Most brands follow the crowd and get their identity wrong. Approach your brand’s identity right.
When it comes to your brand identity, we’ve said it repeatedly, and I’m sure we’ll say it plenty more — it’s more than just your visuals. Establishing your brand values and your verbal identity is an integral part of the success of your brand. It sets you apart from your competitors. Not to mention, it assists in building your brand strategy and maintaining consistency across the board.So what is a verbal identity? It’s all about what your brand is trying to communicate and the principles behind it. Starting with mission and vision statements, an identity extends to include sections that solidify your voice through story, tone and grammar. These help you form a practical guide to define what makes your brand unique.
Time and time again, we see brands play it safe when it comes to their mission and values. We understand where it comes from — at a basic level, you want to say you provide a better service or product than anyone else. So consider that this goes without saying, and instead focus on what sets you apart from the rest. Ask yourself, why is your offering better than everyone else? What’s your specialty?Getting specific creates brand differentiation. This forms your basis and can help build everything else from your tone of voice to your strategy. When you know what makes you stand out, then everything else can fall into place.
When creating your verbal identity, less is more. Having a concise version of a mission statement and vision means you and your team can recall it easily. It’s important to still expand so newcomers to your business understand where this comes from and the further meaning behind it, but a short succinct version makes it easier to remember.
A verbal identity is a piece you can give to any copywriter and they can understand succinctly the voice of your brand. This guide ensures any copy they write still has brand consistency. If your voice is changing from platform to platform, then your distinctive voice is lost to consumers.