What is brand identity?

Brand identity is the ‘face’ of your brand, it makes you recognisable, it is the visual and emotional representation of your company, your product, or service. It will include various elements, including logos, colours, slogans, and typography, which all help create an image and distinct personality to your brand. It should be consistent across all your communication channels, and should help communicate your company’s purpose, mission, values, and benefits to the customer. A strong brand identity will strengthen your popularity and presence within the competitive market.

What is brand drift?

Overtime, as images are re-used, text is copied and pasted, assets moved around, elements get altered or resized, images become fuzzy, colour variations may occur, and this leads to a misrepresentation of your brand image, what we like to call brand drift.

Why audit your brand identity?

It is therefore important to audit your brand identity at intervals because it helps you to maintain consistency across all of your communications and marketing. Auditing your brand identity helps you to identify areas where you can improve the clarity and effectiveness of your messaging and communications. And can also help potential areas for growth and expansion in the future.

Tips to avoid brand drift:

To avoid brand drift, it is important to make sure that your brand remains consistent in all aspects of your business. Ensure that original brand assets are used throughout your communications, including fonts, colours, text, images, and anything else that makes your brand recognisable to your customers. You should develop a clear brand strategy that your team can follow and focus on delivering a cohesive message to your customers. Monitor customer feedback and research trends in the market to ensure that your brand remains relevant and up-to-date against your competitors. Lastly, invest in a team or external consultant who can provide an objective view and help you stay true to your brand.