Brand identity is increasingly important and it is a necessity. More than 64% of shoppers build relationships with brands as customers put more importance on that. With brand identity, retailers have an opportunity to distinguish themselves from competitors.
Tips to Bring Your Brand to Life
Be consistent
Bringing your brand identity to life begins with customers in which you should identify with and how their shopping experience can foster that. But it’s not just about what’s in your store, as retailers have to think of how all facets of their brand work together. How can retailers nail their brand identity consistency and create an impact? All the customer touch points have the same logo, the same font, look, and feel of the stores. Consistently push your message in-store, via email, through social media, and your website, in order to evoke the same emotion. Also, know about brand voice consistency and why it matters.
Signage
Oftentimes, signage is the first interaction a consumer has with a brand, and it is important for retailers to introduce their identity here. The store name is the greatest opportunity to leave a memorable first impression. Moreover, creative signage includes window displays because customers want to feel like they are entering your world. An inexpensive way to create that first impression is a chalkboard to place in the sidewalk out front.
Logo
Along with the topic of visuals, your logo is an essential component of your brand identity process that embodies that identity. And that logo also needs to play a part in the in-store experience, and everywhere that there is a space for it. It must be strategic, and the logo can be placed on product displays, shopping bags, price tags, and more. It’s important to not overwhelm customers, but at the same time, it all depends on the brand identity. Incorporate the logo into the design with lots of white space, bright lights, and little branding.
Color Scheme
Consumers can step into a Target store and see red, and they don’t need to be told to recognize it. In fact, color increases brand recognition by 80% to establish their brand identity as well. Choosing colors is extremely important. for example, red evokes:
- Excitement
- Boldness
- Youth
Health and wellness retailers opt for grays or greens, to spark feelings of:
- Peace
- Calm
- Balance
- Health
- Blue is associated with trust.
- Purple: creativity,
- Orange: friendliness
- Yellow: optimism.
Choose the colors and the impression you want to make upon consumers.
Music
Having the right music can enhance your brand identity and the shopping experience. If you’ve ever gone into an Abercrombie & Fitch, the music is loud, embodying the cool, young vibe of its customers. While you may not want your storefront to sound loud, create a soundscape in your store. Furthermore, this can help solidify your brand identity, so offer due consideration to the background tunes playing in your business.
Scent
Another tactic that Abercrombie & Fitch does is utilize scent. If you pass by the store, you might smell it before you see it. By spraying fragrances, it creates a specific identity and emotional reaction from customers. Moreover, that’s the power of scent marketing, much like colors, smells affect mood and have strong effects on emotional reactions. That’s why yoga studios often use calming lavender scents to create an experience for students.
Lighting
Lighting doesn’t only help customers see your products, it may not be an accurate representation of the brand. Moody lighting is also a direct reflection of the brand. However, children’s stores can get more creative with lighting, and need bright lights to test products and to them clearly. If you want customers to feel relaxed dim the lights, and if your identity is more energetic, opt for brighter lights.
Sales Associates
Sales associates on the floor are what bring the products to life; it’s an essential component of the brand identity. When hiring employees, introduce them to brand identity, help them understand, and explain how they can embody it. Keep this in mind when vetting potential new hires, as it is a perfect example of associates who embody the brand identity.
