The Misconceptions of Creating a Brand Identity
Crafting a Unique Brand Identity: The Starfish Philosophy
Creating a memorable and impactful brand identity is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.
At Starfish, we believe a brand isn’t merely a logo, a tagline, or a sleek identity. Instead,we hold firm to the philosophy that the brand experience is the brand. Every interaction, from an email signature to the office ambiance and corporate culture, weaves the fabric of your brand identity. Your brand is the sum of every interaction your people and customers have with it.
A Holistic Approach to Creating a Brand Identity
For too long, brand identity has been narrowly defined. Traditional approaches focus on visual elements like logos, typefaces, and packaging. While these are undeniably important, they represent only a fraction of what makes a brand memorable. At Starfish, we emphasize that everything starts with brand strategy, and from there, we create every aspect of your brand’s identity—from the look and feel of your website and the words in your press releases to how your team answers the phone. It’s how you make people feel, how you solve their problems, and how consistently you show up.
Think of a brand as a living organism. Every move, expression, and interaction work as one to create a cohesive experience. A beautifully designed website paired with dismissive customer service will ring false. Similarly, a visionary mission statement without tangible action will feel hollow. Therefore, your brand’s identity is, in essence, the alignment of all these elements into a singular, authentic narrative that, in sum, creates your brand experience.
The Pillars of Brand Identity
Four essential pillars are central to our philosophy:
- Brand Strategy: Brand strategy plays a crucial role in shaping a brand’s identity by defining its core values, mission, and vision. It establishes a unique positioning in the market, differentiates the brand from competitors, and creates a cohesive narrative that resonates with target audiences. Starfish’s approach to brand strategy considers inputs from internal stakeholders, customer insights, and competitive and marketplace analysis. A well-crafted brand strategy guides all aspects of brand communication, ensuring consistency across various platforms and touchpoints, ultimately building consumer trust and loyalty.
- Naming and Verbal Identity: Shakespeare’s famous question, “What’s in a name?” is surprisingly relevant in branding. A name is often the first encounter someone has with your brand. It’s not just a label. It’s an invitation to understand who you are and what you stand for. At Starfish, we guide businesses in crafting resonating names and verbal identities. This includes taglines, messaging frameworks, and tone of voice. Whether your brand’s tone is playful, authoritative, or empathetic, verbal identity is a cornerstone of your perception.
- Visual Identity: Your brand’s visual elements are undeniably powerful. They capture attention and communicate your essence in seconds. However, visuals must be more than aesthetic. They must be strategic. Every design decision, from logos to color schemes to typography, should reflect your brand’s core values and mission. Consistency across platforms—packaging, digital spaces, and physical environments—is key to building recognition, reputation, and trust.
- Behavioral Identity: Or how a brand behaves. This is where many brands falter. You can have a stellar logo and a clever tagline, but if your employees act in ways that contradict your brand’s promises, your credibility is weakened. Behavioral identity involves training and empowering employees to embody your brand’s ethos at every touchpoint. For example, if your brand promises “exceptional customer care,” this needs to be reflected in your team’s responsiveness, empathy, and problem-solving abilities. How your staff interacts with customers, partners, and even each other shapes your brand as much as any visual or verbal cue.
Informed by Four Core Perspectives
We believe that four specific perspectives inform all great brands:
- The Internal Point of View: This encompasses the perspectives of the company’s stakeholders. Their insights about the organization’s key characteristics, attributes, core competencies, and ambitions form the foundational DNA of the brand. Understanding who you are and where you aim to go is critical to shaping a compelling identity.
- The Customer’s Point of View: A brand exists in the hearts and minds of its audience. Understanding why customers love, appreciate, and engage with your brand offers invaluable insight. What problems are you solving for them? How do they perceive your value?
- The Market Landscape: Brands don’t operate in a vacuum. Staying informed about industry trends, emerging competitors, and shifts in consumer behavior ensures your brand remains relevant and forward-thinking. A strong and sustainable brand evolves alongside the marketplace and your audience.
- The Competition: Analyzing competitors’ positioning, value propositions, visual identities, and market behaviors provides critical context. This ensures your brand stands out and communicates a unique and compelling perspective.
When these perspectives are integrated, a brand can remain true to its DNA, meet its customers’ needs (or unmet needs), and carve out a relevant and unique position in the marketplace.
Designing Touchpoints for Impact
At Starfish, we view touchpoints as the DNA of a brand identity. No matter how minor, every interaction contributes to your brand’s perception. Let’s break this down:
- Digital Presence: Your website, social media channels, and email campaigns should tell a cohesive story. Is the tone consistent? Are the visuals aligned? Do they reflect your brand’s mission?
- Customer Interactions: From call center scripts to in-store greetings, every interaction should feel intentional and on-brand.
- Physical Space: Whether it’s a flagship store or an office, the environment should embody your brand’s values. A cutting-edge tech company might opt for minimalist, high-tech interiors, while a family-friendly brand might focus on warmth and approachability.
- Products and Services: Your offerings must deliver on your brand’s promises. High-quality products paired with poor packaging or delayed delivery can diminish trust.
Authenticity and Consistency: The Twin Engines
In our work with clients, two themes consistently emerge: authenticity and consistency. These are the twin engines of a successful brand identity.
- Authenticity: In the age of hyper-connectivity, consumers can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. Your brand identity must align with your values, actions, and offerings. Greenwashing, performative activism, or empty promises are surefire ways to alienate your audience.
- Consistency: Building a brand is like building a relationship. It takes time to build trust through repeated positive experiences. Consistency across all touchpoints ensures your audience knows what to expect, fostering loyalty and recognition.
Why the Experience is Everything
At Starfish, we’ve seen firsthand that the experience is the brand. A customer’s journey is rarely linear, and their perception of your brand isn’t formed at a single moment. It’s the cumulative result of countless interactions.
When all touchpoints work harmoniously, the experience becomes seamless, intuitive, and memorable. Customers don’t just engage with your brand; they feel it. And its feelings that drive loyalty, advocacy, and, ultimately, success.
Final Thoughts
Creating a brand identity is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and how you wish to be perceived. At Starfish, we’re passionate about helping brands align every touchpoint to create an identity that isn’t just seen but felt.
Remember, your brand is more than a logo or a slogan. It’s an experience. It’s how your employees answer the phone, your email campaigns’ tone, the packaging’s look, and the ease of navigating your website. Each element weaves together to form a rich, dynamic tapestry that is your brand identity.
So, as you embark on the journey of building or refining your brand, keep this in mind: every detail matters because the brand experience is the brand.
Written By: David Kessler
Starfish is a branding and creative communications agency that ignites powerful customer connections through the discipline of brand experience.
David Kessler
Starfish CEO | Global Marketing Executive | Brand Strategist
