This is a repost from my Brandtats personal blog, but thought it was important to educate our Tricycle audience on the same subject. This is something that supports the knowledge needed to build a 1000 Year Brand.

There are several traits that are common among strong visual identities. These similarities are basic design principles to a creative, but can seem unintentional to those that aren’t. Knowing what these traits are can help you identify the good from the bad. The strong from the weak. And create an unforgettable brand.

The 3 Identity Traits are:

1. Simple
2. Applicable
3. Unforgettable

Simple.

Strong identities are easy to understand. They make sense. When you look at them you almost have a “no duh” moment. In fact sometimes you might even look at the logo and think to yourself “I could’ve created that!” Even though you know better. You know that they did something so creative. So clever. Yet so simple. It was a mirror image of their business. A perfection reflection of the product or service. And it didn’t take a lot of bells or whistles to create. Not a lot of make-up. Just someone that really understood the business and the way to illustrate that experience accurately.

Applicable.

When you look at the logo your mind automatically sees it on buildings. On trucks. Airplanes. Billboards. TV commercials. Etc.. You know that this logo would look great on a shirt or a web banner. Sometimes logos can look fantastic in full color on TV but look horrible on letterhead. (Mostly because they use the same file for both, but you get the point.) When you see this identity you can see your business now in the present. And in the future years to come. It also applies to yourself. To what your business does. To your employees. And to your target audience.

Unforgettable.

A little test. Can you picture these logos: Fedex. Nike. Starbucks. Apple? Why those and not others? These identities follow the top 2 traits and enhance them with their experience/product quality. Their logos do look good on shirts. On print advertising. On products. They do represent their business accurately and effectively. And they do stick in your mind. This trait more then the others cannot be taught in school. The traits above are taught in design school. It is the standard that all designers should adhere to. This third trait is different. The ability to execute on this powerful trait and develop an unforgettable identity is a talent. Something some people are born with.

The ironic part is that there aren’t many businesses out there that are unforgettable. Only a few brands make it to that level of customer awareness and respect. What’s even odder to me is that there are some companies out there that are unforgettable but look very common. And forgettable. The power of branding really lies in the ability to match the talents of a business with the talents of a designer. You then can align an unforgettable identity to an unforgettable experience. Which equals …

An unforgettable brand.

Are you starting to think that you need a new look and feel? That you’re old logo, that was created in-house or by a family member at the start, might not fit your business today? Are you constantly trying to defend your logo with the statement “we’ve had this logo for ___ years”?

If any of these thoughts have entered your mind recently then you should continue reading. Especially if you are on the fence on the subject and are not sure whether or not changing your identity is a good move or a bad one.

First off I think it’s important to answer this question:

When is the right time to consider changing and upgrading your identity?

The simple answer is: when it doesn’t match your business any longer. An identity is meant to visually support, enhance, and most important represent your business accurately. The size, emotion, character, differentiators, industry, etc. all might need to be displayed accurately. Many times companies create their logo when they first start and are afraid to change it as they grow. This can be damaging to the brand because it doesn’t reflect the new growth, changed size, and relay the success to the audience.

There are several things you might be hearing that are key indicators that it might be time to fine tune that logo a little bit. You might be hearing people say … “oh I didn’t know that’s what you guys did!” or “wow … I didn’t realize you guys were that big.” Another popular one that I’ve heard is “they might not look good, but they really know what they are doing.”

If you’ve started to hear these things from outside perspectives it might be time to consider changing. Don’t be scared to improve your look and feel to represent your success. It’s expected. And many times your clients and fans want to be proud to show you off. So give them something exciting and professional for show and tell.

So once you think you are ready for a new identity the following question can steer you in the right direction:

What things do you need before starting the process of creating a new identity?

Often times when companies decide to upgrade their identity they start looking for a designer or design firm to work with. They assume that the better the designer or firm the better the logo will turn out. They choose someone to work with and rely on the talent to accurately represent the brand in a “fresh” new look.

Although good designers can create awesome looking identities, they are usually horrible at identifying the business messages that need to be represented in the logo. They will create something that has people saying “wow” and “cool,” but shortly after the same people will say “so what is it you do?”

So here is a list of things that you need to have identified to help create an identity that represents your brand correctly:

1. What makes you different?
2. Who is your audience?
3. What emotions do they experience thru your service?
4. What brands do they associate with other than yours?
5. What are the first three words that come into your mind when you think about your business?
6. How about the first three words from your customers?
7. What are the standards in your industry that people recognize quickly?

By answering these questions and doing a little homework you can give a designer (with talent) the things they need to create an identity that matches. And remember two important things. One … it’s good to change and improve your logo as you grow! Two … when you see that logo that represents the items above you will know it. It will resonate with you. With your employees. And your audience!

Pick three brands that you associate with.

Look at those brands you chose and examine the elements of those brands. What are the characteristic’s of that brand? What do they stand for? What are some of the key words that come to mind when you think of that brand? Write down those 2 to 3 words that came to mind about each of those brands.

Now the fun part. Take those words and think of your personal brand. You. How many of those words would people use to describe you. How about your company?

Many times brands that we associate with and relate with match our core identity. And likewise our core identities are passed thru to the businesses we start and operate. This happens because our core is unwavering and solid. It is something that we have built into our character and strive to improve. The problems lie when companies (and people) try to disguise or fake their core identity.

How can your customers relate with your brand and feel that connection if the core of your business isn’t communicated accurately?

What words would customers say about your brand?

The second step is to visually connect your brand with your audience; to make it match the core idea of your business. This is not just a logo, but a story told through sensory perceptions - colors, images, and authenticity. Great identities incite curiosity, inspire behavior, and accurately lead the visual direction of your brand.

Check out this PDF to view some of the recent brand identities Tricycle has produced.