Business Identity – Make A Name For Yourself

Other posts in the “Making a Name For Yourself” series:
• Logo Development and Strategy
• Business Card Basics
• Letterhead & Envelopes
• Brand Building for Beginners

In the field of graphic design, identity is a term that often gets thrown around loosely, and as designers we assume that everyone just automatically knows what we are talking about. Well as I recently found out, that is sometimes not the case. Let me explain…

The other day I was in the middle of exchanging business cards with a prospective client. After inspecting my bright orange card for awhile, she looked at me inquisitively and asked, “Your card lists one of your services as Business Identity. What is Business Identity… and just how does it relate to my business?”

Well that question got me thinking, and so over the next few weeks Manifest Creative will be diving into the subject of identity, the many facets that can help define it relating to business in the modern marketplace. In this series we will inspect the many pieces and parts that collectively make up the identity of a business or entity. Let’s begin…

If you were to go to dictionary.com you would find the first definition of the word identity to be exactly as follows:

i·den·ti·ty –noun, plural -ties.

1. the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions: The identity of the fingerprints on the gun with those on file provided evidence that he was the killer.

Now that is all good and proper, but for the everyday person I find the above definition lacking, perhaps even a bit vague. To sum it up in laymen’s terms, identity is simply the defining characteristics by which something or someone is recognized.

When it comes to establishing a Business Identity, these defining characteristics can be made up of any number of things including custom logos or symbols, the use of a particular typeface, a specific color scheme, a radio jingle, a recognizable voice, or even the recognition a mascot or celebrity can provide.

As graphic designers, we use the term identity to pertain to specific materials that help a business make a great first impression – and better yet, a memorable one. A basic identity package usually includes developing a logo design and then applying the logo to custom business cards, letterhead and envelopes… these are the staple materials for nearly every business.

One of the key factors in establishing an identity is continuity throughout all marketing materials. In other words, making sure that all your visual materials share a similar look and feel. This in turn is one of the first steps of branding, and the foundation of how you market your business.

That is all for this installment of the Business Identity blog… In upcoming installments we will continue our in-depth look at identity, and dissect each of the individual parts of an identity package. Check back soon as we investigate each part and share the features, options and advantages of them in detail.