Diametric: The importance of brand identity

Corporate branding is one of the most important weapons in the marketing arsenal. A good brand identifies and distinguishes a company from its competitors, making a customer remember that brand as a trusted supplier in its field of business.
Many companies use a marketing or branding agency to come up with an effective logo and strapline for their business. Once this logo is formed, it is important to brand all of the following mediums:
- Stationery - such as business cards, letters and envelopes. When sending customers company information, sales pitches or mail shots, it is important to have your logo and contact details in a prominent position for future sales or information requests.
- Corporate clothing or uniforms - when out at trade shows or hosting events, it is important to promote one clear identity amongst staff, who should act as a point of contact for all enquiries. You don't have to go mad with branding clothing, but a small embroidered logo on the left breast with a stapline across the shoulder blades should suffice.
- Website - as the foremost point of contact for customers and potential clients, it is vital that your website is branded with your company logo, reflecting your company's brand values, as well as being accessible and aesthetically pleasing.
- Product - products and services should also be branded with a logo and colour-co-ordinate with other promotional materials. For help with branding products, label manufacturers can provide design and material advice on what would best suit your needs.
- Merchandise - people like giveaways, being more likely to remember your business in a buying situation if you have chosen to produce some innovative and branded promotional materials.
Using the same logo, colours and fonts across all promotional materials gives a professional edge to your branding and increases brand salience amongst clients - in other words, the propensity of a brand to be recognised and thought of in buying situations.
Maintaining a consistent brand imagery, can lower marketing costs, as only one print screen or design needs to be used for all promotional materials. It will also allow for a more consistent image that will lay the groundwork for future global business expansions as well as increasing media reach, with both web and traditional forms of media, recognising a particular brand.