast-food establishments utilize it so frequently.
Do your study and always get comments because fonts can convey sophistication or simplicity.
Consider what you want your brand to convey when choosing icons, images, and visuals.
Just make sure that whichever option you choose is consistent if you’re just starting because you might not have the money to have customized ones produced.
Avoid choosing one line-drawn icon with a thick outline, one with a thin outline, and one that is filled in. It will appear disjointed and provide a brand perception.
Make sure they all have a similar aesthetic to the rest of your brand and one another.
Remember that how people see your brand is greatly influenced by your photographs.
Your viewers will assume that you don’t care about quality if they are of bad quality.
They will assume that if you don’t care enough about your own company to invest in high-quality imagery, you probably won’t care about them enough to offer quality services either.
Keep in mind that people transact commerce with other people, not with companies. Therefore, using people in your photographs is a simple method to improve your work.
Show the environment that we discussed in our character section, what it’s like to work with you, your brand promise, and what life will be like when they choose you.
When you have everything, you may put it all together into a style guide or brand guide.
These documents include use case examples and assist in bringing your team’s members together so they are all on the same page and can effectively represent your brand.
When all of your stakeholders, employees, manufacturers and the marketing team are aware of the essence, personality, and structural elements of your brand, it provides the ideal environment for your audience and encourages repeat business.
CONCLUSION
Graphic design alone cannot define a brand. Raising a brand is similar to raising a child. You impart values to it that guide its personality, character, and decisions in life.
Creating your core messaging, which includes your mission, values, business plan, brand name, customer Profile, UVP, and company messaging, is the first step in developing your brand. Once everything is established, you may move on to Character. Your brand’s personality and tone help your audience have an unforgettable experience or environment.
Finally, once you’ve established it, you can begin creating the components of your brand, including the logo, colors, fonts, icons, illustrations, graphics, and individual brand photographs that express the essence and character of your company. When you take the time to define your brand through these three compositional elements you end up with a confident, authentic brand that has a good sense of why it exists, what it does, and who it serves.