12 Aug Brand Imagery in Business
When you hear the term “brand imagery”, do your thoughts immediately go to that of a logo? If so,then you are not alone. There is a great deal of confusion surrounding what brand imagery actually is.
Inquiring minds want to know—is it a professional photograph? Could it be a color scheme that is used to represent the organization? What about the specific products that the company sells? These are all reasonable
questions and today we will clearly define and explain exactly what brand imagery in business is.
What is Brand Imagery?
If you guessed that brand imagery was any of the things mentioned in the previous section of this article, you were headed in the right direction. I would first like to point out however, that brand imagery is not the same thing as brand image. This is a common misconception and it’s easy to see why—the difference of just two small letters!
So what is your brand image? It’s the intangible part of the brand, such the feelings and perceptions that develop when the consumer views your logo, signage, slogan etc. On the other hand, brand imagery is how you design the overall allure and aesthetic of your brand over a period of time. It’s what a consumer visualizes when they think of your business as a whole.
Another thing that is different about brand imagery is that it offers various means of connecting with your target audience and is oftentimes tangible. This means that it has the potential to be experienced through the use of each of your senses—sight being the most prominent. This is a big reason why using imagery in internet advertising and other types of promotions is so important and necessary today in businesses of all types.
Why is Brand Imagery Important?
“A single image delivers a lot of information in a very short time because we perceive an image all at once, whereas reading or hearing often takes significantly longer to process the same information.” Put simply, it is easier for our brains to process pictures, graphics and videos compared to things we have to carefully read or listen to. This is why, if you look closely, you will see that the brands performing well tend to invest a great deal of resources into this visual portions of their businesses.
Brand imagery is one of the most useful, yet subtle ways to promote your product or service and evoke powerful feelings from your audience. Photographs and videos are the most engaging forms of content on social media because they allow you to quickly and easily display your brand’s personality to consumers. This increases your visibility and creates the means for the proper audience to find and be attracted to you. They then become so trusting and loyal to your brand that they can’t help but to express their satisfaction to those around them. Word of mouth is still one of the leading ways to increase your brand’s awareness.
How Do I Create Brand Imagery for My Business?
The use of specific colors, shapes, and symbols are all components that contribute to creating strong imagery for your brand. Occasionally, but not often enough, the use of a visual style guide or brand bible is implemented. Utilizing this template is a way to make sure that things remain consistent—no matter how many people are involved in the creative process.
Another thing that helps in the creation of imagery for your brand is understanding your target audience inside and out. Is your ideal client a male or a female? What is important to this individual? Is there something specific that they include on their activity list daily? What accounts are they currently following on social media? Knowing the answers to these questions makes it easier for you to come up with enticing images that your target audience will respond to. Once you do that, then you are well on your way to establishing loyalty toward your brand, products, and services.
Conclusion
Taking the time out to intentionally focus on the different aspects of your brand—brand image, brand imagery, brand identity, etc—is extremely important. This can be the difference between a thriving business model and one that is struggling.
While your brand image answers the question of “what”, brand imagery answers the question of “how”. A proper brand image or brand identity cannot be developed without first understanding your audience and the reasoning behind why they do what they do. Set your brand and your business up for success by making sure that brand imagery is at the forefront of your strategic plans.