I find myself making many decisions for my family every day. I’m sure many parents or caregivers can relate. What groceries we purchase and consume is one of those decisions. It’s no surprise that over the years, a few brands have stuck out to me. In fact, they typically make their way into my cart without much consideration. It’s a relief knowing that when I see a particular package on the shelf, I immediately know it’s a product I can trust.
As we spent the month of April considering the power of a brand’s visual identity, it’s interesting to think about where this impacts my daily life. In the context of groceries, I think about the Whole Foods stores and brand. Whole Foods crafted an intentional, thoughtful brand that emphasizes the quality of their products.
Because those standards are quite rigorous, I find myself trusting the Whole Foods brand without needing to put much time into comparing it with others. This means that when a product is sporting their name, I automatically relate it to specific values that matter to me, and I show loyalty to the brand. This is a small but relatable example of why businesses should put effort into their visual branding. More than just a slogan or logo, a brand’s visual identity has the power to draw an audience’s attention, communicate a set of values, and cultivate loyalty that will last. What impression is your branding leaving on your customers?
Take Inventory
Pick your Favs
Once you decide what story you want your visual branding to tell, it’s time to choose the elements that will get the job done. For our branding, we narrowed down our colors, fonts, and shapes to a few that best represent our story. While it’s tempting to choose a broad range of elements to work with, picking a few consistent pieces helps your branding feel more cohesive and reminds your audience what to look for. This creates a sense of consistency and visual identity guidelines, which benefits your team and your audience.
Make it Official
Finally, package your visual branding together in a visual identity guideline document! Our branding guide includes our logo, brand colors, fonts, and the overall feel of our visual identity. This ensures that no matter who on our team is designing or making decisions, they have a reliable reference to keep everything on track. Whether social media or packaging, creating continuity is a high priority.
While many decisions in business can feel overwhelming, we hope that establishing your visual identity guidelines brings about an element of fun! After all, this is how you communicate your story to the world. It’s your chance to help shape how your audience perceives you and what will stand out to them. Whether you’re starting a brand from the ground up or ready for a refresh, we know it can feel intimidating. Feel free to check out our free resources on our blog and social media. Need more in-depth help? Our team is ready to help you shape the brand of your dreams. Don’t hesitate to say hi– we’d love to get to know all about you and your business!
