You’re driving in your car, a new song comes on the radio, but you know exactly who the artist is. No, it’s not because the name is displayed on your car’s touch screen. It’s because you recognized the distinctive style of the intro and the sound of the singer’s voice. Just like the artist was recognizable just through sound, your brand should be known by the way it presents itself.

Go back to your why

Authenticity is the key in brand storytelling. To build a brand driven by authenticity, go back to your why. Behind your why, there’s a story worth telling. When your brand clearly communicates the story of who it is, you’re able to cultivate meaningful connections with each customer and invite them to be a part of the story of your brand. 

Find your brand’s unique identity

Your brand has a personality: The way it looks, the style of its messaging, and the design of its communications all work together to create this personality. Two main components of your foundation when it comes to branding are design and messaging. Just like your brand has a purpose, your brand design also serves a purpose and should be led by the questions, “What do I believe in? What are my values, culture, and goals? “How do I want the customer to feel?” The answers to these questions should translate well to your brand design, which includes your logo, color palette, typography, iconography, packaging design, design style and imagery. As these elements come together to form your brand personality, your brand develops a unique identity, allowing the customer to develop a relationship with it.

Just like your brand has a look, it also has messaging style. Both are important in telling your story in an impactful way. The way your brand communicates through words define your brand messaging guidelines, which includes your brand name, tagline, brand story, values, mission statement, vision statement, and your tone or voice. How do you come across on social media in your captions or in your responses to comments? How are you communicating the same way through your website? Is your tone playful or is it more serious? Is it encouraging, witty, bold, or down-to-earth? Your voice, like your brand design, should point back to the story behind your why and connect with each person that the brand is for.  

Create a brand people trust

Your brand design and your brand messaging can work together to tell your story in a powerful, intentional way. When built with a strong foundation, your brand guidelines can be implemented across your products via product packaging, or on online platforms such as your website or social media, to create a brand people trust. Whether you are in need of developing your brand or implementing brand guidelines across your products and online platforms, a brand design agency can help you tell your story in a way that’s authentic to your brand. 

If you’re ready to establish your online presence, Deal Design can help. Be sure to checkout our two other articles from this month: Your Website Tells a Story: A Design Agency Can Help You Tell it Well and Are You Socially Distant on Social Media? Strategies That Cultivate Connection